Day 4: Courtney's House and Dedication

3/18/15

On Wednesday, we went to Courtney's House to do some spring cleaning. Many of us were excited to perform service. Previously, we had mainly been educated on the issue of human trafficking. It is important to know more about the issue and more about how we can currently help. Additionally, we also learned about places in our area where we could help survivors of trafficking. We wanted to assist Courtney's House so that the staff there could focus more on helping survivors.

When we arrived, Rachel gave us a short introduction about the staff and mission of Courtney's House. It was early, but Rachel seemed happy and eager to tell us more about the issue and Courtney's House. She told us that the owner, Tina Frundt, founded this organization. She is a survivor of human trafficking herself. She is currently passionate about helping domestic survivors who are children and teens. Courtney's House spreads awareness, finds survivors of trafficking, and helps survivors with things like counseling, support groups, and academic support. The community is very accepting and supportive of survivors' needs.

Rachel also stressed the importance of confidentiality in the house. The building is undisclosed to protect survivors. Mostly, survivors do not interact with those who do service to remain anonymous and to be emotionally secure. If those outside the organization do meet survivors, the staff members never introduce them as survivors. This helps survivors not feel self conscious. I thought that this was very important because of the issue. Additionally, I thought Rachel's dedication to confidentiality was great. She wanted to stress the importance of confidentiality, because she knows how important it is to survivors.

After Rachel told us this, she said that there were only 6 staff members. I was amazed. Six staff members had to help survivors, do logistical tasks, find funding, and cook and clean. Not to mention, Tina speaks around the country and educates people about sex trafficking in the US. The staff members do many different tasks, because there are so few of them. Even so, each staff member was extremely warm and engaged.

This particular week, three staff members were out of town. Rachel had to do more tasks than usual. Even so, she was excited to talk to us and to tell us more about the issue. She wanted to make sure we knew the important aspects of human trafficking. When she was talking, you could just tell that she was dedicated to survivors and the issue in general. Her dedication and passion was amazing to see.

People who are passionate about human trafficking, or any social justice issue, can inform and inspire others to make a change and help non-profits in their area. The more people know about human trafficking, the more people will help combat this issue. Passionate people like Tina, Rachel, and the entire staff at Courtney's House are very dedicated to their clients. This dedication can help make survivors' lives better. Every life matters. Emotional support is vital to survivors. This is why Courtney's House is doing great work.

Ella