July 2019 Newsletter

Hands & Feet in Action

For the past two years Lee Disbrow has been our Volunteer Coordinator. Now she has decided to move to a new season of life, and we celebrate her and wish her nothing but the best.

Here is a parting message from Lee.

“Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

I have decided to step down as the Volunteer Coordinator for Lighthouse For Life due to personal reasons. I prayed about it and feel this is where Christ
is leading me at this point in my life. It has been a wonderful 2 years (started July 5, 2017). I know that God has the right person in place to take
over.

God has blessed my spiritual walk by serving alongside some truly Christ-centered individuals. God’s community is growing within Lighthouse For Life through
amazing volunteers! I thank you for your willingness to serve as volunteers and to answer God’s call on your hearts. I pray you will continue to serve.
I do intend on still volunteering with L4L when time permits. I will still be a part of the Volunteer Prayer Team. L4L cannot do what they do without
the volunteers. I know how much the staff appreciates all that you do for them. The Volunteer Leadership Team walks the walk and talks the talk. Such
great people that I have come to know and love. Thank you for all that you do and the time that you give.

Thank you to Dayna Thompson, who was willing to be my assistant the last couple of months.

I cannot say enough about the staff at Lighthouse For Life….Jen Thompson, Lisa Kejr, Elizabeth Rummel, Mandy Cheatham, Vianna Varner and Shelly
Lawson. I learned so much from them. Each one has a special place in my heart. From what I have witnessed, each one always wants to do the best for
L4L. I have seen L4L grow and each of these ladies grow. I thank them for letting me be a cog in the wheel. They understood me and loved me through
each day. You are such amazing women!!! I will miss the time I was able to work alongside you.

Thank you for letting me do what I have done while being the Volunteer Coordinator. Without Christ and without you, I could not have done it.”

Our awesome Assistant Volunteer Coordinator Dayna Thompson and our Amazing Office Administrator Shelly Lawson will maintain communications with all volunteers for now.

Karis Home Update

***BREAKING NEWS***

As of July 25, Karis Home is fully staffed!!! =) We are SO excited as we have truly been blessed by an amazing team!

Our newest team member came last Thursday to Karis Home for the first time and after taking a tour, sat with us in the living room and said, ‘Wow, this
place really feels like home.’  While we acknowlege that we are not a permanent home for these girls, we do want Karis Home to be just that…a
place to re-define what has been mis-defined in their lives. We want it to be a place of love, fellowship, meal times, game nights, studying at the
kitchen table, shooting hoops in the driveway….home! A place to heal, express themselves as they learn more about who they are, and prepare to enter
back into the world around them.

AND we are ONLY a couple of weeks away from this becoming a reality!!  Join us in prayer and anticipation as we finish up training our new staff and prepare to bring in the girls as early as August 11!!!

Financial Update

• Monthly Income: June Income: $81,312
• Monthly Expenses: June Expenses: $45,867
• Monthly Operating Budget: $50,000
• Regular Monthly Support: $25,702

Breakdown of Monthly Support

• 10 Businesses: $5,900
• 15 Church Groups: $13,828
• 109 Individuals: $5,974

Next Event

SAVE THE DATE

August 8 – FREE Awareness Event for Students and Parents

Location: Union United Methodist Church (7582 Woodrow St. Irmo, SC 29063)

Time: 6pm

Topic: Join us as we have the privilege to share with Middle and High School students and their parents about the realities of human trafficking!
We are especially excited to use content from the Empower Youth Program which is led by youth who speak from their own experiences of learning to navigate
vulnerability. We will also cover the 5 disguises traffickers try to use to get close to their target and gives and what to do if you realize someone
you know is being groomed or trafficked.

September 7 – Great Inflatable Race

Location: Saluda Shoals Park (6071 St. Andrews Rd, Columbia, SC 29212)

Time: 9am

Tickets: thegreatinflatablerace.com Register using the code LIGHTHOUSE2019 to
save money AND have a part of the registration donated to Lighthouse for Life!!

News

Lighthouse for Life News

Our commitment to awareness and prevention education has not slowed down in the least. On July 1 we were honored to bring Ms. Heather Cook onto our staff!
Ms. Cook is an Author, Advocate, Speaker and Survivor. Her primary role will be as our Community Resource Coordinator. As awareness continues to blossom
around the state so has the number of calls from victims and concerned families. Ms. Cook will focus on connecting these individuals to the state or
national resources that will best meet their personal needs. We thank the Lord for the prevention portion of our ministry as it continues to thrive.
Prevention is the preferred pathway to a healthy future for all.

Columbia News

Please mark your calendar for September 20, 2019 so you are ready and able to attend the Richland County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force.

The meeting will be form 10:00 to 12:00 and will be located at the Richland County Sheriff’s Department Annex – 2500 Decker Blvd., Columbia, SC 29206.

For more information, email Alexis Scurry at Scurrya@rcgov.us.

South Carolina News

Welcome to Lighthouse for Life’s Public Policy Corner!

We are making headway on legislation (S194), a bill that aims to address the root cause of the commercial sex industry by going after sex-buyers. It raises
first offense fines for solicitation from up to $200 to a minimum of $250 and up to $1,000. Repeat offender fines would also increase. The final legislative
hurdle is a vote before the SC House of Representatives in January 2020.

The rationale behind the structure of the S194 aligns perfectly with policy set forth in the U.S. State Department’s 2019 Trafficking in Persons report. Delivered in June by the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, this annual
report documents global human trafficking during the previous year and evaluates the dedication nations are taking to stop human trafficing. Part of
the criteria used to rank how conutries are combating human trafficking includes making a “serious and sustained effort to reduce the demand for commercial sex.” This is a perfect description of the objective of S194.

-Contributed by Jade Reynolds

New Partner Highlight

We are so thankful for the faithful partnership of Ms. Diane Brown and the Naomi’s Faithful Sunday School Class from Chapin, SC. They have partnered with
us since February 2017!

We also want to thank our partners at Calvary Chapel Northeast for their support over the past 2 years. To learn more about this thriving faith community,
visit calvarychapelnortheast.com.