Good Grounds Coffee Shop--how a few individuals are helping those caught in the sex-industry

Living the Jesus-inspired Way---caring, kindness, peace-making, hope...

Planting in Good Ground:
"The Seed – gainful employment can transform a survivor’s life

"Employment at Good Ground is more than just a paycheck. Survivors are enrolled in a holistic program including trauma therapy, life skills building, and robust support from volunteers and other survivors.

"Peace Promise started as a prayer gathering of moms at Mechanicsburg (Pa.) BIC who learned about the realities of sexual trafficking and exploitation in their region. The group grew and mobilized; the “church ladies” began reaching out directly to women in the sex industry, first at truck stops and then at strip clubs.

"Building relationships with survivors quickly revealed that many did not have the life skills needed to get and keep traditional employment. Susan Vigliano, co-founder of Peace Promise and associate pastor at Mechanicsburg BIC, discovered that simple things like budgeting, meal planning, and finding affordable transportation were insurmountable challenges. “They’re making decisions from a place of desperation and survival,” Susan says. Additionally, some had criminal records or substance addictions that disqualify them from many employment options.

"Seeing woman after woman struggle with many of the same issues, Peace Promise started to think: how could trauma-informed businesses with robust emotional, mental, and spiritual support offer an escape to women who may want a different life?

"The Soil – two college students [at the BIC university] with a dream and a building for sale."

"On a busy corner in Camp Hill, Pa., you’ll encounter a commanding house with white siding and a green roof. Peek through the windows and glimpse the beginnings of Good Ground Coffee Company, a coffee shop that has two clear missions: serve good coffee and empower survivors of the sex industry. Good Ground is an..."

To read the rest of this wonderful story go to:

https://bicus.org/2024/05/planting-in-good-ground/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR36mHr1ScfX2ttez98YwKvirDE0s3G1sCcIqWtMhwTT-B3XqTB2MxhrGtM_aem_AZbPP96BXmw3TD1aOYBc3nAg9kRBJhVZhPzZ2_k3wp4jhW1rrAUoTS5g3-6ulc7Xo70FT5o7yLaY1-B5Zs6fG_mS and
Escaping the Sex Industry: One Woman’s Journey through Peace Promise!
https://bicus.org/2021/03/escaping-the-sex-industry-one-womans-journey-to-liberation-in-christ/

https://peacepromise.org/about-us/

"Human trafficking is a 32 billion-dollar-a-year business with sex trafficking growing at the fastest pace. It is an industry that exploits the most vulnerable members of our community. Those who experience poverty, little or no protection from family or friends, believe they have low personal worth or value and have a history of childhood sexual abuse. Sex trafficking is happening right here in our own community – in truck stops, strip clubs, erotic massage parlors, in our streets, and through escort services and online prostitution.

"Since 1997, the accessibility and anonymity of Internet pornography use have significantly contributed to the abuse of trafficked men, women and children. In the United States, teenagers are targets and sought after by pimps and traffickers. Most teens are lured into the industry by a pimp posing as a boyfriend and remain there by brutal force, coercion, drug dependency, and a sense of belonging. Once trafficked, very few victims of prostitution and sex-trafficking are rescued. The average life span of a person being exploited in prostitution is seven years and the most common causes of death are drug overdose, suicide, and murder.

"...Peace Promise was an all-volunteer, grassroots organization that assists in recovering hope and strengthening the lives of those impacted by sexual exploitation in our community. In 2019 we hired our first full-time employee, an Executive Director, Patty Seaman.

"Peace Promise addresses the complexities of sex trafficking in the Harrisburg region by offering: outreach, intervention, and advocacy for those involved in commercial sexual exploitation; healing support and restorative care for sex trafficking survivors; and community education and awareness regarding the dehumanization and identifiers of sex trafficking, prostitution, and pornography."

"On a weekly basis, Peace Promise Outreach Volunteers visit adult entertainment venues forming friendships with the women who work there...The dancers affectionately refer to the outreach volunteers as "the church ladies” who bring homemade dinners and desserts to share during the visits. Outreach volunteers communicate a simple message:

“You are precious. You are valued. You are loved. We are here for you.”

"Once a survivor is safely transitioned out of the industry, Peace Promise offers an individually customized care plan based on that woman's specific needs and goals. The plan is intended to facilitate meaningful employment, healthy relationships and loving self-care."

"...sex trafficking...is huge. It is complex. And yet, it is very personal. It is ONE face.

"One woman. One name. One very specific set of circumstances that brought her to this place of exploitation. Despite the debilitating trauma, abuse, and addictions, there is hope."
"There is a community of women who will welcome her home and who long to see her restored and whole...the mission, vision, and motivation for the work of Peace Promise.

https://peacepromise.org/