Scarlet Hope continues to break ground as we serve women exploited and trafficked in the adult entertainment industry. When Rachelle Starr founded Scarlet Hope, she had a dream of employing women in a bakery to give them a life option. That dream came true this past Spring. On April 3, 2017 Scarlet Hope kicked off the first semester of the Career Development Program (CDP), the first program of its kind, anywhere.
The halls of the CDP were super charged with the energy of potential. New students filtered in terrified by the prospect of change, yet possessing an excitement for what they have heard was not only a future of hope, but one created for them long before the foundations of the earth put into place by the great Creator (Ephesians 2:10). This future was based in truth, and formed in love and grace. This future would begin to dissolve a traumatic past that was rooted in a lifetime of lies and abuses piled upon them by others.
Countless staff and volunteer hours had been spent preparing a God-directed process to effect life change. Many of the women served by Scarlet Hope could acquire a new job with relative ease. The challenge came in trying to deal with life on its terms without being properly oriented in the “how”.
The main focus of the CDP is to empower and equip the women who have entered the program with the life and job skills required to not only attain employment but to maintain it. To have a career, not just another meaningless job, press repeat.
The methods employed by the CDP are multifaceted and are the response to the needs we have heard from these ladies. To be effective, the CDP must answer the questions they consistently ask of us:
- Can you help me find a job?
- If God is so loving and powerful, where was He when ___ (fill in the blank the highly familiar, yet very individual, horrific life experience) was happening to me?
- How do I create a healthy life?
Following the end goal of equipping, three major areas of skill sets were placed in priority of need.
- God skills. This change begins with an accurate self-identity. The CDP participant has to see herself in the truth of who she is, and whose she is- as the daughter of the most high King. She was created by Him for a purpose- to glorify Him by reflecting back the love He has for her.
- Life skills. She must learn healthy habits to replace the unhealthy ones. Daily workouts are part of the schedule. These workouts are part of the neurological reconstruction that is beginning to happen. Goal-setting and stewardship are included life-skills.
- Job skills. God timed the opening of the bakery as a stepping stone for the CDP.
There must be adequate preparation to succeed in the responsibility of early and hard-working hours spent learning new job skills and positively interfacing with customers who may be having a hard day, all at the same time.
God never takes us where He has not amply provided for us to be. Participants begin this structured programming by spending the majority of their program time in the classroom and less in the bakery. Through the 12 months of instruction the hours begin to invert ending with 100% of program instructional time occurring as job training in Scarlet’s Bakery.
Six months of aftercare follow. Here, the CDP assists the participant with higher education or career planning, based on the goals she has learned to set for herself along the way.
There are many ways for you to be a catalyst for this change.
- It takes money to teach others how to attain and maintain a job. You can donate to the CDP here.
- To provide food assistance the CDP provides lunch 4 days a week. Your small group could provide lunch for 20 ladies one day a month, or every other month. Kaylee would be thrilled to hear from you!
- Volunteer and learn how here! THIS IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY for you to experience God’s love. Email Program Director, Kaylee Nappo here, about ways you could be a part of life-changing efforts.
The Outreach and Discipleship teams continue to reach out into the enemy’s domain because God calls us to. But never miss what happens that keeps us going: When God grants the privilege of a front row seat to watching a life bound in the chains of lies from the pits of hell do a 180 and learn to walk in the beauty, light, and freedom of God’s Truth… well, it just doesn’t get any better this side of heaven.
Written by Angela Clevenger
