24/7 hotline sees huge growth
Rescue Houston runs a 24/7 hotline for victims to call when they are ready to exit out of the life of trafficking and exploitation. When I say it’s a 24/7 hotline, I mean it is truly operational 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. No matter the time of day, or the day of the week, our team is patiently waiting for each call.
I remember my first week at Rescue Houston. I eagerly waited for the phone to ring. I was ready to jump into action and help whoever was on the other end of the phone. It took a little over a week for me to experience my first call. I was very naïve to think it was going to stay calm. Looking back now I see the Lord was positioning and equipping me for the downpour that was about to happen.
The next week, the hotline rang non-stop as a flood of calls came streaming in. We jumped from 3 hotline calls a week to 17 calls a week. We responded immediately and the word spread all over Houston. Victims who called our hotline told others in the life that we weren’t just a hotline, but we offer hope, freedom and a new start. Many survivors couldn’t believe we actually cared about them; our true joy is to see them succeed.
Our 60-day Emergency Assessment Program is such a great support to the women who exit out of the life. Now when a victim calls our hotline, I am able to give them the precious gift of wrap-around care for two months. It is a gift to have a team of professionals walk side-by-side with them as they bravely take each step forward.
With increased hotline calls, our need for volunteer mentors, hotline advocates and exit teams dramatically increased. The Lord heard our prayers and He sent 50 passionate volunteers who were ready to jump on the frontline and fill in the gaps. The Lord provided and we are now fully equipped to serve the high volume of calls coming in from the hotline.
In the book of Luke Jesus said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Luke 10:2
