SEX TRAFFICKING: SEATTLE DOES ITS PART
Seattle has one of the highest volumes of sex trafficking in the United States. In Seattle, as well as in the rest of the world, the majority of victims are women and girls. Most of these women are controlled and enslaved through substance abuse, physical and psychological abuse, and social isolation from their families and community.
While patrolling south Seattle late in 2005, King County Deputy Sheriff Andy Conner, would see these girls and was faced with the heart-breaking choice of picking them up and sending them to jail, or of ignoring them. Driven by his faith, the stories these women told him, and the necessity of finding an alternative safe place for them to go instead of to jail; he founded a drop-in center called The Genesis Project. The Genesis Project is dedicated to rescuing, restoring, and releasing victims by giving them the resources they need to escape sex trafficking.
More than 200 young women have walked through the Genesis Project doors and have experienced the love of Christ through a comprehensive three-phase program: Rescue: Immediate needs such as food, hygiene, clothing, and shelter are met at the drop-in center. Restoration: Restoration is encouraged as women meet with case managers to receive counseling, employment access, substance abuse resources, access to formal education, and transportation to appointments. Release: The Genesis Project currently refers these young women to safe houses through partner organizations.
Mrs. Misako Franquelin, a member of the Seattle Chapter of WFWP, lives near the Seattle-Tacoma Airport where she would see these girls as she was driving. She decided she wanted to better her community and began to volunteer at the Genesis Project. Inspired by what they are doing, she encouraged the members of the Seattle Chapter to take part in The Freedom Walk 2016, a five-kilometer route along which participants receive notecards detailing how someone enters sex trafficking and how the Genesis Project can help them escape from that ‘life.’
Through the coordination of Mrs. Sarah Nishioka and Mrs. Misako Franquelin, WFWP Seattle hosted a yard sale and donated the resultant $400 to the Genesis Project. Several members also participated in the Freedom Walk.
Mrs. Laura Conner, wife of Andy Conner, personally sent WFWP a big thank you for the efforts we made to support their work in the Genesis Project. And WFWP Seattle will continue to support their work.
