John,
I know the massive disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for all of us.
I want you to know I am praying for you. Our team is praying for you. You have made, and continue to make, a powerful impact in the fight against sex trafficking …
Especially as we work harder than ever right now to protect vulnerable children.
These are children like a brother and sister I’ll call Bobby and Lisa …
- She’s only 12 years old, he’s only 10. Lisa was sold for sex out of their own family home.
- When the state finally put the children in foster care, the siblings were sent to separate homes. The only security either of them had ever known — each other’s love and care — was suddenly lost. They fled — so they could be together.
- These children are so desperate for a warm place to sleep — or even just a shower — they are sometimes driven to trade sex for their most basic needs. They are the very definition of vulnerable.
I know many people are struggling as a result of the pandemic, but if you’re able, I hope you will do what you can … because our outreach and care for children like Bobby and Lisa will continue.

Community-based outreach programs save these kids’ lives. They are not just a place to sleep at night, but a place to safely “shelter-in-place” as our communities respond to the pandemic.
We won’t let these programs shut down, because children will be at even greater risk if they do.
Among the most effective programs is Terry’s House, a restoration home that our Defenders and friends like you helped Shared Hope establish in western Washington State a few years ago. This program provides refuge, hope, freedom, and rehabilitation for survivors of sexual exploitation.
Terry’s House is part of a continuum of shelter homes, street and school outreach efforts, and coffee houses that serve as work-training sites. In the current crisis, we do not want to see the work of Terry’s House diminish.
I’m deeply grateful for your faithfulness. Because of you, adults and children trapped in the darkness of sex trafficking are being set free. We’re moving them to places of safety. Their healing is under way. When you give, you make a real impact — a life-transforming difference.
So if you are able, please give what you can. Any gift you give today, large or small, will be a blessing. Thank you again!
Linda Smith
Founder and President
