Hope 5 One

Don't forget to head over to our website and get your raffle tickets! There are two chances to win a 1/4 beef from Linn Red Angus. We will draw the winner at our September 14th fundraiser, but you DO NOT need to be present that day to win. All funds raised from our fall fundraiser will go towards the Hope House, which is getting closer every day thanks to your generous support!

We have been gifted not one, but TWO separate sets of Chiefs tickets for our September 14th auction! More details coming soon, but mark your calendars because you do not want to miss your chance to walk away with these! Both tickets offer excellent seating and a parking pass to boot. Make sure you're following our socials for upcoming details and please share with your friends!

We will be having a corn hole tournament as part of our September 14th fundraiser. The cost is $10 per team and you can get registered on our website at www.hope5one.org. Grab your friends and get signed up! We look forward to a fun, family-friendly day that will help us continue to build funds for the Hope House!

Please join us for a ribbon cutting and open house at our new office space next week! We will be previewing some of the auction items for the September 14th fundraiser and answering any questions you have about the ministry. We hope to see you there!

It's "back to school" time, and with that comes the need to discuss topics like s*xting, unwanted s*xual requests, cyberbullying, or other issues that may arise with the youth in our lives. These can be uncomfortable conversations, so we wanted to point you to a great resource for parents. The website https://www.missingkids.org/netsmartz has a lot of great information on s*xting, s*xtortion, talking to kids about "n**es", online safety tip sheets, and much more. If you're looking for help or information regarding any of these topics, netsmartz is a great place to start.

Did you know Hope5one now has office space? We are so thankful for the many hands that helped us renovate this space and get it ready to meet the needs of our community. Current hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30-4:30 and by appointment. We offer preventive education, awareness materials and training, community support for victims and survivors of exploitation or trafficking, trauma- informed Bible studies, and lay Biblical counseling, volunteer opportunities, and small community meetings. Stay tuned for the official ribbon cutting date, which we will announce soon!

Auction items are being gathered for our September 14th fundraiser! We are thrilled to have two handmade knives from local craftsman Bill Miller again this year. Bill's knives feature these beautiful hand forged Damascus blades and he uses the finest materials sourced from around the world for his handles and sheaths. The time and intention Bill puts in to each of his knives is bar none! We hope you'll make plans to come bid on these amazing items, and thank you Bill Miller for your generosity toward Hope5one!

You know we are passionate about educating and empowering our community here at Hope5one. That's why we were honored to attend the Smart Start event in Sedalia yesterday. We were able to hand out online safety materials and talk to parents about how to keep kids safe from the dangers of human trafficking. Thank you to the fabulous volunteers who helped staff our table and thanks to all who came by to gather materials and chat with our team!

Would you consider partnering with us as we raise funds for the Hope House? We are still seeking sponsors and auction donations for our fall fundraiser. Additionally, you can purchase raffle tickets for a quarter beef donated by Linn Red Angus. You do not need to be present to win the raffle. You can find out more about sponsorship opportunities and purchase raffle tickets at hope5one.org. Please e-mail us with any questions or if you would like to donate an auction item at [email protected].

As part of our fall fundraiser, Linn Red Angus has generously donated two 1/4 beefs to be raffled. You can purchase tickets online at www.hope5one.org from now until our September 14th fundraiser. The winner will be drawn at the event, but you DO NOT need to be present to win. All funds from the raffle sales will go towards the Hope House, so great on over to hope5one.org and get your raffle tickets!

Our 2nd Annual Auction fundraiser will be here before you know it! This will be a fun filled day for the whole family. We will have several activities as well as a live and silent auction, in which all funds will be dedicated toward the Hope House. If you would like to be a sponsor for this event or donate something to the auction, please either visit hope5one.org or contact us at [email protected]. For now, mark your calendars and stay tuned to our socials as we will be sharing more about this event in the coming weeks.

Sexual extortion or ‘s*xtortion’ is relatively new form of s*xual exploitation. It is a form of blackmail where someone threatens to share a n**e or s*xual image or video of you unless you give in to their demands. Many times, predators will pose as a young girl and will then contact a young male online. The predators will send explicit images and ask for "n**es" in return. Once the young boy has sent explicit photos or video, they then will make demands for money. Often, even when the initial demands are met, they will continue to escalate the demands and threats of sharing the images with friends and family if new demands are not met. The target is often pre-teen or teen boys, but it can be anyone. As parents, here's what you should know:
💙 Set time limits on your child's smartphone. As one parent of a s*xtortion victim stated, "nothing good happens after midnight on a smartphone". There is wisdom in keeping kids off their smartphones in bedrooms alone, especially at night.
💙 Talk to your kids about what s*xtortion is and educate them about what to do if they are ever targeted.
💙 Most importantly, make sure your kids know that if they fall victim to this trap, the best thing to do is ask a trusted adult for help immediately! DO NOT under any circumstances give in to the demands, because the predators will not be satisfied once the initial demands are met.
💙 If you find yourself in this situation, you should contact the local police and also the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

We are currently planning our 2nd annual auction fundraiser. This is an important event for Hope5one, as it is one of the primary ways we fundraise for the Hope House. Would you consider partnering with us as a sponsor or by donating an item to our auction? If so, you can find all the details at www.hope5one.org, or you can e-mail our director at [email protected]. Thanks in advance for considering how you might come alongside us as we journey towards the Hope House 🏠.

Richard DeFord is the associate pastor at Katy Park Baptist Church in Sedalia, where he serves with his wife Amie along with their 3 children (Caleb, Nathaniel, and Sarah). Richard is the Manager of Marketing and Spiritual Care for Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall, where he is a board-certified chaplain, board-certified pastoral counselor, and grief recovery specialist.  He also serves as a chaplain with the Sedalia Police Department.  He leads a national chaplain organization, the Association of Certified Christian Chaplains, which is a federally recognized board-certifying organization for chaplains and pastoral counselors.  Richard joined the Hope5one board because Katy Park Baptist Church believes in being ministry partners with Christ honoring organizations by attending and participating rather, than just sending financial support.  His connection with healthcare also provides a connection with trafficking victims. As a pastoral counselor and chaplain specializing in Mental Health, Richard is in regular communication with area law enforcement in Pettis and Saline counties.

Richard earned his Master of Divinity in Pastoral Care and his Bachelor in Chaplaincy from Capstone University in Washington State and has completed all of his coursework to obtain his Doctorate of Clinical Pastoral Psychotherapy. In an additional role at Fitzgibbon Hospital, Richard coordinates all of the public relations and messaging including social media, videography, graphics design and messaging for the independent, not-for-profit hospital.    

We are so grateful for the wisdom and skills Richard has brought to Hope 5 one!

Mark your calendars for our second annual live and silent auction event! All funds raised at this event will go into our Capital Campaign fund, which is dedicated to the Hope House. If you're new here, the Hope House will be a care and recovery center here in Benton County for victims of human trafficking. You can learn more about this event and our plans for the Hope House at www.hope5one.org. Keep your eyes peeled here as we'll be sharing more about this event in the coming days!

Taking a summer vacation? Although much of human trafficking occurs in online spaces, trafficking also occurs in places like truck stops, airports, rest stops, and RV parks. It's good to know the signs to look for and what to do if you see something suspicious.
Signs to watch for:
• disheveled or malnourished appearance
• appears scared or fearful
• signs of physical abuse
• with someone who appears to be "in control" and/or speaks for the individual
If you spot something that seems suspicious, there is no harm in reporting it! You will never regret reporting something suspicious, but you may regret NOT reporting it. You can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or Text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733). You'll want to report WHO you saw, WHERE you saw them, WHEN you saw them, WHAT you saw, and WHY it seemed suspicious. Other helpful information would be a license plate number and/or description of the vehicle and what shoes the person was wearing, as clothing may change, but shoes often don't. There is even more information at www.dhs.gov if you'd like to learn more.

We were given the opportunity to speak about Hope5one at Maplewood Church of Sedalia's annual Vacation Bible School event recently. In addition, a love offering was collected for our ministry raising over $1000! We are humbled and grateful. Thank you so much for the opportunity!

MEET THE BOARD: Marissa Kellner joined the Hope5one board in the fall of 2020 as the ministry was just getting started. Marissa is a wife and mother of four. She has a background in healthcare as an RN, but is running a small home based business at this time. She is active in her church and has roles in both worship team leadership and women's ministry. Marissa became aware of human trafficking several years ago and was heavily burdened, causing her to dig in and research the issue in greater depth. She is passionate about educating the community about human trafficking and looks forward to helping women on their journey toward healing when the Hope House is in place.

We want to say a special thank you to the lovely volunteers who organized and executed two successful garage sales in the area to benefit our ministry! We are so grateful when our supporters find creative ways to raise funds for Hope5one. As we continue to make plans for the Hope House, we know that we could not do it without your continued faithful support. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts💙.

Being a present, caring father in your child's life has a big impact against human trafficking. In a study from the Institute for Shelter, it was reported that 70% of trafficking survivors grew up in a fatherless home. On the positive side, the same study reported that having a loving father inside the home cut the risk of s*xual abuse in half. Thank you to all the dads out there who are investing in your children and protecting them from harm each day. We hope you are celebrated well this Father's Day!

Last call for our volunteer dinner! This dinner is for anyone who has volunteered with us in any capacity. We want to honor and thank you with a dinner on Saturday, June 22nd at 5:30 p.m. Please RSVP by tomorrow if you plan to attend by e-mailing [email protected].

Image based s*xual abuse (IBSA) is a relatively new and rapidly growing form of s*xual exploitation. Images can be real or fake (through the use of "deepfake" artificial intelligence technology), and are created and distributed without the consent of the individual. Currently, there are no federal laws preventing against image based s*xual abuse. However, Congress has several bills, including "The Protect Act" in the works to address this issue. The following link has more information about IBSA, as well as a number of take action points for you to demand that our government and problematic corporations take positive steps toward combatting this issue. Visit https://ends*xualexploitation.org/issues/image-based-s*xual-abuse/ to learn more.

Psalm 127:1 says "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain". This scripture has felt more poignant for us as we inch closer to the building of Hope House. As a faith based ministry, we have always believed that God is in control of the timing of the Hope House and we continue to trust Him each day for His perfect will and timeline with this project. Many of you know we were gifted 10 acres of land recently and are near completing the final steps to make it officially "ours". While we wait, we are continuing efforts to grow our resources through various fundraisers and the faithful giving of our supporters. Here are some specific ways you can be praying for "Hope House":

- Pray that the final steps would go through seamlessly to acquire the land.

- Pray that we would have wisdom as we plan the layout and structure of the building to meet the needs of the future Hope House.

- Pray the Lord would put it on the hearts of individuals to give toward the Hope House whether that be through a financial donation or the donation of time or skills/talents when the building of the Hope House begins to take place.

- Pray for wisdom as we continue to develop the program we will put in place once the Hope House is complete.

- Pray for the Board of Directors as we make decisions regarding all the moving parts of a project like this.

- Pray for the precious women who will come to us as a result of the trauma of s*x trafficking...even now, that God would be preparing them for the healing He will accomplish at Hope House.

- Most of all, pray that God would be glorified in all that is done and that we would "inquire of the Lord" every step of the way.

We are so honored and grateful for God's provision thus far and can't wait to see what else He has in store. Thank you for your partnership and continued support of our ministry!

We are so thankful for the wonderful volunteers who generously give their time toward our ministry. So many of you have helped with our events and fundraisers, and even organized your own to raise funds for the ministry! We have also been blessed by the volunteers who gave of their time and talents to remodel our new office space. If you have volunteered with us in any capacity, you are invited to this appreciation dinner. We only ask that you RSVP to [email protected] by June 14th if you plan to come so that we can make the necessary preparations.

We have some lovely volunteers who are hosting a garage sale next weekend to benefit our ministry. Here are the details:
Sterett creek village
18457 Still Oak rd
Thursday, May 30th -Saturday, June 1st.
Friday and Saturday hotdogs and brats for sale as well as baked goods and water. Clothing that has been donated will also be sold. 100% of proceeds will go to Hope5One. The sale starts around 7:30-8:00 a.m. Dogs and brats will be available at about 10:00 a.m.
We hope you'll come out, find some treasures, and support Hope5one while you're at it!

Are your kids using any of these apps? The National Center for Sexual Exploitation just released their annual "Dirty Dozen" list, which calls out mainstream entities that facilitate and/or profit from s*xual exploitation on their platforms. This campaign asks people like you and me to take action by holding these companies accountable for their problematic behavior. As a result of this campaign, NCOSE has seen major victories at Google, Netflix, and Tik Tok, to name a few. You can visit ends*xualexploitation.org for more information on how to take action against these companies. In the meantime, if you have kids on these apps, make sure you are having conversations with them about appropriate vs inappropriate online relationships, photos, etc.

Hey parents! Summer break is just around the corner. Often, more free time means more screen time for our kids. Are you prepared to keep your kids safe online this summer? A few helpful tips:
• Always have the password to your child's device.
• No phones in bedrooms after a certain time each night.
• Consider downloading a tool like Covenant Eyes, so you know what websites your child is visiting.
• Most importantly, talk to your kids about appropriate vs. inappropriate online behavior. Remind them that sending or receiving n**e photos is NEVER okay!
For more tips and resources to keep your kids safe online, download the "Be Alert" app to your phone. More information on how to download the Be Alert app in our stories today.

We want to say a HUGE thank you to all of our wonderful 5k sponsors! We could not do the annual "Run for Hope" without your generous support. Please take a look at this list of local businesses and support them if you can. All funds from this event will go toward our capital campaign which is raising funds for the Hope House. We are so excited for how God is moving plans for the Hope House along and very grateful for the ways these sponsors have come along side our ministry in support of this effort.

Need a little caffeine to power you through the 5k? We are excited to tell you that .store coffee will be with us at the 3rd annual Run for Hope TOMORROW. Have a cup of joe, buy a bag to go...all sales above their cost will go to our ministry! We can't wait to see you all tomorrow!! Don't forget, registration begins at 8 a.m. and the race starts at 9 a.m.

Don't forget about our 3rd annual "Run for Hope" this Saturday at 9 am down at Drake Harbor. Registration will begin at the amphitheater at 8 am. The weather looks significantly better than last year🙃👏🏻. We hope you'll make plans to come out and run/walk for a great cause!