Alabama’s first emergency shelter for sexually exploited women is now open and volunteers are searching the streets of Birmingham for young girls and women who are victims of human trafficking and/or prostitution.
Tajuan McCarty is the executive director for The WellHouse, Inc., a new transitional facility specifically designed to assist women who answer “yes” to any of the following questions:
- Have you prostituted yourself for drugs or money?
- Have you been forced to prostitute yourself by a pimp for drugs or money?
- Are you a victim of human trafficking?
“There is a huge link between human trafficking and the prostitution problem in Birmingham,” McCarty said. “We want to provide these women a place to go for treatment.”
TWI provides for the women’s immediate needs, such as shelter, food, clothing and spiritual guidance. The shelter is a Christ-centered agency and the only faith-based one in the southeast, McCarty said. Long-term, the shelter will provide life skills classes and GED preparation among other services.
The shelter is partnering with several local nonprofit organizations to offer the women who live there services including substance-abuse treatment, job training and development and detoxification.
One of TWI’s partners is the Pell City-based organization White Horse Air Support, which has offered free airplane transportation to victims who may need to relocate within the U.S. for security reasons. McCarty said victims of human trafficking from other parts of the nation could potentially be flown in to TWI if their nearest emergency shelters become overcrowded. Eventually, the shelter could expand to reach out to victims who have been trafficked in other parts of the globe.
“My prayer is that we’ll have a large enough housing facility that we could take in ladies from other countries,” McCarty said.
The WellHouse, Inc. currently has six beds with plans to expand as donations come in. The word about the new shelter has spread through word of mouth, churches, and other outreach agencies.
“We’ve been inundated with people wanting to volunteer,” McCarty said. The shelter will train volunteers in a workshop Sunday, March 6 at 6 p.m. at 300 24th Street South in Birmingham. “You don’t have to sign up for it, just show up,” she added.
The WellHouse, Inc. keeps up with its volunteers and supporters through a Facebook page and has a website (www.thewellhouseinc.org) that is currently under construction. To find out more, volunteer or donate, call 1-800-991-0948 or send an email to info@thewellhouseinc.org.
Shelter opens for victims of human trafficking | News | Birmingham News
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