Mercy Ministries and The Home Foundation Partner to Provide Residential Care for U.S. Victims of Sex Trafficking

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mercy Ministries, a non-profit Christian residential program serving young women between the ages of 13 – 28 who face life-controlling issues, has joined efforts with Natalie Grant's Home Foundation, a leading mission with both global and domestic connections to make a difference in the lives of sex trafficked victims. By joining forces, the two organizations will share information and resources to raise awareness about domestic sex trafficking with the goal to develop residential shelters with counseling programs for female victims using the Mercy Ministries' counseling model.

There are 350,000 reported cases of people being trafficked domestically within the U.S. each year. With so many young women at risk of being exploited once they escape captivity, care organizations must make connection with victims during this critical period of time. Currently, only a handful of shelters within the United States specialize in the care of these victims. Partnered through the CTSA – Christian Trafficking Shelters Association, Mercy Ministries and The Home Foundation are committed to creating specialized residential homes dedicated to restoring the lives of these young women who have suffered horrific abuse.

"Over the past 27 years, Mercy Ministries has helped thousands of young women who have suffered abuse, including some who have been victims of trafficking – the most devastating abuse one can imagine. We have seen girls find hope and healing in our program, and as awareness grows about trafficking we have received more calls for help. We are ready to focus on this issue so we can extend our ability to serve these girls," said Nancy Alcorn, Founder and President of Mercy Ministries.

As this abuse becomes more prevalent, Mercy Ministries is committed to being very intentional about serving even more victims. By partnering with The Home Foundation and the CTSA, who have been serving these women exclusively, Mercy can better serve this specific population.

"Natalie Grant has been supporting Mercy Ministries for several years so making a more formal connection with her and The Home Foundation is a very logical step. We know our program works and, thus, want to join forces with others who are already working to combat this issue," said Christy Singleton, Executive Director of Development for Mercy Ministries.

To learn more about the issue of sex trafficking, please make plans to attend two upcoming events. As part of their commitment to quality, the CTSA will be presenting their Christian Trafficking Shelter Association Conference on Thursday, March 11, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. To register go to www.thehomefoundation.net/ctsa. Preceding the conference, make plans to attend The Home Foundation's Third Annual Benefit Concert on March 9, 2010, 7:30 pm at Belcourt Theater in Nashville, Tennessee. Hosted by Natalie Grant, the benefit will feature artists Brandon Heath, Tenth Avenue North, Britt Nicole, Audrey Assad and Phillip LaRue.

Since 1983, Mercy Ministries' free-of-charge, voluntary Christian residential program has served a diverse population of young women from various socio-economic backgrounds, ages 13-28, who face a combination of life-controlling issues such as eating disorders, self-harm, drug and alcohol addictions, physical and sexual abuse, depression and unplanned pregnancy. Mercy Ministries of America has residential homes in Monroe, LA, Nashville, TN, St. Louis, MO, and Lincoln, CA.  For more information on Mercy Ministries and its global affiliates, please visit www.mercyministries.com.

The Home Foundation was founded in 2005 by singer/songwriter Natalie Grant. With the help of its global partners, The Home Foundation is dedicated to educating communities, building shelters, and providing medical equipment to those ministering to the victims of trafficking. For more information on The Home Foundation, visit www.thehomefoundation.net.   

The Christian Trafficking Shelters Association (CTSA) exists to promote the best possible practices for shelters caring for victims of human trafficking in the United States through funding assistance provided to Christ-centered organizations who meet previously established standards of care. For more information on the CTSA, visit www.thehomefoundation.net/ctsa.

SOURCE Mercy Ministries of America