EDEN'S GLORY
Until January 30th, 2023, we are featuring Eden's Glory. They are a 501-c3 nonprofit organization that is passionate about fortifying survivors and equipping communities to combat human trafficking. Eden's Glory is a home where survivors of human trafficking are restored to thrive for the praise and glory of God.
We had the opportunity to have a written interview with Eden's Glory and ask them to share about the impactful work they are doing.
Q: Could you tell us what sparked the birth of Eden's Glory? What was the meaning behind the organization's name?
A: Our community kept asking the question of “what’s next? What can we do about trafficking?” After a year of educating and raising awareness about human trafficking in our community, they were ready for the next level of engagement.
We knew that restoration homes were extremely limited (at the time there were fewer than 250 beds available for survivors in the US) and we felt led by the Lord to step into that need.
Our heart behind the name was that we want first and foremost, ALL that we do to be for the Glory of God.
It’s not about us, it’s not even about the survivors or communities we serve, it is all for the Lord and has to bring Him glory. We also want each survivor to come back to God’s original intent in the Garden of Eden: to experience the safety and intimacy of walking with Him in love and grace and wholeness.
Q: Could you share with us the ways in which Eden's Glory is combatting human trafficking?
A: Each year, we train and equip thousands of people ranging from students, parents, service providers, frontline responders, law enforcement, schools and churches to both prevent trafficking and recognize indicators and develop effective response protocols. We provide free trauma-informed counseling to minors who have a history of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation through our Foster Kairos program. Additionally, we support and train their caregivers to help reduce the need for long-term restoration homes like Eden’s Glory in the future.
Through Eden’s Glory, we provide both long-term residential care and outpatient care for adult female survivors of trafficking that includes up to two years of trauma-informed counseling and classes to work through the trauma, reduce recidivism, and launch into independent living in a healthy community of support.
Q: From your experience so far, what would you say is the toughest challenge(s) your team has faced in fighting human trafficking?
A: Honestly, it’s finding and maintaining a full staff. Due to the nature and intensity of the work, it’s hard to find people who are called and equipped for this work. Turnover is high in this industry and while we statistically keep staff longer than many homes like ours, it’s still an ongoing struggle to stay fully staffed and, at times, keeps us from serving at capacity. We often have interest but finding someone with longevity and commitment to this work is hard.
Q: Could you share with us a favorite survivor's victory journey you have witnessed in the life of Eden's Glory?
A: Years ago we walked with a survivor for 18 months through her healing journey before she relapsed back into addiction. While she didn’t return to trafficking, she decided to leave Eden’s Glory to go back home. We found her at a nearby hotel and our team literally walked circles around that hotel praying for miracles and breakthroughs for her. One by one, each staff member went up to her room to talk with her, love on her, and remind her of who she was. At the end of the day, she still refused to return with us and left that night to head back to her home state. We were devastated and so deeply confused and hurting for her but we continued to pray deeply for her.
A month later, after a morning of praying for her, we received a message from her stating that she wanted to “come home”. She shared that upon returning to her family and old friends, she realized “I’m not the same person that I used to be and I don’t belong here. I’ve been growing and healing and my old friends are still stuck.” She ended up coming back and to this day, we still have a remarkable relationship with her and she still says that the love she witnessed that day changed her forever. She’s now living independently, working a full-time job and building strong community while speaking out for those who are still “stuck”.
Q: What are the current needs of Eden's Glory? How can we, the every day person, support you in fighting human trafficking?
A: We need YOU! We need staff, we need volunteers, we need committed donors, we need prayer warriors. Both people working directly with survivors and people working behind the scenes. There is so much that goes on to make the healing journey possible and it truly takes an entire community.
We’ve recently been called to build or buy a bigger home but that will take additional funding both to build and to staff it so we can expand our capacity.
Would you commit to joining us? Eden’s Defenders give monthly, anywhere from $25 to $600, and are fighting for and defending these women and children to find hope and a future and break the generational cycles. CLICK HERE to find out more about the many ways to give and support Eden's Glory.
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You can also support Eden's Glory by purchasing 139MADE's shirts and other products, while sharing about the amazing work they are doing to fight human trafficking. 10% of all our sales until JANUARY 30th, 2023 will be donated to Eden's Glory. CLICK HERE TO SHOP
For more information on Eden's Glory, please visit their:
Website: EdensGlory.org
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram
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