Wings of Shelter seeks donations to help fill holiday wishes
With the holiday season right around the corner, one local non-profit is reaching out to the community in hopes they can help make the end of the year merry and bright for those who have experienced dark times.
Wings of Shelter Int’l, Inc. operates three Safe Houses in different areas of the region for female minors rescued from domestic sex trafficking. The organization works year-round to rehabilitate and reclaim the lives of local youths who have fallen into the dark world of trafficking.
To help make this Christmas a very special one for girls in their safe homes, Wings of Shelter is asking the community to help provide a select few items this year via a wishlist. However, donors can add anything they’d like to the list to make this year more special.
“We have a Christmas tree, and we have the dinner, and we go look at lights,” said Director of Business Development for Wings of Shelter and Cape Coral resident, Karen Gaston. “We do everything just as ‘Christmassy’ as a normal family as we can possibly give to them. And we bless them with clothing and other items.”
Items being requested include sneakers, board games, gift cards, room decor, and more. Wings of Shelter also is seeking usual household necessities for the girls, such as shampoo and conditioner, feminine products, pillows, laundry bags, dish soap, sheets, and more.
“God’s children should not be for sale, and these girls have been through hell and have experienced a lot of trauma,” Gaston said. “It’s tough for them to trust people. They’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop — that something is going to go wrong and they’re going to lose whatever they have. It’s very important for us to show them love and let them understand that there is a way to help them and that they can learn to trust. That love is real and they can trust again to live a normal life.”
The Christian-based organization’s goal is to help these children through a “victim-centered, non-punitive approach.”
Wings of Shelter is licensed through the state of Florida Department of Children & Families Services, foster care and is vetted through FBI, ICE, Homeland Security, and the Witness Protection Program. They offer free training and presentations on human trafficking, prevention, and awareness across the state of Florida and beyond.
According to the Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking, Florida ranks as the third-highest state for human trafficking cases and second for labor trafficking cases. Half of all human trafficking victims in Florida are minors, according to Florida Health.
Gaston, said oftentimes minors that are trafficked are already in the “system” — either foster care or for juvenile crimes.
Using resource tools and in speaking with the girls, authorities determine if they’ve been trafficked.
If that has occurred, that’s where Wings of Shelter comes in.
Residents of the program receive trauma-focused mental health counseling, medical care, private schooling, tutoring, the opportunity to pursue extracurricular hobbies, part-time jobs and re-socialization through a volunteer big sister program.
Gaston said the houses are kept small in terms of number of occupants at one time. There are currently four girls in the care of Wings of Shelter, though that number has fluctuated over the year and certainly could before the year is up.
“We’ve had more girls through our door this year (than in years past),” Gaston said. “It seems to be more frequent. We’re unfortunately having to turn away some girls because we don’t have the bedding. We’d like to get another house, and I’ll be working next year to get another house in Southwest Florida.”
A heavily vetted husband and wife are hired to watch over the girls during the week at the Safe House, while care staff come in on the weekends to take over. Each child has their own bedroom.
“(These girls) don’t have a family member that is qualified, or healthy enough to be able to take care of them based on the state of Florida and their regulations,” Gaston said, adding that a lot of the time families themselves are at the root of the trafficking.
Wings of Shelter has provided services to children as young as 11, and residents can stay until they turn 18.
Wings of Shelter has served the area for 16 years, and was started by Lowell and Sally Senitz. They previously did missions in Romania, parts of Africa, and other locations, doing work with children.
The organization continues to push to grow the number of Safe Houses for youth that desperately need it.
Gaston often speaks around the state on human trafficking, including Wednesday night at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Gaston said having a Safe House location in Cape Coral would be a great benefit to the program, and that she would even train those that would be interested in providing that space. Wings of Shelter is always hiring weekend care staff, teachers/tutors, and have internships with local colleges.
To make a donation, email wingsofshelter@aol.com, or call 239-340-2980.
For more information on Wings of Shelter Int’l Inc., visit wingsofshelter.org.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad