by Maribeth

The storm had stopped
but the remnants continued to drop.
The tears stained my face
and I felt so out of place.

I found no solace for my anguish
and no way to extinguish.
Life just seemed to continue on without me
and there wasn't any light that I could see.

Hope was on the horizon
but the sun didn't seem to be rising.
I felt as if change wasn't possible
and as if I was the one responsible.

Where could I turn
before I ended up in an urn?
I started exploring any options and God above took over my heart
and gave me a brand new healthy start.

I no longer have to live in anguish and fear
because God's still voice I now can hear.
I'm now able to follow and listen without resisting.
Healing is now possible on this path
because I feel God's love and not His wrath! 

​By Danielle Bishop (Board Member and Counselor)

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

​At our most recent “Priceless” movie screening, our board member and survivor Maribeth shared a poem about her experience. We got her permission to share it here as well. May it encourage and inspire you. Helping survivors find courage, healing and restoration is why organizations like Restoring Oaks exists. Thank you, Maribeth for your courage!

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. We wanted to share 5 ways that teens can protect themselves from human trafficking and 5 ways that adults can combat human trafficking. You can also download these and share.
​
5 Ways to Protect Yourself from Human Trafficking (specifically directed for teens)

​What does “Restoring Oaks” have to do with a nonprofit organization fighting human trafficking?

Welcome to our blog! We invite you to join our community alliance in sharing information to keep each other safe from human trafficking, stop the supply and demand, and be the change that we wish to see in our community!

As we have shared about our organization, we have been asked “What does Restoring Oaks mean? Are you about saving trees?” Well yes, we are “about saving trees” and are encouraging smart choices that go beyond our main objective such as biodegradable products, finding ways to plant more trees, and eliminating deforestation where possible. These are not our primary objectives and this is not what “Restoring Oaks” means. This name was picked intentionally to be visual and meaningful. There are three inspirations for Restoring Oaks.