Why is Rescue America National?
Did you know that sex trafficking and sexual exploitation is happening all around you?
Whether you are in a major city, a rural town or even just visiting a new place, victims of this horrific crime suffer the harsh realities of their abuse no matter where they are…sex trafficking does not discriminate. At Rescue America, we exist to rescue, revive and empower the sexually exploited through our 24/7 Rescue hotline and emergency response.
In 2014, our Founder and President, Allison Meier Madrigal, identified a critical gap in the anti-trafficking landscape, and in obedience to the Lord, she launched Rescue Houston, which we now know as Rescue America.
Since its inception, Rescue America has filled the gap by offering immediate response to rescue victims of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation… this had never been done before on a national scale! Originally, our Rescue hotline number was only distributed in the city of Houston, and our frontline was equipped to rescue victims from within and around the city limits. The Lord surrounded the efforts of the hotline by providing divine connections with partnerships in Houston who have faithfully fueled the rescue for survivors in the city. We at Rescue America are incredibly grateful for these partners and their passion to see freedom reign in their communities.
As we continued to expand in Houston, we quickly realized the transient nature of the trafficking industry. While our efforts were still focused in Houston, we began receiving calls, not only from outside of the city, but out of state! A survivor we had served in Houston called our hotline in desperate need of help out of her situation, as she had been trafficked to Las Vegas. More frequently, survivors who had once lived in Houston and received our hotline card while in the city were calling from California (and other states) seeking a way out of their exploitative situations. Currently, we are in the process of facilitating the rescue of a survivor who was brought to Houston by her own family and is being trafficked in the city.
The reality is, just like goods that are being sold, survivors are being sold across the country supplying the increasingly demanding market.
Traffickers and pimps will respond to increases in demand the same way that any business will - they will send victims wherever the demand is greatest. In the fight against sex trafficking, the transient nature of the population is fundamental to understand - this is a national problem, and we are compelled to fight it on a national level.
For example, as discussed in our article, Sex Trafficking and the Superbowl, the influx of visitors for the Super Bowl creates one of the largest events for sex trafficking in the United States annually. Major events across the country cause this same chain reaction, and victims are transported from state-to-state, city-to-city to meet the greatest need and generate the highest dollar for their exploiters.
Knowing these facts, we would be neglecting the majority of the population we serve if we did not work to become equipped to rescue across America. The reality is, the transient nature of this industry demanded the national expansion of our Rescue hotline.
At Rescue America, we believe that there is a redemptive solution for each and every survivor who calls our Rescue hotline. It is an honor to facilitate the rescue of survivors across the nation as we are anchored in the truth that freedom should reign for ALL.
As we continue to build our national rescue network, you are invited to be a part of a survivor’s story. With your financial investment, you will fuel the rescue across America and make a tangible difference in the lives of survivors. Get involved today by visiting rescueamerica.ngo/give.
