Safe House of Hope Opening New Drop-in Center in Curtis Bay
BALTIMORE, Maryland – Baltimore-based non-profit Safe House of Hope (Sho Hope) is holding a Grand Opening celebration of its new drop-in center (4710 Curtis Avenue, Baltimore, MD) on March 22nd and 23rd, 2013. The drop-in center provides a multitude of services to victims of sex trafficking in the greater Baltimore area. Both events during the Grand Opening weekend are free to the public.
On Friday March 22nd, an open house will be held at the new drop-in center from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm, during which guests will enjoy free food, live music, and raffle prizes. Organization leaders and volunteers will be present and information about human trafficking in Maryland and the services offered by Sho Hope will be available.
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On Saturday March 23rd, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Community leaders, elected officials, and leaders from other Maryland anti-trafficking organizations will be present.
More information is available on the Sho Hope website (www.safehouseofhope.org). The center opening highlights Sho Hope’s continuing commitment to helping victims heal and reclaim their lives at a time when this form of modern day slavery is increasingly in the national spotlight.
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About Safe House of Hope
In 2007, Sho Hope began its first efforts to reach victims of sex trafficking by conducting street outreach. It quickly became apparent that those caught in prostitution desired a way out but lacked the means to leave and rebuild their lives. As a result, Sho Hope took over the space formerly occupied by Y.A.N.A. (You Are Never Alone, Inc.) in 2011 and began offering services at the first drop-in center near Hollins Market. In order to better reach victims in South Baltimore, Sho Hope is now opening a second drop-in center in Curtis Bay. Denene Yates, founder and executive director of Sho Hope, also serves as Deputy Chair of the Victim Services Subcommittee of the Maryland Human Trafficking Taskforce.
The mission of Sho Hope is to help victims of sex trafficking become an active part of a healthy community through education and training, and to provide support for the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of these victims. The new drop-in center in Curtis Bay will provide services that aim to increase each client’s self-worth and self-sufficiency, ultimately empowering each of them to live a healthy life free from prostitution. Drop-in services include trauma therapy, on-site health care through Healthcare for the Homeless, food and clothing, group workshops/classes, GED tutoring, job training, and client advocacy. In addition to these services, the new drop-in center will provide emergency housing for victims who need a safe place to stay while long-term housing is being arranged. Sho Hope also operates a 24/7 talk-line and continues to actively conduct street outreach. In 2012, the street outreach teams reached more than 600 women and greater than 1,000 women visited the Hollins Street drop-in center.
