Harvest House is fighting to end child trafficking in southeast Texas but still needs community help to win the fight.
The community recently enabled Harvest House to win a $ 25,000 grant from the National State Farm Neighborhood Assist Grant Contest. The funds were received for the renovation of the future home of child trafficking and survivors of the harvest house.
And there will soon be an opportunity to help the nonprofit raise funds to support their advocacy and general needs by sponsoring their fifth annual gala.
Harvest House combats child trafficking in southeast Texas by empowering survivors through advocacy and community education about human trafficking.
The most recent funding competition began with around 2,000 organizations, which were narrowed down to 200 and finally to the top 40 by a referendum.
“We’re so excited that Beaumont rallied to be in the top 40 because there were much larger nonprofits and companies that were also competing,” said Harvest House Ministry’s new general manager Janina Irving . “So it was really just community support. We are just impressed and amazed at Beaumont and how they have gathered around us to help us. “
Harvest House is using the money to renovate two facilities.
The organization’s five bedroom home has been donated and can accommodate up to 10 girls with two in each room. It was renovated when donations made it possible. The $ 25,000 grant will help with additional home renovations like plumbing and joinery, Irving said.
“The $ 25,000 won’t cover everything, but the more we get with the community and more people know what we’ve done, hopefully we can get the house ready soon,” said Irving.
Irving said Harvest House does not currently have a renovation schedule.
“It will depend on the support of the community and how soon we can get other funding and people who may donate their expertise or time,” said Irving. “Much of what we need now is more funds to complete the renovation.”
Harvest House cares for more than two dozen Southeast Texas minors who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation in Hardin, Orange, Jefferson, Newton and Tyler Counties. Children often have their first experiences with human trafficking between the ages of 12 and 14.
It is the only agency in southeast Texas dedicated to combating child trafficking, according to Harvest House, and currently there are no residential facilities in the area that cater to the needs of trafficking survivors.
A short-term home will help stabilize survivors and remove barriers to counseling, health care, and care for the immediate needs of survivors, according to Harvest House information.
“Harvest House is a very special organization that serves as the lifeline for child sex trafficking survivors in the greater SETX area,” said Beaumont State Farm Agent and longtime supporter Brittnee Barnes in a Harvest House press release. “We owe it to our children and the community to support their vision and stand behind every effort.”
Irving said she heard a common misconception that trafficked children were abducted. But that’s rarely the whole story.
“Human trafficking is very manipulative,” said Irving. “There is a lot of care, a lot of manipulation, so that a child can live in his parents’ house and be traded on weekends and after work and nobody knows about it.”
When a situation requires a child to be removed from their current environment, they are placed in the care of the child protection service.
But, Irving said, most nursing homes do not have the knowledge and sensitivity to adequately deal with such extreme trauma.
“They can end up being sent from nursing home to nursing home or just not being taken to a home that is conducive to their needs,” said Irving. “Even if CPS may find a family member, that relative may not know how to deal with the behaviors and some of the trauma, a lot of the trauma that comes up in child trafficking.”
The aim of Harvest House is to provide a temporary place for the child in the event that foster care cannot be found or a family needs additional support.
Temporary placement provides time to find a longer-term option or additional support for the child.
“This gives us a chance to regulate the child and give the family some resources so they can work with the children,” said Irving.
Harvest House offers full-time advocates to guide children through the healing process through to their 21st birthday.
The Harvest House website offers a variety of ways to help, including financially with a gift option. The website also contains an Amazon wish list for the various needs of the children and institutions, including clothing.
“If you have a specific donation for our home, you can definitely send a check so we have all the information,” said Irving. “If you want to support our advocacy program and what our customers need more generally, you can too. You can donate to us monthly. If you want to help financially, just make sure your check says “Harvest House Renovation”. “
As for future goals, Irving said Harvest House is interested in expanding.
“Of course we want to expand in this area so we can finish the home and put some girls in, but we also need more advocates,” she said. “At the moment we are looking after over 30 customers in the community. These are girls who have been rescued or referred for them because they are at high risk of human trafficking. “
“We need more advocates, we need more support in this area, and anything the community does financially will definitely help,” she continued.
Sponsorship information for the organization’s gala is available on the Harvest House website.
The semi-formal gala will take place on January 25th from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the MCM Eleganté Hotel Ballroom at 2355 Interstate 10 in Beaumont.
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