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Selah Freedom provides residential programming for survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation. Created, an organization located in Tampa,also serves sex trafficking victims.The Assessment Home will serve as a collaborative effort for Selah Freedom and Created. This Assessment Home, located in Tampa, will allow survivors to gain rest, many for the first time in years, from the abusive lifestyle they’ve been forced into. It will also provide the opportunity for reflection and guidance, so that these women can make a clear-headed decision about whether they are ready to fully commit to Selah Freedom programming. This matching grant from BCFF will permit Selah Freedom and Created to serve over 100 women in one year and to introduce victims of sex trafficking into a healthy, safe, and restorative environment. Much like victims of domestic violence, it takes an average of up to eight times for a victim to fully exit this lifestyle of abuse. The Assessment House will allow Selah Freedom and Created to meaningfully assess the women coming in to determine if they are truly ready to make a positive change and leave their past behind. It will serve as a “revolving door” of sorts and will be extremely beneficial for the Residential Programs of both Selah Freedom and Created, because women who are established in Residential Living (where survivors live 6-12 months) will not have their progress disrupted those women who are fresh off the streets and not ready for the commitment. The Assessment House is located in the heart of Tampa and will position Selah Freedom and Created to have a significant impact on rescuing women from the hard life of human trafficking in this region. It will also allow both Selah Freedom and Created to better collaborate and assess which organization’s programming will be most fitting for each survivor. The Assessment Home is the first step in getting women off the streets. They are chronically homeless, and have experienced the cruelest forms of abuse. The Assessment Home is the first step in guiding them to making the healthy decision to move forward with Selah Freedom’s programming which will provide therapy, a personalized education plan, life skills, job placement, etc. This home will allow them to stay for 2-4 weeks, and then transition into the next phase of the Residential Program.

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