Our Mission
Shine light and bring home to women involved in the commercial sex trade in our county.
Our Goals
Next step: Gather start-up funding and volunteers to open “LightHouse Dog Treats.” In addition to becoming a funding stream, we want to be able to hire women from the Pop-Up program on a cash basis, to give them the dignity of an honorable paycheck.
Long and longer range: Create a safe house program for helping survivors move from victims, to survivors, to triumphant thrivers! Processing trauma, and addressing life skill deficits take both time and energy unavailable without some external support. Create transitional housing. This would involve a multi-plex housing unit. Full time employment would be required. Rent would be paid as a percentage of income. If their car blew up, or they lost their job, they would not be on the street again at the end of the month. This enables survivors to learn to walk in their liberty with a safety net.
Our Strategies
Pop-Up at the Laundromat
We have signs up in the area saying: “If you are a woman living a life you never wanted to live, in a place you never wanted to be, we will do your laundry for you.”
We take a shade tent, camp chairs, refreshments, toiletries, detergent & quarters. Oh, and cut flowers, too, because we want to communicate: You are worth the extra effort!
The objective is to build relationship so when they decide this life isn’t working for them, they have a face and a phone # to call. We can usually get them into detox or rehab that day, then help them chart out the next steps into a 12 to 18 month safe house/restoration program.
John School Palm Beach County
For those arrested on misdemeanor prostitution charges – either buying or selling – our John School classes, along with recent STI testing and court fee payment, will get those charges removed from your record.
The whole idea is education! Both buyers and sellers need to know the 40+ sexually transmitted infections that are out there. While buyers pay tuition, sellers are scholarshipped.
Buyers’ classes
Our classes have a section presented by Becky & a trafficking survivors titled, “Facts Vs. Myths of Prostitution.” The survivor shares what it was like for her in relation to the myths commonly held by buyers. The afternoon is a group therapy session covering socialization, objectification, pornography and sexual addictions over driving commercial sex purchases. These classes are offered in English as well as Spanish.
Sellers’ classes
Our classes have a section presented by Becky & a trafficking survivors titled, “The Lies I Believed That Kept Me There.” The survivor shares how family of origin trauma, dissociation, low self-worth, rape and other factors landed her with a prostitution charge. The afternoon is a group therapy session. We start with a dress, high heels and beads draped over a chair – and the question, “How did she get there?” There is always a story that lands someone in the life of prostitution. No one starts out thinking as a child THAT is what they want to be when they grow up!! We also use the time to explore the impact of previous trauma, low self-worth, addictions and options we can make available for treatment, restoration programs, educational grants, etc.
Diversion Program for Felony Seller Offenders
This program has been beyond us until now. We have offered to partner with the State’s Attorney’s office by overseeing a felony offender’s participation in a drug rehab program, then transfer to a 12 to 18 month safe house/restoration program addressing the trauma, rape and life skill deficits often behind the lifestyle. If they walk, we report them to the State Attorney’s office and the original charges and sentencing are reinstated.
25% of the 146 arrests for sellers since LightHousePBC assumed the John School training were for felony charges. This option could make a very significant difference in the number of women being prostituted on the streets!!
Our Dreams
Safe House/Restoration Program
Create a safe house program for helping survivors move from victims, to survivors, to triumphant thrivers! Processing trauma and addressing life skill deficits take both time and energy rarely available without some external support. We have run a small, five bed safe house before, and we can do it again!! But, we need financial backing from individuals and businesses willing to invest in their community, several types of grants, and an in- house income stream like the organic, non-GMO animal treats we marketed several years ago.
Transitional Housing
This would involve obtaining access to a multi-plex housing unit. Participants would be required to have full-time employment and charged a percentage of their income to cover costs. If their car blew up, or they lost their job, they would not be on the street again at the end of the month. This enables survivors to learn to walk in their liberty with a safety net.
Our Dedication
We have been serving this population in Palm Beach County since 2010. Join us! CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER
Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.
-Author unknown
