Since the Judith and David Hayes Endowment to Combat Human Trafficking was established in 2006, over $45,000 has been granted to organizations all over the world. Grants from this endowment help Christians respond to human trafficking by providing education and awareness, housing and counseling for victims, and job skills and business development support for victims coming out of trafficking.
Because we know the tragedy of human trafficking is worldwide, each year at least two grants are made from the Hayes Endowment—one in the U.S. and one internationally. This year, the Hayes Endowment recipients are both WorldCrafts artisan groups, The WellHouse in Odenville, Alabama, and Lily House in the Dominican Republic.
According to Holly Bunn, the Chief Development Officer at The WellHouse, “Our organization exists to honor God by rescuing and providing opportunities for restoration to female survivors of human trafficking who have been sexually exploited.” This year’s Hayes Endowment grant helped The WellHouse expand their work therapy program, ShopWell, which empowers and enables survivors to find their purpose and passions and prepare for a career path after The WellHouse. “Because we are seeing such a spike in sales of our products, we know that increasing the number of work hours for ShopWell Apprentices is a must,” explained Holly. “This grant will help us compensate our apprentices, who, because they are gaining more work hours, will be provided more work experience, job skills, education, training, professional experience, and more income for savings.”
The Hayes Endowment grant helped Lily House pay salaries of two integral positions—Education Director and House Mom—at their organization. “Our ministry provides Christ-centered housing where we provide counseling, daycare for children, furthering education, job skills training, and workforce experience all in a healthy, safe environment,” said Erica Jude, Lily House Founder and Director.
The Education Director runs the daycare and provides tutoring while the House Mom ensures everyone’s safety and plans weeknight and weekend activities for the group. “These positions are vital to the development and growth of our ministry participants,” continued Erica. “Learning basic life skills while living in the house prepares them for living on their own while times in tutoring and in the house are opportunities to teach God’s Word and principles for Christian living and prepare the women to be healthy participants in their communities.”
Your gifts to the Hayes Endowment have a tremendous impact. Because donors like you saw a need and felt God calling you to give, women and children at The WellHouse and Lily House and so many other ministries have found hope. Thank you for helping make that possible.
You can visit wmufoundation.com/hayes to learn more and to give a one-time or monthly gift to the Hayes Endowment. Your gifts provide a way forward for these women and children who feel hopeless with nowhere to go. Thank you for partnering with the WMU Foundation when you give—it takes all of us working together to make a difference, and we are eternally grateful.
Written by Maegan Dockery.