First of all, we just want to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you that supports DollarFund. We couldn’t do what we do without you and we are so thankful each of you have chosen to partner with us.

DollarFund has many different areas that we focus on trying to help people in, some of these areas are: freeing the slaves, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, quenching the thirsty, parenting the parentless, and housing the homeless. We believe these are some of the major problems in the world today that we can all use our $ to give and our voice to share to make a difference as we change the world and help others!

We are so thankful for you and your $ that you have given in the month of May. It is going to make a huge difference in the lives of many and we are so excited to share with you who our newest partner is. The donation from the month of May is going towards helping the area of freeing the slaves, as well as assisting in the area of healing the sick!

The Problem

We have posted before about the horrible statistics and ways that slavery and human trafficking are growing and affecting so many people in the world we live in. We know it is our job to work together to try to end this and help those affected. But we know it’s so important to know the facts and to spread awareness of how horrible this problem is. Once you know better, than you can do better. So, we wanted to share with you some facts about sexual exploitation.

Who is exploited?

• Average age: 12-14
• Female and Male Youth
• Minors

Risk Factors

• Age: Average age of entry is 12-14 
• History of Abuse: Physical, Sexual, Emotional and Neglect
• Parental Drug Use/Abuse
• Running Away
• History of Involvement with Child Protective Services
• History of older boyfriends/girlfriends

Sex Trafficking 

• The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purposes of a commercial sex act where such an act is induced by forced, fraud or cohersion.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) 

• A person, usually an adult, achieves sexual gratification, financial gain or advancement through the abuse or exploitation of a child’s sexuality by revoking that child’s human right to dignity, quality, autonomy, and physical and mental wellbeing, i.e. trafficking, stripping, pornography, and rape 

Commercial Sex Act 

• The giving or receiving of anything of value (drugs, money, shelter, food or clothing) in exchange for sexual gratification 

If a victim of commercial sexual exploitation is sold five times per night five days a week for five years, that child would face being raped by 6,000 buyers during their period of victimization. 

Many of these men and women that have been trafficked and sexually exploited have a lot of challenges they face that make it hard to leave the situation they are in. Here are a few of the challenges: Trauma bonding (emotional survival bond with exploiter), Psychological manipulation, Substance use, Threat or force, Coercion, Social action/stigma, Decreased ability to understand, put in place, end enforce personal boundaries, Lowered self-esteem, which results in them not feeling deserving of being loved and respected, Difficulty developing relationships without harmful imbalances of power in place, and more. We know it is up to us to see this horrible industry come to an end and to free these people trapped in modern day slavery.

A Village for One

Introducing, A Village for One, which is a Portland based non-profit organization developed to serve children who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation. It is a community uniting to uplift, support and heal the youth that have been impacted by sexual exploitation and trafficking.

Their aim is to bring the talents and gifts of the community together to create an opportunity to serve each child that has been impacted by sexual exploitation in their local community. The community unites to provide youth with a home, nourishment, education, holistic healing, mentorship, service, and opportunity to grow, believe, and become their greatest potential.

In 2015, A Village for One opened their first outpatient mental health clinic location in Clackamas County, Oregon, and most recently in 2018 they opened their second outpatient clinic in Marion County, Oregon. While working to provide trauma informed mental health services to this population of youth we are also raising funds to assist in the opening of our first therapeutic residence.

Your Impact

Your $ from the month of May will go to help cover the cost of mental health services to uninsured and under insured youth in Marion and Clackamas County, OR who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation or are deemed at high risk for this abuse. A Village for One’s mission is the provision of specialized trauma informed mental health serves to these exploited and highly traumatized youth that have come out of trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Not many people are aware that the Portland Metropolitan Area has, in the past, been identified as the second largest market in the nation for the domestic commercial sex exploitation of children. In response, A Village for One has been a leader in educating the community (law enforcement, medical providers, community organization, social service agencies, and schools) about the existence of this problem and the special needs of these highly traumatized youth, reaching over 600 high school aged youth and approximately 1300 community members total in 2018. With the increased awareness of this problem the demand for A Village for One’s specialized trauma informed mental health services has increased dramatically over the last few years.

Current governmental and third-party funding sources for youth mental health treatment do not come close to supporting the types and level of services these youth require. Because of the complex trauma histories of these youth, they have little trust in the “system” and anyone trying to tell them “we are here to help.” As a result, A Village for One has learned through experience, best practices, and research that they must demonstrate, not thru words, but actions that they can be trusted.

It starts with meeting the youth where they are, in the community, rather than expecting them to come to meet A Village for One. Almost all their services are provided in the community where the youth feels safe rather than a place of the organization’s convenience. Next, the initial focus is on addressing the youth’s survival needs such as shelter, seasonally appropriate clothing, food, health care, and transportation. A Village for One has found that delivering on their needs, rather than telling them what they need, builds trust. As trust is built they are able to more effectively address therapeutically the complex mental health needs of youth through family therapy, individual therapy, life skills development and health decision making.

This program would not exist without and support to supplement the cost of these essential services, which are not fully supported by other traditional funding sources, as they support and care for many young men and women that have been impacted by human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Your donation to DollarFund last month will play a vital role in maintaining the accessibility of these services which are vital to the healing of these exploited youth.

Survivors of human sex trafficking are often forgotten by the society they re-enter. The pain that they live with is in so many ways debilitating and refuses them the opportunity of a life with any comfort. We are excited to partner with A Village for One and are looking forward to the good they are able to do as they are helping to heal the sick and free the slaves as they work with the youth that are impacted by sexual exploitation and trafficking.

With our growing community of donors, we’re ready to help fund the true forces of good in this world. All it takes is $1. We welcome you to join us and please share this message.