In Search of SAFE PLACES for our Children

This is a real story:

Natalie was 12 years old when she was sold into prostitution by a drug-addicted family member. To cope with the trauma of daily rape she began using drugs. By age 14 she had an arrest record and was an addict. As a young woman she had been beaten and raped so many times she had lost count, had lost 5 children to the child protection system and had a felony arrest record that made it impossible for her to find housing or employment upon release from jail. Desperate to break out of her lifestyle, she found a SAFE PLACE where dedicated, caring women helped her see a path out of her nightmare.

A 2006 study documented 342 girls who were sold into prostitution like this in Minnesota. Who knows how many more actually occurred?

The cost to the victims and to the system is astronomical – thousands of shattered lives and hundreds of millions of dollars per year in social services expenses.

SAFE PLACES supports two groups of extraordinary women (Breaking Free of St. Paul and Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center of Minneapolis) dedicated ot stopping abuse and healing the victims.

You can help.

SAFE PLACES is a partnership between these two groups and author Al Horner to provide support and transitional housing for women broken by sexual predators. Money donated ot SAFE PLACES goes directly to helping young victims via the Minnesota Women's Foundation. Administrative expenses are six-tenths of one percent so over $.99 per dollar go directly to helping victims.

Click on the link below to donate.  Under "Designate your donation" type in Not Me!.  Please help us save young women's lives.

Thank You!