Dear Friend: November 2015
One year ago we stepped out in faith to launch The Beauty for Ashes Fund at PLNU, and with it came groundswell support, national media attention and growing awareness of human trafficking. As one of the first donors, you are a critical part of this effort. Thank you for your generosity!
A scholarship for survivors of human trafficking, The Beauty for Ashes Fund is the first of its kind, and PLNU is forging new territory to offer hope and an education for survivors. We are so thrilled to announce the acceptance of our first recipient to the University! She plans to begin next semester, and it is because of you that this moment is even possible. Our multi-disciplinary team will welcome each student and offer the support needed to succeed, while protecting privacy. We are committed to our students’ choice about whether they share their stories publicly.
Over the past year we have been working with several survivors, guiding them through the process of application. From sex trafficking victims to survivors of labor trafficking, each person brings a dream with them to the process. One wants to pursue a law degree to defend the helpless, one to pursue a career in nursing, another to be a minister.
There is a common theme – resilience. Refusing to let their pasts define their futures, they are building their dreams from the ground up. They are already leaders, some of them advocating on the front lines as influential local and national advocates for other victims. The tenacity in applicants gives us hope, too.
This next season is about building The Beauty for Ashes Fund for the future. We are closing in on $100,000 given to the Fund. While this is an incredible testimony to the generosity of our early donors, to sustain the Fund long term it must grow.
As human trafficking continues to dominate the headlines, PLNU’s Center for Justice & Reconciliation is in the middle of the work, providing leadership in research and community organizing, as well as stewarding the growth of The Beauty for Ashes Fund
We want to thank you for standing with us in the early days. We are asking you to consider partnering with us again to help grow the Fund. Your one-time or repeating gift can be made online at http://pointloma.edu/beautyforashes or with the enclosed donation envelope.
If you’d like to talk to us about how to get more involved in the work, please reach out. Thank you for being a part of making this dream a reality.
Jamie Gates, M.Div., Ph.D.
Director, Center for Justice & Reconciliation