Mission Makers
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Did you know that the average age for child human trafficking victims is between 11-17 years old? Child human trafficking is happening all around the country, explains Birmingham based ministry Blanket Fort Hope (BFH) Chief Executive Officer Alexa James. “We really do have a problem. It’s not another country that is having this problem. This is the fastest growing crime in America,” James says.
James believes that God called her to found BFH after years of experience volunteering and working with human trafficking victims. It was through volunteering at an elementary school that she realized how high-risk children were for human trafficking. “I would literally walk out the door and see a drug dealer at the corner of the school every day.” This experience opened her eyes and she felt God put a burden on her heart for children. She went on to found BFH in 2015. “This is something that God showed me; this is the plan He had for my life.”
To date, BFH has trained over 6,500 people in preventative education. “This training has been on the professional level, the school level, and through our foster care initiative,” James explains, adding, “Our mission is to restore hope in the lives of child sex trafficking survivors through access to essential services, compassionate care, and a loving Christian witness.” In July 2021, BFH purchased 73 acres of land in Columbiana and recently started the bidding process on the restoration home.
Grab your running shoes! The 4th Annual Hold the Fort 5K & 10K and 1-Mile Warrior Walk is set for September 17 at Oak Mountain State Park. “The run is an opportunity for people who like to run or walk to support a cause and make a difference for child survivors of human trafficking,” James explains. The money that is raised will go to engineering the property and building the home in Columbiana. Attorney General Steve Marshall recently visited the BFH property and said, “It’s truly God’s work. We talk about His hands and feet, what better way can we demonstrate what that is than what you are doing here at Blanket Fort Hope.” Learn more about BFH at www.blanketforthope.org.
-Melissa Armstrong
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