The Judith and David Hayes Endowment to Combat Human Trafficking was established in 2006. Since then, over $20,000 has been granted to organizations all over the world. These grants help Christians respond to human trafficking by providing education and awareness, housing and counseling for victims, as well as job skills and business development support for victims coming out of trafficking.
When you give to the Hayes Endowment, you are helping human trafficking victims find hope.
The Baptist Friendship House in New Orleans recently received a grant and was immediately able to put it to use. “The day we received the grant from the WMU Foundation, we got a call from the National Human Trafficking Hotline,” explained Kay Bennett, executive director of the Baptist Friendship House. She spoke to a young woman who was being trafficked out of a hotel in New Orleans. “Due to receiving the grant, we knew that we would have funds to be able to get her a ticket to get her safely to Florida.”
The young woman has cerebral palsy and walks with the help of a cane. “It broke our hearts to think that someone could be so cruel to sell someone in her condition. It broke my heart more to realize that someone would buy her when they could see that she had a disability,” Bennett continued. Because of the grant they had received hours before, this young woman made it safely to Florida and is doing well. She told Bennett, “I have my Bible and a new beginning.”
The grant has also helped the Baptist Friendship House purchase supplies for the ladies who work for their new WorldCrafts artisan group. “It is a blessing to be able to teach our ladies a trade and for them to earn fair wages,” Bennett said. “I am amazed how sitting around in a non-threatening environment and doing the pottery helps our ladies to open up and share.” When these women share with each other, that’s when healing starts.
David George presents Kay Bennett of Baptist Friendship House with the Hayes Endowment award.
When you give to the Hayes Endowment, you are making a difference.
Dolores Kiser is a long-time donor to the Hayes Endowment. Her eyes were opened to the horrors of human trafficking and the heartbreaking stories when she first saw a story about it in Missions Mosaic. She wanted to help but wasn’t sure how.
The first thing Kiser did was begin to pray for the victims she would read about each month in her magazine. “I made a list of things to do to raise money. One was to ask my grown children to give money to the Hayes Endowment instead of giving me gifts for Mother’s Day, birthdays, and Christmas, which they now do,” Kiser explained. “The Lord is making a way for me to give.”
When you give to the Hayes Endowment, you are partnering with others to share the love of Christ.
There are still victims out there who need our help. Your gifts can change the hopeless to the hopeful as more people come to know Christ. The WMU Foundation grants money from the Hayes Endowment both nationally and internationally each year so that more and more victims all over the world will be free. Please visit wmufoundation.com/hayes to learn more or to give.
“We are honored to partner with you as we assist trafficking survivors, create awareness, provide trainings, and advocate for stricter laws,” Bennett said. “It takes all of us working together to change lives and change our world.”
Written by Maegan Dockery, Marketing Manager at the WMU Foundation.