March 2024
Celebrating Women’s History Month
For the month of March, Redeemed For A Cause Outreach celebrated Women’s History Month. Our founder, Dr. Love, had the opportunity to join other iconic women and celebrate the amazing things they are doing throughout the city. The nomination came from CPOC (Citizens Police Oversight Commission) who are new partners and allies for the work our organization focuses on. Each nominee was given the “Iconic Philly Women” award and was given the chance to discuss the outstanding work they are doing in the community.
The Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) oversees and investigates the conduct, policies, and practices of the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD). The commission works to:
- Increase the transparency and accountability of the PPD.
- Improve police conduct.
- Enhance the quality of internal investigations.
- Improve the relationship between the community and the police department.
They provide recommendations on how to improve the police department to the mayor, the managing director, and the police commissioner, CPOC is a member of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE).
In the upcoming month, our founder and intern Dawn will be partnering with the CPOC team, to organize a city-wide toiletry drive to support organizations that service victims’ and survivors of human trafficking. We look forward to this great partnership.
New Business Venture
In lieu of completing her doctorate degree our founder, Dr. Love, has established a new business, entitled Sakinah Love Consulting. Her reasons for doing so were to take her expertise and support businesses with strategic planning, research and policy review, training and curriculum development, and leadership development. Dr. Love has had the opportunity to work alongside some amazing individuals as a co-principal investigator doing research on various topics such as inclusive leadership and vicarious trauma. This is just the beginning; the sky is the limit.
February 2024
Redeemed For A Cause Outreach was featured on CBS News to shine a light on our annual All Worthy of Love event. To view the video, you can click the link below. We appreciate all the donors, sponsors, supporters, and volunteers for supporting this cause and our organization. Here’s to more serving!
January 2024
Human Trafficking Awareness Month
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. In honor of this amazing month our organization and founder participated in many exciting events. To kick it off on Sunday, January 21, 2024 our founder was a participant on the “Hope: Stories of Survival” panel in which herself and many other partnering community can support the work that each of them were doing and how collaborating efforts has been their primary way to make a difference. Later in the month, our founder led a city-wide training for Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disability Services (DBHIDS) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) department staff, partners, and general public. Each participant was able to learn the basics about human trafficking, but also the importance of inclusion, equality, and diversity that must be considered when supporting this vulnerable population. The training was power packed and everyone who attended expressed how much they enjoyed it and learned. Lastly, our founder attended the city council meeting in which, January was declared Human Trafficking Prevention by Councilmember-At-Large Nina Ahmad. Dr. Ahmad believes declaring this resolution will help the city and supporting organizations to fight this issue and bring about some much-needed change. Our office looks forward to working with her and others to make this happen.
Congratulations Dr. Love
January was filled with many reasons to celebrate, for our organization celebrating our amazing, dedicated founder is definitely in order. After many years of sacrifice and much studying Sakinah successfully defended her final oral defense and officially became Dr. Sakinah Love! Her goal is to take her study which is entitled: “Perspectives of Human Service Providers for Sex Trafficked Women about Policy Changes in the Prosecution of Prostitution” and to turn it into a technical report to give to stakeholders, law enforcement, policy makers, the mayor and my hopes DA Krasner and ADAs within his office. In fact, in her recommendation section of the study suggestions she believe can help law enforcement, city officials, policy makers, DHS, etc. who support youth/adult victims in our city. Additionally, she would like to host trainings and workshops regarding her findings. We are so proud of her and all the amazing work she has done through our organization and also research efforts. This is just the beginning, and we are all excited about what is to come. Join us in celebrating her as she is truly deserving of it.
December 2023
Operation Serve Our Community Christmas
Our founder, Sakinah Love, and survivor friend of our founder from the Anti-Coalition went to shower Covenant House teen residents with many holiday gifts. Covenant House provides housing and support services to at-risk youth facing homelessness (sex trafficking, domestic violence, poverty, trauma). Redeemed For A Cause Outreach wanted to make Christmas special this year, so we reached out to a few sponsors and donors to help and every item on the wish list was provided. It was nice to spread holiday love and support such a great cause. Thank you so much to Natalie, Antoinette, and all the wonderful staff who make the Covenant House what it is. Here’s to more serving
November 2023
Annual Friendsgiving Event
This past month’s outreach was a wonderful success! Redeemed For A Cause Outreach held our 5th annual Friendsgiving Community Holiday Outreach. For this event, we received an abundance of donations which included hot food, toiletries, etc. from our donors and supporters. As a result, we were able to feed over 300 people along with providing toiletries to the ladies we service as well as the community they reside in. We would like to thank all those who donated because without your donation this event would not be a success.
October 2023
Annual Fall Toiletry Drive
This past month’s outreach was a wonderful success! Redeemed For A Cause Outreach held our 5th annual Fall Toiletry Drive to collect undergarments, tank tops, socks as well as menstrual products (pads and tampons) and basic hygiene products (soap, deodorant, bodywash, combs, brushes, etc.); to support victims of human trafficking and teen girls. There were so many women and teen girls who were able to receive clothing and toiletries; some locally and others from programs that we support throughout the city. We would like to thank our supporting partners Covenant House, Narberth Presbyterian Church, form interns (Rowan University) of our organization, current students of our founder from Rowan University, and one of our special friends Leah for their support and dedication.
With abundance of donations w were able to restock quite a few of our emergency community HUBs this included South Philadelphia Fridge at Miflin Square Park, Drexel Hope who serves the homeless population and those in recovery, and WRAP court the services and support at-risk and trafficked youth. Our goal is to expand our community HUB initiative and supply more community organizations with much needed support. Lastly, we would like to thank all who donated to support this event; without your generous donations none of these efforts would be possible. Here’s to more serving!
September 2023
WOAR Symposium
On Thursday, September 21st, our founder, was invited to speak on a very insightful panelist regarding the intersections of human trafficking and sexual assault. Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR) hosted the Be the Change: Preventing Sexual Violence in Philadelphia Symposium to commemorate 50 years of supporting survivors and to imagine the end of sexual violence in Philadelphia. This symposium was free of charge to the public and a place where many human service professionals such as therapists, educators, social workers, lawyers, etc. were able to gather and conspire ways to support the population they serve. The entire symposium had meaningful conversations allowing its attendees to gain valuable insights and connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for making a difference.
During the symposium, our founder, along with other well-versed individuals discussed the disparities they see daily in supporting both teenage and adult victims of human trafficking. The topic discussed was “Demystifying Human Trafficking in the City of Philadelphia” and each panelist including our founder expressed the seriousness of this horrific crime. Together they strategized appropriate ways to handle this dilemma, including more prevention efforts and support for those working to support victims. Additionally, our founder was able to connect with more community partners who would like to collaborate to support the individuals they are serving with hopes of making a difference. Our organization is excited about continually doing the work and partnering with others to make it all happen. Here’s to more serving!
July 2023
Packaging and Restocking Emergency Community HUBs
On Saturday, July 29, 2023, our founder, Narberth Presbyterian Church, and Leah, a survivor friend of our founder from the Anti-Trafficking Coalition gathered together to make up care packages for one of our community HUBs. We packaged over 100 toiletry bags filled with basic necessities and self-care items, which will be distributed to local agencies and a few of our community HUBs.
Following our day of service, our founder, Sakinah Love, dropped off care packages and more toiletries to Lisa from WRAP court. WRAP (Working to Restore Adolescents’ Power) is aimed at helping a specific cohort of children and young people who are at risk of or are a victim of commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking here in Philadelphia. These young people come through the court system due to delinquency and (or) dependency matters. WRAP court was created in response to Pennsylvania’s lack of safe harbor legislation. It was also created because there were children in our system who needed specialized attention from the courts due to the trauma they have undergone. After Sakinah met with WRAP court and heard their needs she was eager to find ways to support youth. The care packages are a big hit and the youth look forward to the monthly drop-offs. We are excited to still support them and continue our partnerships.
June 2023
RFACO Collaborations
Redeemed For A Cause Outreach has been working on establishing more connections with similar organizations to reach more at-risk youth.
Redeemed For A Cause Outreach will be collaborating with two new organizations Valley Youth House: Achieving Independence Center and Turning Points for Children: LifeSet Program as well as reestablishing our relationship with The Attic Youth Center.
The Valley Youth House mission is to be a “catalyst for youth to achieve their desired future through genuine relationships that support families, ensure safe places, and build community connections”. The Valley Youth House has over 300 residential sites throughout Pennsylvania.
Turning Points for Children: LifeSet Program “provides transition services to young adults, ages 17-23, who are leaving the foster care, juvenile justice, and mental health systems, or who would otherwise find themselves without the necessary skills and resources to live successfully at this critical junction in their young lives”.
The Attic Youth Center’s mission is to create opportunities for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth to develop into healthy, independent, civic-minded adults within a safe and supportive community and to promote the acceptance of LGBTQ youth in society.
Lastly, this month our founder, Sakinah Love, met with representatives from Department of Human Services (DHS) and Salvation Army at our South Philadelphia drop-in center. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss how we can provide service to at-risk youth. We are excited about this collaboration and look forward to working together for future events.
May 2023
Community Engagement: Toiletry Closets Galore
This month our organization was very intentional about organizing and then providing toiletry items to Philadelphia Family and WRAP Court participants. After years of trying to establish this toiletry closet, our founder was able to connect with the honorable Judge Viktoria Kristiansson who oversees the cases in Family and WRAP court cases. WRAP court stands for “Working to Restore Adolescents’ Power” and it is aimed at helping a specific cohort of children and young people who are at risk of or are a victim of commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking. These young people come through the court system due to delinquency and (or) dependency matters. WRAP court was created in response to Pennsylvania’s lack of safe harbor legislation. It was also created because there were children in our system who needed specialized attention from the courts due to the trauma they have undergone.
Our goal is to provide free toiletry items to participants in the interim they don’t have things that they need. With every closet we establish and maintain we aim to provide those who are benefiting from its specific items that can assist them in areas they need support. We will be refilling this specific closet monthly and coordinating with the court’s liaison to take any special requests for any toiletries participants may have. Additionally, we will be providing monthly menstrual kits to teen girls and women in need upon request.
Mental Health Awareness Month: Self-Love & Respect
All month long our organization has been using its social media platform to talk about mental health in hopes of bringing awareness to such a taboo topic. This month we aimed to talk about mental health and how it plagues the population we serve; but more so many of our communities without ever truly being addressed. Our founder was invited to speak at the “Sis You Got This” Women’s Empowerment Group which was hosted by Diane’s Way and their founder Crystal Thomas. The focus for this month’s group was self-love, unresolved trauma, and healing. During the event, Sakinah helped the women move through a powerful exercise of “unpacking their bags”, which consisted of them identifying the things that were causing them not to move freely in self-love, mental wellness, and peace. Each woman was able to unpack their bags of unresolved trauma, anxiety, depression, and find where their healing lays.
April 2023
Random Acts of Kindness
For the month of April, Redeemed For A Cause Outreach participated in Random Acts of Kindness where we met at SafeHaven Treehouse Learning Academy to read The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister and worked with the children to complete a craft. The children were very attentive and excited to learn the story of the rainbow fish. For their craft, the children created their own rainbow fish and named the parts of the fish. The fish were very colorful and glittery.
Also, we partnered with the Attic Youth Center to create care packages for the LGBTQIA+ community. The Attic Youth Center’s mission is to create opportunities for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBT) youth to develop into healthy, independent, civic-minded adults within a safe and supportive community and to promote the acceptance of LGBTQ youth in society.
March 2023
March is Women’s History Month
For the month of March, Redeemed For A Cause Outreach celebrated powerful women who were trailblazers in the world as well as uplifted women around us. Our founder, Sakinah Love, believes in the holistic approach which includes healing modalities such as meditation, yoga, acupuncture, aromatherapy, and herbal medicine. All in which she believes has helped her deepen her practice in healing her mind, body, and spirit. She has created a space for safety for herself first, that in turn helps her be more present and available for those she is assisting work through their own trauma. In fact, Fruit of the Womb was birthed out of her own challenges. After going through multiple rounds of IVF with no luck turning to a more holistic approach was freeing – she felt a part of the process in her conceiving and creating life. After doing the healing work Sakinah and her husband welcomed their miracle rainbow baby Cerenity in November 2021. As such her passion for supporting women who may have been victimized or abused evolved as her own story transformed. In recent years, she pursued, received certifications, and now holds the titles: Certified Womb Healer, Level 1 Reiki Practitioner, Certified Meditation Coach, and Bereavement Doula. Mrs. Love obtained her bereavement doula certification in November 2022 and felt called to do so after overcoming her own traumatic experience before giving birth to her rainbow baby in 2021. It is her desire to support and stand alongside angel mamas who are still waiting as they move through their grief.
The services that Fruit of the Womb Holistic Services offers are womb healing, bereavement support, and postpartum support. The purpose of womb healing is to honor and connect to the feminine space through intuitive healing. Mrs. Love guides each participant through four phases of healing trauma through the womb. Bereavement Doula Support empowers the bereaved to transmute their pain into purpose as they journey through their grief to heal. Mrs. Love offers one-on-one support for birth mothers, their partners, and families to hold space, create a safe container, and develop grief plans as well as other grief exercises to promote healing. Mrs. Love facilitates the “Circle of Support Virtual Grief Group for Women” which meets every 4th Thursday. Postpartum Support’s mission is to navigate, understand, and reparent oneself while parenting through the fourth trimester and beyond. Mrs. Love facilitates “Mama’s Supporting Mama’s Virtual Postpartum Support Group” every 3rd Wednesday. Mrs. Love facilitates a book club that meets every Tuesday at 7pm which provides a space for women to discuss their healing journey as well as support and encourage their fellow sisters with their healing journey. So far, we have read How We Heal by Alex Elle and The Sugar Jar by Yasmine Cheyenne. We will begin reading Already Enough: A Path to Self-Acceptance by Lisa Olivera.
Lastly, Fruit of the Womb Holistic Services participated at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church & Coco Life Black’s 2nd Annual Black Maternal Health Summit & Community Baby Shower. We met with and talked to so many inspiring individuals as well as catch up with some of the moms from the postpartum group. We gained a better understanding of what challenges black women face when it comes to their healthcare and giving birth in the United States. Many women inquired and signed up for our monthly postpartum and grief support groups we look forward to welcoming them to our Fruit of the Womb tribe this upcoming month. Looking forward to what the future holds!
February 2023
5th Annual All Worthy of Love Valentine’s Day Outreach
For our 5th year in a row, our organization hosted its annual “All Worthy of Love” Valentine’s Day Outreach. This year was very special as we were able to partner with our friends from Buddy Speaks and Heal & Rebuild Unbreakable Spirit again to make this event memorable for those who volunteered as well as participants. Buddy Speaks provides preventative education and awareness to end childhood sexual abuse. Heal & Rebuild Unbreakable Spirit offers empowerment, education, support, and refuge to those whose lives have been shattered by domestic abuse. Both organizations are sister organizations whose work intersects with ours; which is why we decided to partner to support individuals in need. In our efforts of partnering together, we were able to provide over 550 roses, boxes of chocolates, and candy bags to human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault victims/survivors, along with individuals who are experiencing homelessness. This event acknowledges those who are in vulnerable positions and shows each and every one of them that they are instead “Worthy of Love”. Thank you to every donor, sponsor, and individual who helped to make this event possible and a continually growing success. Here’s to more serving!
In addition, one special moment that was a highlight to the event. Our intern Camaryn was eager to share that while handing out roses and chocolates in the neighborhood where our drop-in center is an individual who received one was eternally thankful. They were so happy to express “Philadelphia needs more people like you guys”; our goal is to always make kind gestures that people can remember. Statements like this is why we continue to host the event and look for ways to support those who need it and are not always able to get it. We are forever grateful for this work and the ability to serve in a way that is impactful.
January 2023
Human Trafficking Awareness Month: Handbags of Hope Event
In honor of Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Redeemed For A Cause Outreach partnered with Heal and Rebuild Unbreakable Spirit and several organizations joined efforts with other organizations that support domestic violence and sexual assault victims as well as at-risk youth. Collectively our goal was to reach as many girls and women as possible; showing them love and support. Together we collected gently used and brand-new handbags to fill with toiletries and distributed them to victims and survivors.
During this time, we were able to package and distribute over 300 pocketbooks to victims and/or survivors from various organizations. Thank you to our partnering organizations Heal and Rebuild Unbreakable Spirit, Buddy Speaks, L.A.S.A, I Am Someone He Empowered, and so many others who made the event a huge success. Here’s to more serving!
December 2022
“Operation Serve Our Community” Collaborative Community Feeding
In honor of our annual “Operation Serve Our Community” initiative for the month of December we partnered with Buddy Speaks, a non-profit organization that provides preventative education and awareness to help end childhood sexual abuse. Our goal and purpose for collaborating was to bring some holiday cheer to those in need; in this case many human trafficking and sexual assault victims. During our outreach, it was great to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones. There was definitely something special about serving together and bringing awareness to the community about two very important topics. Each individual we encountered was showered with a nice hearty bowl of delicious chicken noodle soup, was given care packages, and snack bags. We would like to thank our donors, supporters, and community partners for helping us make this possible. Here’s to more serving!
Villanova University Ethics Fellowship
Earlier this month founder, Sakinah Love, attended an “Ethics Fellowship” that was curated and hosted by a Villanova University student. In fact, this workshop was created after the student did community service with the organization back in 2021. This event was done in addition to Villanova students viewing the movie “Taken” and then discussing the misconceptions/myths about human trafficking. Mrs. Love spoke to the student body about human trafficking and the individuals who are most vulnerable to this crime. Additionally, how it takes place in the urban and rural areas in Philadelphia, and lastly the modern contexts of trafficking. Also, Mrs. Love spoke about Redeemed For A Cause Outreach mission, services, etc. We appreciate this opportunity to spread awareness about human trafficking and how everyone can become involved in the cause towards eliminating human trafficking and protecting victims.
November 2022
Random Acts of Kindness
Our founder, Sakinah Love, along with Excel North Academy students prepared care packages for the drop-in center and emergency community HUBS. We want to thank the Villanova students for helping with gathering toiletries from their networks and donating them to our cause.
Emergency Community HUBS
Our founder, Sakinah Love, and interns traveled through the city to replenish the emergency community HUBS. So far, we have four emergency community HUBS including South Philadelphia Community Fridge at Mifflin Square Park and Smith Recreation Center, Distinguished Funeral Home, and Community Umbrella Agency (CUA) 10: Turning Points for Children. We appreciate the support that we continue to receive in efforts of providing for the needs of the community. We want to thank our community partners, donors, and supporters for helping keep these HUBS stocked. We would not be able to accomplish our goals without you. Your support will allow us to expand our emergency community HUBS city-wide so that we can serve even more people in the coming years.
October 2022
Career Day/College Fair
Redeemed For A Cause Outreach was invited by our partnering school, Excel Academy North to attend the Career Day/College Fair. Our founder, Sakinah Love, and volunteer coordinator, Katie Bartholomew, spoke to the students about college, trade school, and/or entrepreneurship. We are excited about this opportunity and look forward to future collaboration in the next few weeks as we gear up for the holidays.
Emotional Wellbeing Month
October is “Emotional Wellbeing Month” which encompasses many aspects of taking care of and being aware of our emotional health. Throughout the month of October, we recognized and educated on different aspects of emotional well-being. We highlighted what we can do that will benefit our emotional health including breaks from making decisions, a safe person to vent to, time in nature, moments when you feel valued, space for creativity, etc.
Also, we often can neglect our own emotions unconsciously for many reasons. One reason was that we were not allowed to acknowledge our emotions growing up. We need to become aware of this by recognizing signs of emotional neglect so that we can begin to honor our feelings.
Lastly, establishing and communicating boundaries in any relationship is key for you, your partner’s emotional health, and the health of your relationship. We provided six healthy boundaries to communicate in the beginning of a new relationship including how much time you need to process information and how you process information, the amount of time that you spend together each week so that there are clear expectations about the frequency of time together, etc.
Random Acts of Kindness
It felt so good to surprise some of our friends at McDaniel Elementary School for Halloween. We got word from our community partner, Victoria Wiley, that a few classes and students have been displaying star behavior and coming to school every day earning perfect attendance. So, we surprised them with some Halloween treats and nice affirmations. Thanks to our beautiful intern, Danielle. We’re excited about continuing to support this school and the community.
September 2022
Welcome New and Returning Interns
Redeemed For A Cause Outreach welcomes our new intern, Kyliah Singletary, who is a student at Holy Family University. Also, we would like to welcome back Danielle Heulit, who is a student at Rowan University. The interns will assist with grant opportunities, research on topics pertaining to human trafficking, sorting toiletries, preparing care packages, etc. We are excited for the new semester and look forward to our new partnerships.
Continuing Partnerships
Starting in October, Villanova University students will be partnering with Redeemed For A Cause Outreach to assist with sorting toiletries, preparing care packages, assist with our upcoming events, etc. Villanova University students assisted us with our past events, and they have been a great help. We are excited about this opportunity.
Promoting Self-Care
Throughout the month of September, Redeemed For A Cause Outreach highlighted different self-care practices and shared tips on how to invest in your own personal wellness. We provided tips on how to interact with individuals who are victims of sexual abuse as this can be a sensitive topic, we need to be aware of our response. Also, how to be honest in your feelings without judgment is key to healthy emotional regulation which includes paying attention to your body, name what you’re feeling without judgment, identify what triggered the feeling, etc. Lastly, physical self-care is not just for your mental health. It is for every aspect of your being, including mind, soul, and body. Taking care of your body is the root of a healthy and happy life.
August 2022
Partnership with the School District of Philadelphia
Redeemed For A Cause Outreach worked with the School District of Philadelphia Office of School Climate Culture Lead Climate and Culture Coach to obtain a vendor number that will help us to potentially secure contracts with partnering schools that are recipients of our toiletry closets initiative and teen prevention groups. We are excited about this opportunity as we have operated in schools for over 3 years; establishing relationships with administrative staff including teachers, school counselors, climate, principals, etc., to further support students as they navigate through everyday life. We are honored to move through this process and officially become partners in supporting the youth of Philadelphia.
Also, we are working with our partnering school, Camelot Academy East, and applying for a grant opportunity through the Hilles Fund, which provides grants to “programs that serve those with the greatest needs in Philadelphia and the Northeast”. We are excited about this opportunity and look forward to a great outcome this grant could have on the work we do.
Additionally, as the school year is approaching, we are gearing up to add two more schools to our toiletry initiative, Academy Park High School and Edward Heston Acceleration Network, we are excited about the work we will do together.
Upkeep Emergency Community HUBS
We continue to maintain our four emergency community HUBS: Distinguished Funeral Home, South Philadelphia Community Fridge at Mifflin Square Park and Smith Recreation Center, and Community Umbrella Agency (CUA) 10: Turning Points of Children, by donating toiletries to those in need in the Philadelphia community. We appreciate the local businesses for supporting the organization and these operating community HUBS.
New Partnerships
This month, we were honored to meet with Polaris Project who assisted us with grant suggestions/opportunities as well as updating our current grant information. Polaris Project leads a data-driven social justice movement to fight sex and labor trafficking at the massive scale of the problem. Polaris Project assisted thousands of victims and survivors through the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, helped ensure countless traffickers were held accountable and built the largest known U.S. data set on actual trafficking experience.
Also, we partnered with the Attic Youth Center, who create opportunities for lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQIA+) youth to develop into healthy, independent, civic-minded adults within a safe and supportive community and to promote the acceptance of LGBTQ youth in society. The Attic strives to have a positive impact on all aspects of youth’s lives, facilitate growth, empowerment, resiliency, and help youth find their voice. Our founder, Sakinah Love, and Annabelle, intern, met with the Life Skills Supervisor about putting together safe sex kits for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Reconnecting with Duke University Intern
Recently, we reconnected with our former intern, Zadaiah Roye, graduate from Duke University, who will assist us with various projects pertaining to grant opportunities, research, curriculum updates, etc. We are excited to have Zadaiah on board with us again and appreciate her supporting the organization.
July 2022
Redeemed For A Cause Outreach Celebrates 5 Years!!!
Redeemed For A Cause Outreach (RFACO) celebrated its 5th birthday this month! Our official birthday was on July 8th, but for all of July, we have been highlighting our major accomplishments in serving the Philly community.
As a woman and minority-led organization, RFACO’s mission is to help women and girls impacted by human trafficking realize their intrinsic worth and full potential. To do this, we provide services for them at our drop-in centers located in West Philadelphia (est. 2018) and South Philadelphia (est. 2020). These services include basic needs items, life skills workshops, health education, crisis and case management, referrals, and more!
We also engage in community outreach, hitting the streets of Philly to meet people where they’re at and provide services and go directly to them. During holidays, we donate food to those in need. We also partner with organizations to provide STI testing and treatment, and we provide toiletry items to women and girls through our community HUBS. We are deeply connected with the Philly community and love working closely with the people we serve.
These accomplishments would not be possible without the generous donations and support from our sponsors! We are incredibly grateful to give back to the community and hope to continue doing so for years to come.
Upkeep Emergency Community HUBS
RFACO now has four emergency community HUBS, up from three-South Philadelphia Community Fridge at Mifflin Square and Smith Recreation Center, Distinguished Funeral Home, and Community Umbrella Agency (CUA) 10: Turning Points for Children! These HUBS are crucial for supplying needed toiletry items, including period products, underwear, soap, toothbrushes, etc. to people in the Philly community.
We were proud to replenish our three existing HUBS and open up a new one (Smith Recreation Center) this month. We thank our community partners, our donors, and supporters for helping us keep these HUBS stocked! Your support will allow us to expand our toiletry closets city-wide so that we can serve even more people in the coming years.
June 2022
New Partnerships: South Philadelphia Community Fridge
Redeemed For A Cause Outreach partnered with South Philadelphia Community Fridge this month to provide toiletries to the South Philadelphia community. South Philadelphia Community Fridge is a community-centered, volunteer-based organization that combats food insecurity by giving access to fresh and healthy food to Philadelphia residents in the community. South Philadelphia Community Fridge has five locations including 9th and Mifflin/BOK Building, Fridges and Family, 21st and Federal, Smith Playground, and Mifflin Square Park. RFACO began supplying toiletries to the Mifflin Square location; which happens to be down the street from our drop-in center. Throughout the summer, we will be setting up more emergency community HUBS at local businesses, pantries, recreational centers, and more to support everyone. Our reach is global, and our goal is to serve selflessly. Lastly, we were able to replenish one of our emergency community HUBS, Distinguished Funeral Homes, with toiletries to support local victims of human trafficking. It is our pleasure to continuously provide these items to women in need.
We are excited about this new partnership and plan on visiting the other locations soon. We want to thank our ongoing donors Days for Girls Wayne PA and Robin Hawkins who donated items to distribute. Our goal is to provide these items for those in need outside the scope of the women and teen girls we already serve.
New Toiletry Closet: Academy Park High School
Redeemed For A Cause Outreach has agreed to partner with Academy Park High School located in Sharon Hill, PA to set up a toiletry closet for their local students. We were excited to learn that a current student wanted to start a toiletry closet at the school but needed support. We met with the School Board Director of Southeast Delco School District to discuss how we could contribute to this effort and make it happen. We are excited about this opportunity which will be established in August, just in time for the 2022-2023 school year.
May 2022
Mental Health Awareness Month…Regroup Recharge
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and through this month, Redeemed For A Cause Outreach spread awareness for different aspects of mental health. In honor of this month, we want to make sure we are taking care of ourselves. This issue comes up when we are dealing with the students in the schools. As an organization, we took time off after progressively working with the students. On our social media platform, we reminded our supporters that their past circumstances and actions do not define them, but they have the freedom to move forth and live an abundant life.
Furthermore, burnout is something that can come on quickly without you even realizing it. The signs of burnout include headaches, feeling negative or overly critical, unexplained exhaustion, irritable, becoming physically ill, insomnia, endless anxiety, feeling inadequate and/or hopeless, neglecting self-care, and feeling numb or apathetic about life. Therefore, implementing self-care is important because we need to decompress from our busy days. We provided several self-care activities including social time in nature, taking a break/social media break, starting a new hobby, watching a movie, painting or drawing, reading a book, etc.
Additionally, a strong support system is necessary because it helps us know we are not alone. We need to check in with our loved ones and those friends who are always keeping busy, seem happy all the time, come across as strong, go quiet often, are always there for others, or never ask for help. We may not be aware of the silent battles they face.
Lastly, your mental health is as important as your physical health. Continue to listen to your body and determine what you need. If you need help, do not be afraid or ashamed to ask for support. We want to thank everyone for their support of our organization. We are continuing to form new partnerships and collaborate to spread awareness about human trafficking.
April 2022
Teen Prevention Groups…Getting Better With Time
For the month of April, our founder, Sakinah Love, and interns from Rowan University continued to run the teen prevention groups with partnering schools West Catholic Preparatory High School and Excel Academy North. During this time students used the safe space to talk about day-to-day issues they face in their communities; the most prevalent are gun violence, grief, and loss which resulted in fear, uncertainty, and hopelessness. Together with support from Sakinah and interns, the students were able to identify effective coping skills to help them move through many of the challenges they face. Since the conception of the teen prevention group the students have made tremendous progress and have consciously decided to show up for themselves and do the necessary work to see the change they desire to see in the world.
Random Acts of Kindness: Toiletry Closets/Emergency Community HUBS…
In honor of Random Acts of Kindness month, we focused this month on showing our toiletry and emergency community HUBS participants much kindness. It was our goal to donate double the amount of toiletry items this month to support the many needs. Our Rowan University interns traveled throughout the city to replenish the toiletry closets at Vaux High School, Community Umbrella Agency 10: Turning Points for Children, West Catholic Preparatory High School, and our emergency community HUBS at Distinguished Memorial Chapel to add more items for them to be able to utilize at their own leisure. Replenishing the closets has resulted in the distribution of 2,125 items thus far thanks to many of our donors and partners.
Additionally, we were able to distribute items to our male group participants and start up a closet for their day-to-day needs at Excel Academy North. This is a big deal as the girls’ toiletry closet has been doing so well in this school that it was requested that we start a male toiletry closet! It was great to be able to see some of our favorite students in person again as we have been running groups since January!
Our hope is to continue to expand this initiative and support even more students and women throughout the city! Here’s to more serving!
March 2022
Teen Prevention Groups…Getting Better with Time
For the month of March, our founder, Sakinah Love, and Rowan University interns continued to host teen prevention groups with our partners Excel Academy North, W.C. Longstreth Elementary School, and West Catholic Preparatory High School where they discussed topics such as grief and loss, social media and texting, conflict resolution, etc. were focused on due to the uptick of gun violence and overall crime in our city.
Additionally, we were able to host our first teen boys’ group with our existing partner Excel Academy North where we also host the teen girls’ group. The interns created a safe environment for the students to share their experiences around these sensitive topics. We are grateful that the students are open to unpacking their feelings, trauma, and any concerns they have and can heal at their own pace without judgment.
Toiletry Closets/Emergency Community HUBS Equals March Madness
Due to the inclement weather, our “Spring Toiletry Drive” had to be canceled. However, we were determined to still honor this initiative and proceed with sorting and organizing the items we collected. Our founder, Sakinah Love, high school intern, and Rowan University interns gathered at our South Philadelphia drop-in center to sort and organize the toiletry items. In total, we were able to collect 960 toiletry items which will be used to stock our toiletry closets in our partnering schools as well as distribute items to our emergency community HUBS in areas for women we do our outreach efforts. Most of these items will be used for April’s initiative “Random Acts of Kindness” in which we will be restocking each of these closets and HUBS with much-needed items.
Additionally, we look to establish two more community HUBS during the month of April to provide more support throughout local communities. To date, 1,006 items have been donated to our participating elementary, middle, and high school students.
Furthermore, in honor of lent, our donor, St. David Church, donated toiletry items. We want to thank them for their continued to our organization.
Lastly, we want to thank everyone who have donated toiletry items as well as monetarily. For those who are interested in donating toiletry items, they can be dropped off at our South Philadelphia drop-in center located at 730-732 West Moyamensing Ave, Philadelphia, PA, 19148 on Wednesdays from 10am-1pm.
February 2022
“All Worthy of Love” Event
Redeemed For A Cause Outreach hosted our 4th annual “All Worthy of Love” event at McPherson Square Park in Kensington, PA to spread some love and remind everyone that they are “All Worthy of Love” during our Valentine’s Day outreach. We were able to distribute over 300 roses each with empowering words of affirmation, 300 chocolates, and candy bags, as well as toiletry supplies, clothing, shoes, masks, and more!
Along with distributing roses, chocolates, and candy bags at McPherson Square Park, we distributed roses and chocolates to the participants, including students and faculty, at West Catholic Preparatory High School, Longstreth Elementary School, and Richard Allen Charter School.
Additionally, we want to thank the volunteers and interns who assisted with the preparation for the “All Worthy of Love” event at the South Philadelphia drop-in center.
Lastly, we want to thank all of our donors for your generosity in donating roses and chocolates for the human trafficking victims and/or survivors, sexual assault victims and/or survivors, domestic violence victims and/or survivors, and at-risk youth.
Toiletry Closets & Teen Prevention Groups
Our interns traveled to Excel Academy North to replenish their toiletry closet. Our teenage participants at Excel Academy North are always happy when they receive new items for their closet and everyday needs. Our hope is to continue to expand this initiative as the need is great and our teenage girls deserve nothing but the best.
Also, our interns and founder, Sakinah Love, ran the teen prevention groups with Richard Allen Charter School and Excel Academy North via ZOOM with the students who actively participated in discussing the importance of “Healthy Communication”. The participants were able to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy communication through their personal experiences with friends, family, and peers. Our interns and founder, Sakinah love, provided emotional and moral support to the participants as they continue to open up and heal.
St. David’s Church Collaboration
On Sunday, February 27th, our founder, Sakinah Love, participated in an event with St. David Church where she spoke about human trafficking risk and barriers, preventative methods, ways to get involved, and Redeemed For A Cause Outreach services. Leslie Roy, a member of St. David and one of the operators at Days for Girls, Wayne, PA organization, is our contact with St. David who continually support Redeemed For A Cause Outreach mission and vision.
January 2022
Human Trafficking Awareness Month
January is known as “Human Trafficking Awareness” month. Redeemed For A Cause Outreach spread awareness about human trafficking via our social media platform. Also, on Thursday, January 27th we partnered with WOAR to invite WOAR and Redeemed For A Cause staff, supporters, and individuals interested in the topic to view and discuss a documentary entitled “Very Young Girls” which was created by GEMS in New York. GEMS (Girls Educational & Mentoring Services) is a non-profit human trafficking organization based in New York whose mission is “to empower girls and young women, ages 12-29, who have experienced sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and develop their full potential”.
Toiletry Closets & Teen Prevention Groups
We will resume teen prevention groups in the schools as well as stocking the toiletry closets starting in February. Due to the rise of COVID cases, we want to keep the students and interns safe. Therefore, we have decided to conduct the teen prevention groups virtually via Google Classroom. Although we are virtual, the students will receive continued support when discussing sensitive topics such as boundaries, healthy relationships, consent, etc.
Also, our intern will resume traveling to the schools to restock the toiletry closets in the schools and the emergency community HUBS in the local businesses. We are always accepting toiletry donations, If you are interested in donating, please email us at redeemedforacause@gmail.com to coordinate a day and time to drop off the donations at our South Philadelphia drop-in center.
Collaboration with Eden’s Farm
On Friday, January 21st, our founder, Sakinah Love, was a panelist at “Importance of Anti-Trafficking Collaboration in Pennsylvania” with several panelists including Shea Rhodes, Co-Founder and Director of CSE Institute at Villanova Law, Dr. Sarah Homitsky, Medical Director for Women’s Health at AHN Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Institute, Elizabeth Ringler-Jayanthan, Trauma-Focused Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Shandra Woworuntu, Founder and CEO of Mentaru and Eden’s Farm Advisory Board Member, Fina Spory, Special Agent for the Human Trafficking & Child Exploitation Group at Homeland Security Investigations, and Annalisa Gibbs, Founder and Executive Director of Eden’s Farm. The panel discussed their collaborative work in anti-trafficking for National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
December 2021
Founder Sakinah Love and Calvin Welcome Baby Girl Cerenity!!!
On November 28, 2021, at 5:30am, our founder, Sakinah Love, and her husband, Calvin, welcomed Cerenity into the world weighing 6 pounds and 9 ounces. Sakinah and Calvin are overjoyed as they held Cerenity is everything they could have imagined, hoped for, and dreamed of. Please continue to keep Sakinah and Calvin in prayer as they continue to enjoy their time with their princess and adjust to parenthood.
Toiletry Closets & Teen Prevention Groups
Throughout the month of December, our founder, Sakinah Love, and interns ran groups at Richard Allen Charter School where the students learned about responsible social media use. The students were very engaged and able to be open and honest with us about their experiences online. Also, the students made affirmation cards during group and allowed the girls to speak openly about things they may have been struggling with.
Additionally, our interns visited Roxborough High School to participate in the “Lunch Bunch” where the students created care packages, affirmation cards, and monthly menstrual kits for our other clients to remind them that they are worthy and able to get through anything. Also, our interns replenished the toiletry closets at W.C. Longstreth Elementary School and Roxborough High School.
Furthermore, from August to December, we were able to provide over 50 containers including 300 toiletry bags with tampons, pads, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, hair ties, antibiotic wipes, deodorant, bars of soap, shampoo, conditioner, after shower body creams, etc., 450 makeup bags including lip balms, styling gels, face masks, mirrors, facial creams, etc., 300 Days for Girls kits that include small, medium, large, and x-large undergarments to the toiletry closets and emergency community HUBs. In total, we have 7 toiletry closets including W.C. Elementary School, Roxborough High School, Richard Allen Charter School, West Catholic Preparatory School, Excel Academy North, Vaux High School, Achieve Academy of Philadelphia (Camelot Academy East), and 3 emergency community HUBs including Drexel Hope, Distinguished Funeral Homes, Community Umbrella Agency (CUA) 10: Turning Points for Children.
Lastly, we want to thank our donors, Tasker Street Baptist Church, who donated gifts for 10 children at Richard Allen Charter School where we currently hold support groups for vulnerable teen girls; additionally, the school partakes in our toiletry closet initiative. We want to thank the staff and administrators for allowing Redeemed For A Cause Outreach to create toiletry closets and running prevention groups in their schools as additional support for their students.
“Operation Serve Our Community” Christmas Event
We want to thank our team members, volunteers, and interns who met at our South Philadelphia Drop-In Center on Saturday, December 11th to create over 100 toiletry bags, 100 snack bags, and over 100 winter/warm bags for our Christmas event on Saturday, December 18th.
Additionally, on Saturday, December 18th, we held our 4th annual “Operation Serve Our Community” Christmas event where we partnered with Philly Unknown Project who held a Narcan training and were a huge help during our event, and in our mission to serve and make connections with those living in Kensington. During the event, we gave out over 125 “warm bags” with hats, gloves, socks, hand warmers & emergency blankets. Also, we gave out 70 harm reduction kits, 125 snack bags, 125 toiletry bags, 2 trays of Christmas cookies, waters, and 17 pizzas. Lastly, we would like to thank everyone for their support to Redeemed For A Cause Outreach. We would not be able to serve our community and schools without your generous donations. As we go into 2022, we look forward to developing more partnerships with schools in the Tri-state area as well as developing partnerships with similar organizations as our own.
November 2021
Toiletry Closets & Teen Prevention Groups
Throughout the month of November, our founder, Sakinah Love, and interns ran the teen prevention groups at Richard Allen Charter School and Excel Academy North where they discussed navigating conflict and finding positive ways to handle it. The students participated in role-playing and learned some boundary words and statements. Our goal for each group is to teach the students how to handle conflicts without blowing up or losing their cool; by using boundaries to help them be heard and understood. The students did great expressing what is necessary, so they feel safe.
Additionally, our interns traveled to Roxborough High School who hosted “Lunch Bunches” for students to help our interns pack toiletry bags and make affirmation cards for our outreaches, emergency community HUBs, and toiletry closets in their school as well as others. The purpose of the collaboration was for the school to provide a safe and fun space for students to gather and be involved in community service!
Lastly, our interns worked on replenishing the toiletry closets at Vaux High School, Achieve Academy of Philadelphia (Camelot Academy East), Roxborough High School, Community Umbrella Agency (CUA) 10: Turning Points for Children, and W.C. Longstreth Elementary School. These schools and emergency community HUB received several Days for Girls kits, WOAR bags, pads, tampons, combs, makeup kits, socks, undergarments, affirmation cards, etc.
“I Have Something to be Grateful For” Event
On Saturday, November 20th we held our 4th annual “I Have Something to be Grateful For” Thanksgiving event where we partnered with Savage Sisters who provided Narcan training to our interns and volunteers before going to McPherson Square Park to serve our friends in Kensington. Our efforts were led by our awesome lead intern Katie as well as other interns, team members, volunteers from Rowan and Villanova University along with a few others. Together, we served 100+ people by giving out food packages with selections such as roasted vegetables and potatoes, dinner rolls with butter, and pizza. Also, we gave out 80+ toiletry bags, 80+ snack bags, 75+ pairs of underwear and bras, 80+ sodas and waters, and 80+ winter bags full of hats and gloves for the winter season. The event was a major success and there is more to come for the Christmas holiday.
For our Christmas event, we are partnering with Philly Unknown Project who provides those who are homeless, near homeless, or in need, the day-to-day resources and empowerment to survive through outreach, education, support, and advocacy. Here’s to more serving!
We would like to give a huge thanks to our interns, team members, Villanova University students, and volunteers for coming to our South Philadelphia drop-in center on November 13th to prepare the care packages and snack bags for the Thanksgiving event on Saturday, November 20th. We sorted through and packaged over 200+ pairs of undergarments and 250+ bras for outreach, as well as the local toiletry closets, we have in schools. Thank you to Erin and Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience Nurses Unit Councils for the generous donation of 2,400 organic menstrual pads, which will give us the opportunity to supply our teen girls in the local schools we serve with a month’s supply of menstrual products.
Lastly, we would like to thank our donor, Tasker Street Baptist Church, who donated toiletries, Thanksgiving baskets, and turkeys. We were able to bless five families at Community Umbrella Agency (CUA) 10: Turning Points for Children with the Thanksgiving baskets which had all the fixings and turkeys to help a little for the holiday.
October 2021
Toiletry Closets & Community HUB Initiatives
Throughout September and October, our founder, Sakinah Love, and interns have been setting up toiletry closets around the city. Team members and interns preparing care packages for the women who drop in to the center, our community HUBs/toiletry closets for our teenage girls. For the month of October, we set up 2 toiletry closets a W.C. Longstreth Elementary School and Excel Academy North. In both schools, they received a total of 25 toiletry bags including face masks, combs, hairbrushes, hair bands, notebooks, snacks, etc. Also, we replenished 3 toiletry closets at West Catholic Preparatory High School, Roxborough High School, and Richard Allen Charter School. Altogether, the schools received a number Days for Girls kits and toiletry bags which included hand sanitizer, tampons, undergarments, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. The students are raving about the closets and have counselors to keep the toiletries coming! Additionally, we distributed toiletry bags to Drexel Hope, who provide high-quality, compassionate health services for opioid dependence, HIV, and Hepatitis C. They offer low-threshold care at reduced or no cost, which makes medical services accessible to underserved patients. They work to advance health equity and decrease health disparities among Philadelphians. So far, we have 7 toiletry closets in the schools including W.C.Longstreth Elementary School, Excel Academy School, West Catholic Preparatory High School, Roxborough High School, Richard Allen Charter School, Vaux High School, and Camelot Academy East and 3 Emergency Community HUBs including Drexel Hope, Distinguished Funeral Homes, and Community Umbrella Agency (CUA) 10: Turning Points for Children. Thank you to our wonderful team members and interns for packaging care packages for women who drop in to the center, our community HUBs/toiletry closets for our teenage girls. Thank you to all of our donors and supporters who donate monetarily and toiletries for the drop-in center, toiletry closets, and emergency community HUBs.
Continual Growing Partnerships & Volunteering: Savage Sisters
Redeemed For A Cause Outreach is partnering with Savage Sisters for our Thanksgiving and Christmas events. Savage Sisters is an organization that provides sober living homes for people in recovery. Additionally, they have a similar mission as ours and take pride in distributing harm reduction kits through their outreach and education initiatives. To prepare for the Thanksgiving and Christmas events, we are asking for volunteers to come to the South Philadelphia Drop-In Center located at 730-732 West Moyamensing Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19148 on Saturday, November 13, 2021, at 12 pm to prepare care packages for the Thanksgiving event and Saturday, December 11, 2021, at 12 pm to prepare care packages for the Christmas event. Our Thanksgiving event will be held on Saturday, November 20, 2021, and our Christmas event will be held on Saturday, December 18, 2021.
Prior to our Thanksgiving and Christmas events, at 9:30 am there is a mandatory Narcan training at 1516 South 30th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146. After the Narcan training, we will head to McPherson Square Park located at 601 East Indiana Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19134 to set up tables and tents for the events. We will start at 11 am. If you are interested in volunteering at the Thanksgiving and/or Christmas events, you must attend the Narcan training.
September 2021
Toiletry Closets & Community HUB Initiatives
For the month of September, our founder, Sakinah Love, and interns had the opportunity to set up more toiletry closets throughout the city. This month we had the opportunity to set up new closets at our former partner Roxborough High School, and new partners Community Umbrella Agency (CUA) 10: Turning Points for Children who services foster care and at-risk youth in West Philadelphia, and lastly the Camelot Accelerated Program, which is an extension of Camelot Academy East both of which service at-risk youth and young adults. In fact, Camelot Academy East School used the items we provided them in the month of August to create their own “zen” space for their students, where they will be welcomed to come and get toiletries as well as destress and regroup. We want to thank the school clinical director, Mrs. Petroski for partnering with us to make this dream come true. Our goal with each closet is to encourage staff and school administration to get involved in creating safe spaces for students to tend to their basic needs without shame. Additionally, this month we have begun and will continue to replenish the emergency community HUBs at establishments such as Distinguished Funeral Homes; which is on their second distribution of toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. for the victims of human trafficking in the West Philadelphia area we service. It is our goal to continue to set up these closets and community HUBs throughout the city to support those in need. We want to thank our generous donors and supporters Days for Girls Wayne, PA, Leslie Roy, WOAR, and Redeemed For A Cause team members for donating to this ongoing cause. Furthermore, we are able to replenish and sustain our very own drop-in center that supports victims of human trafficking and abuse. All thanks to the generous donations we have been receiving, please keep them coming.
Continual Growing Partnerships: Savage Sisters & Rowan University
In the month of November, we will be partnering with Savage Sisters for a Girls’ Day event on November 07, 2021. Savage Sisters is an organization that provides sober living homes for people in recovery. Additionally, they have a similar mission as ours and take pride in distributing harm reduction kits through their outreach and education initiatives to the community. The Girls’ Day event will be open to the community including ladies in recovery, human trafficking victims and/or survivors, sexual assault victims and/or survivors, domestic violence victims and/or survivors, etc. The Girls’ Day event will be at our South Philadelphia drop-in center located at 730-732 W Moyamensing Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19148. We will have guest speakers who will discuss intimate partner violence and how to work through trauma as a woman. Furthermore, our founder, Sakinah Love, will be running a meditation session with the participants as well as a healing exercise to enhance their confidence to move forward beyond their pain. We will provide additional details about the event as the date gets closer.
August 2021
Giving Campaign
For the month of August, we initiated our “Giving Campaign”. For the “Giving Campaign”, we sent an email via MailChimp to our donors and supporters as well as potential donors to encourage them to support the organization by giving monetarily. Along with the email, we provided documentation to inform the donors, supporters, and potential donors how their donations will be used for the organization such as toiletries, gas for the organization van, rent for the drop-in center, and support for bi-weekly outreach. We are always accepting monetary donations through CashApp, Venmo, and PayPal.
Toiletry Closets
For the month of August, our founder, Sakinah Love, team members, and interns set up toiletry closets in West Catholic Preparatory High School, Richard Allen Charter School, Camelot Academy of Philadelphia, Distinguished Funeral Homes, and Big Picture Vaux High School.
Camelot Academy of Philadelphia, our founder, Sakinah Love and interns will be running a teen girl group coming in September. Richard Allen Charter School, in which they incorporated the toiletry closet with a meditation room for decompressing and stress relieving. Students will be getting the best of both worlds along with a weekly teen girl group ran by our founder, Sakinah Love, in which they can use as a space to discuss their needs. West Catholic Preparatory High School, we set up a toiletry closet in 2020, however, we moved the room within the school into a bigger space to accommodate all grades returning in September. Our purpose in this was to bring some new and exciting toiletries and gifts for our teen girl participants to partake in. Also, Distinguished Funeral Homes received a container full of toiletries such as travel size conditioner, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. for the victims of human trafficking in West Philadelphia area. Lastly, Big Picture Vaux High School, our founder, Sakinah Love, and interns set up the toiletry closet for the teen girl participants to partake in the toiletry closet as well as teen prevention groups starting in September.
Partnerships
Along with the toiletry closets, we received support from our partner organizations who donated toiletry items. We want to thank WOAR (Women Organized Against Rape) who donated a total of 93 donation bags with 744 toiletry items disbursed in the bags including deodorant, lotion, soap, tampons, etc. which were distributed to the emergency community HUBs in the Philadelphia area and toiletry closets in the local schools.
Also, the Philadelphia Department of Health provided safe sex kits to us for our ladies in the Philadelphia area. These kits include condoms, sexual/public health brochures, and Narcan. The safe sex kits will be used in our South Philadelphia drop-in center located at 730-732 West Moyamensing Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19148, our emergency community HUBs, and collaboration outreach with Salvation Army New Day in Kensington/Frankford to be distributed to the human trafficking victims to use for their personal use.
July 2021
Congratulations to our Founder Sakinah Love!!
Congratulations to our incredible founder, Sakinah Love, and her husband, Calvin, on their beautiful baby girl. Earlier this month, they found out they are expecting a baby girl; we are so happy and excited for them and cannot wait to meet baby girl Love.
Emergency Community HUBS/Survivor Services
We established emergency community hubs in which we have identified schools, churches, etc. who will participate in distributing toiletry items, service flyers, and bad date sheets to at-risk youth, trafficked girls/women and/or survivors, also domestic violence and sexual assault victims and/or survivors via our donations and assistance. In addition, we will be resuming our toiletry closets at West Catholic Preparatory High School and Roxborough High School.
Additionally, we are partnering with Salvation Army New Day Drop-In Center for outreach and roll calls with the Philadelphia Police Department. Along with performing our services in West Philadelphia and South Philadelphia, we are expanding our outreach to North Philadelphia, Kensington, and Frankford!
We are collecting donations of female toiletry items for distribution in our Teen/Community HUB, as well as with the emergency HUBs. Donations of items or monetary value can be dropped off at our Teen/Community Resource HUB located at 730-732 West Moyamensing Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19148 during our normal hours of operations which are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday (1st and 3rd week of the month ONLY), and Saturday 12pm-2pm. Wednesday, Thursday (2nd and 4th week of the month ONLY), and Friday we are closed. Thank you for all the continued support in Redeemed For A Cause’s efforts to improve the lives of the women and girls we serve as well as our community at large!
Teen Services/Girls’ Night
As of July 19th, we are providing teen girl-centered services at our Teen HUB located at 730-732 West Moyamensing Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19148 (our South Philadelphia drop-in center). Teen girls will have access to basic needs items such as free toiletries, food, life skills workshops, health education, sex and breast health, yoga & meditation sessions, crisis & case management, health screenings & referrals, individual & group counseling/coaching, life coaching, referrals to our partners, and others!
Also, we will be having a girls’ night every 4th Friday of the month with our teen girls at the Teen HUB located at 730-732 West Moyamensing Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19148. We successfully hosted our first girls’ night which was an “Ice Cream Social” with the teen girls at our Teen HUB. The teen girls created their own ice cream sundaes or banana splits and had girl talk. Our special guest Omega McCoy spoke about her experience being a flight attendant and how to follow your dreams. At our next girls’ night, we will have Shariea Shoatz author of “My Body, My Choice, My Voice” where we will discuss body safety, consent, and self-confidence. Additionally, we ran groups with Forget Me Knot Youth Services at our teen HUB and Richard Allen Charter School where the youth learned about healthy relationships and consent. The youth spoke about their experiences of being in unhealthy relationships.
Lastly, starting in August, we are opening additional toiletry closet HUBs at Vaux High School, Edward Heston Acceleration, and Camelot Academy of Philadelphia. Also, we will have professional development trainings taking place for school administrators and human service professionals both of which are recipients of our HUBs.
June 2021
New Partnerships
During the month of June, we focused on partnering with organizations such as Salvation Army New Day Drop-In Center, WOAR, Vaux Big Picture High School, and Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School.
Salvation Army New Day Drop-In Center, we are joining them with the roll calls at the police departments starting in July. Also, we will have joint outreach on weekdays with the Salvation Army starting in July where we will distribute care packages, service flyers, and bad date sheets. During the roll calls, we can inform the police officers on areas with an increase of human trafficking, new tactics being used, how to identify human trafficking victims, etc.
WOAR, we are collaborating with them by providing pointers that include resources for the women and community as they open their first drop-in center. Vaux Big Picture High School, we are partnering with them by opening a toiletry closet for the students to have access to basic hygiene products. Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School, we are partnering with them to run groups with the students starting in July as well as continuing to operate the toiletry closet.
Community Engagement
As we prepare for our joint outreach with Salvation Army New Day Drop-In Center in July, we are partnering with the local community such as restaurants, funeral homes, schools, churches, etc. to become Community HUBs. In the local businesses, we will provide containers of care packages, service flyers, and bad date sheets to distribute to the ladies in the community. The community HUBs will be located in West Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Center City, etc.
Opening of the Teen HUB
Over the month of June, the members from the Block Church helped to transform our South Philadelphia Drop-In Center into a Teen HUB. Starting in July, we will start running groups with the teens where we will discuss issues such as consent, healthy relationships, self-love, etc. These groups will give insight to the teens so that they can learn how to create boundaries, gain awareness of how they perceive themselves, identifying their self-worth, etc. Also, we want to create a safe space for our teens to encourage them, support them, and hear them.
May 2021
Meet Baby Love
Redeemed For A Cause is thrilled to announce the pregnancy of our founder and CEO Sakinah L. Love! Sakinah and her husband Calvin have been struggling with infertility for years and have gone through many IVF and hormone treatments in hope to become parents, but none had ever come to fruition. After so much loss, frustration, waiting, and uncertainty, they were shocked and elated to find out they had finally created their miracle baby!
With no fertility treatments, Baby Love came into this world all on their own. The Love family is feeling incredibly blessed, as they have waited for so long to bring in a new little life into the world. A blessing from God through so much prayer and patience, Baby Love will be arriving into this world in November of 2021! Congratulations to Sakinah and Calvin!
Honoring Mothers and Mental Health
Throughout this past month, Redeemed For A Cause has worked to show recognition for both the mothers in the world; as well as mental health awareness. May is the month of Mother’s Day; as well as National Mental Health Awareness Month. Our efforts to spread the word about these subjects has largely been through social media, and we are lucky to be able to use our voice and speak on what matters.
We salute every mother out there; and their sacrifice and selflessness they give out to every life they nurture and care for. Mothers deserve much more than one day of recognition, but the time we get to honor them is extremely vital and will always be taken advantage of!
Mental Health is deeply stigmatized in today’s society, but slowly and surely through work of advocacy and education we can change the narrative surrounding mental health and mental disorders. It is so important to remember that we may never truly know what anyone is going through internally, so we must be kind and spread love always.
April 2021
Annual Spring Toiletry Drive/Undergarment Drive
This past month’s outreach drive was a wonderful success! Redeemed For A Cause Outreach held this drive to collect undergarments such as bras and underwear, as well as kits containing menstrual products: pads and tampons, and basic hygiene products: toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, bodywash, etc. to support victims of human trafficking during our outreach, our teen girls who participate in our school toiletry closets, and women in general who are in need. We also were able to provide free confidential STD/HIV testing resources, and food and drinks for those who participated.
We were able to give out many necessities for everyone that came out to the event. There was such an overflow of donated items that we were able to stock up our center and toiletry closets as well! We would like to thank The City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health & PHMC: New Pathways Project for providing the STD/HIV testing and resources, the wonderful ladies of Alpha Court of Lambda Beta Alpha Sorority, Second Pilgrim Baptist Church PHL, Miller Memorial Baptist Church, and Bethel AME Church of Ardmore for working with us to give out as many donations as possible. Also, our partnering honorees also received donations: No More Secrets Menstrual HUB and their founder Lynette Medley.
March 2021
Annual Spring Toiletry
This month we held our annual Spring Toiletry Drive “grab & go” addiction with a sandwich lunch distribution. This event was a massive success, and we were able to give out over 50 lunches, as well as provide toiletry kits to everyone who came by the event! The kits included necessities such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, menstrual supplies, deodorant, shampoo, underwear, and combs/brushes.
Additionally, we were able to fill many boxes for the continuing toiletry closets we provide for schools in the Philadelphia and Baltimore areas. The schools we partner with include Roxborough High School, West Catholic Preparatory High School, Richard Allen Charter School, and Morgan State University.
February 2021
All Worthy of Love
February was all about showing love and appreciation for our community and the individuals in it. We held our 4th annual “All Worthy of Love” Valentine’s Day event on February 13th and we were able to give out 350 roses, 450 boxes of chocolate, and 50 teddy bears!
These goodies were distributed throughout the city and surrounding areas to the women and girls we usually serve, as well as homeless shelters, rehabilitation facilities, at-risk youth centers, police officers, sober living homes, and many ordinary people who others wanted to spread some love to in this difficult time.
A Promotion of Self Healing
Our goal is to help women and girls find their intrinsic worth and discover their true potential. On February 11th, we hosted a virtual event entitled “Women Health Thyself”, with partners Niema Golphin and Amanda Paul to discuss what it takes for a women to heal.
Along with our founder Sakinah Love, these ladies spoke on of holistic healing including trauma work, inner-child healing, meditation practice and benefits, self-care and self-love, shadow-work, and forgiveness.
Continuing to Educate
On February 9th, Redeemed For A Cause Outreach held a training for the Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney’s office (ADA). Our founder Sakinah Love presented a PowerPoint that contained information regarding the Intersection of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence. Due to the positive feedback from PowerPoint presentation, the ADAs now feel like they can tackle the human trafficking cases.
On February 5th and February 26th, Redeemed For A Cause Outreach held a 2-part Human Trafficking 101 virtual training with Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School where we educated the school administration about the risks, barriers, and signs of human trafficking. Also, we opened a toiletry closet at Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School where the students will have access to basic hygiene needs.
December 2020-January 2021
New School Partnerships
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and Prevention Month. We held four panels with over 200 participants: Human Trafficking Q&A, COVID-19, Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Human Trafficking: Internet Safety and Sextortion, and Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking, Sexual Assault – Systemic Issues. As a result of these trainings, we have forged new partnerships with Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School, the Agnes Irwin School, and South Philadelphia High School. We will hold professional development trainings regarding human trafficking for educators as well as ongoing presentations for students, in addition to support groups and toiletry closets. As always, any and all donations towards these toiletry closets are welcome!
Become an Anti-Trafficking Ally
We can’t build on our mission alone. Are you an organization or individual that would like to serve as an ALLY to Redeemed For A Cause? Join the fight in any of the following capacities through http://bit.ly/BecomeanAlly.
- give donations and/or run a donation drive
- join our fundraising team
- provide a pro-bono service
- moderate or facilitate a training/presentation
- other (please contact redeemedforacause@gmail.com)
Addition of Survivor Mentorship Services
Redeemed For A Cause has implemented a new service in which survivors of human trafficking will mentor minors either at-risk for or survivors of human trafficking. If you are a survivor or know a survivor who would like a mentor, please visit our website for the referral form.
NOVEMBER 2020
Friendsgiving Event
The 4th annual “ I Have Something to be Grateful For” Friendsgiving Community feeding was a great success. This year our protocol was a little different due to Covid-19, but one thing that was surely present was LOVE. We had the privilege of serving 300 people this year; 75 of which we were individuals in teen/domestic violence shelters, sober living homes, and survivors of human trafficking. All who identify as being target populations in need of additional support especially during the holiday season. Our goal was to alleviate any reservations and concerns they may have during this time and instead could just enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. We were able to serve a hearty meal, this years menus entailed of rotisserie chicken and gravy, seasoned rice, collard greens, candy yams, string beans, macaroni and cheese, mash potatoes, broccoli, cakes, pies and delicious banana pudding. Thanks to every helping hand that prepared, served, or delivered the food to our community of friends. Also to every individual who donated an essential item for the event or gave a monetary donation we appreciate you. We couldn’t have had such an phenomenal event without you.
OCTOBER 2020
West Catholic Preparatory High School Toiletry Closet
Our founder, Sakinah Love visited West Catholic Preparatory High School on Thursday, October 22nd and Friday, October 23rd to introduce the toiletry closet and speak to 75+ girls about the signs, risks, and barriers of human trafficking. During this time, many of them opened about encounters with perpetrators online and were open to learning ways to keep themselves safe. The toiletry closet is officially open and ongoing donations are being accepted.
Health Federation of Philadelphia – HIV Training
Redeemed For A Cause partnered with Philadelphia Department of Public Health for a HIV Basic Virtual Presentation. Here are some highlights from the training:
- 5 bodily fluids that transmit HIV are blood, vaginal fluid, semen/pre-cum, breast milk, and rectal fluid.
- 3 ways of transmission of HIV are sharing of needle, condomless sex, and mother to child vertical transmission
- There are 2.84% black males, 2.32% Hispanic males, and 1.39% females living with HIV in Philadelphia.
- PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is used to block HIV infection. PrEP medications are Truvada and Descovy.
- PeP (post exposure prophylaxis) where an individual must start the medication within 72 hours after possible exposure. Healthcare workers who may have been exposed can use oPeP (occupational post exposure prophylaxis). PeP medications are Truvada, Raltegravir, and Emtricitabine.
Toiletry Drive
Redeemed for a Cause hosted a toiletry drive at our South Philadelphia drop-in center located at 730-732 West Moyamensing Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19148. During the drive we received toiletry donations and was able to donate these items to the toiletry closets at West Catholic Preparatory High School and Roxborough High School as well as the programs Sisterhood4Life and My Life My Choice. Also, we served 30+ individuals and families in the South Philadelphia community by providing them with toiletry items, clothes, masks, etc. A special thank you to the District Attorney’s office who came out to support and assist those in the South Philadelphia community.
SEPTEMBER 2020
Juvenile Coalition Against Trafficking
Redeemed for a Cause is honored to announce our acceptance into the Juvenile Coalition Against Trafficking in Philadelphia. With your support, we have done so much work with teens and have the experience and knowledge to make real strides of change as a member of the coalition.
Health Federation of Philadelphia – Self-Care and Resilience Training
Special thank you to Rebecca Bryan and Monica Sullivan for such a wonderful training on Resilience and Self-Care for professionals in our field. Here are some our takeaways:
- Create a daily recovery plan. It can be as simple as a calming bedtime routine, unplugging for some time, cooking a meal, or gardening. Studies have shown inhaling dirt spores increases serotonin production—get out into nature!
- Mindfulness is the number one method for healing the brain from trauma. Yoga and repetitive movements are often the easiest place to start on a mindfulness journey, a way to work towards meditation and breathing.
- Choose joy. Joy and sorrow are two sides of the same coin. We can hold onto suffering long enough for it to teach us something, then we must let it go. It takes a certain amount of stability within the self to be able to choose joy—a way to achieve and maintain that stability comes from self-holds and mindfulness work.
AUGUST 2020
Health Federation of Philadelphia – Secondary Traumatic Support
RFAC partnered with the Health Federation of Philadelphia and hosted a training on “Secondary Traumatic Support” on August 22nd. The following are our key takeaways:
- Be aware of your mind, body, emotions, and behaviors, and how they connect to each other.
- Breathing exercises help us to stay calm, be energized, and stay focused.
- There are three types of stress: positive, tolerable, and toxic. Positive and tolerable stress helps us to be more resilient, while toxic stress can make us overwhelmed.
- As we continue to work with human trafficking victims, we need continue to implement boundaries to minimize secondary traumatic stress and avoid burnout.
- Prioritize self-care, so we can be our best selves when we help the ladies.
- Schedules are a great way to create balance in our lives.
- Self-compassion is essential – oftentimes, we are our worst critics and we have to remember to talk ourselves the way we would talk to a close friend.
MARCH – JUNE 2020
Sharp Needle Disposal Box
We partnered with the City of Philadelphia Department of Health to install the first ever sharp needle disposal box in South Philadelphia. Harm reduction strategies are critical in keeping our communities healthy and combating the opioid epidemic.
CoVid-19 Response
As part of our CoVid-19 response in South Philadelphia, we partnered with the Shared Food Program to distribute meals to over 2,500 families and with Days for Girls Wayne PA and Lynette Medley of No More Secrets MBS: A Realistic Approach to Sexual Health to distribute 3,000 feminine products and masks.
Narcan: Overdose Awareness and Reversal Training
We host a quarterly training on how to respond to an narcotic overdose in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Health.
WURD Radio Show
Sakinah Love spoke on-air at WURD Radio about Redeemed for a Cause. It was a pleasure to be around other women warriors fighting for their communities.
Visit from the District Attorney!
District Attorney Larry Krasner and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office came to our drop-in center and donated toiletries in honor of National Crime Victims Right Week. We discussed the issues regarding human trafficking in our city and its effects on our women and teenage girls/boys. The DA left a message on our community affirmation board for the victims and survivors we serve: “KEEP FIGHTING FOR YOU”
FEBRUARY 2020
KYW New Games Changer and Trailblazer Awards
Redeemed for a Cause was awarded the KYW News Game Changer award/recognition in and our founder, Sakinah Love, spoke on air about the positive impacts the organization has made in such a short time. In addition, Redeemed for a Cause received the Trailblazer award at “A Salute to Sheroes” production in recognition of the advocacy and push for justice on behalf of minority women victims and survivors of human trafficking.
Check out the KYW News interview here: https://kywnewsradio.radio.com/articles/feature-article/sakinah-love-changing-the-game-by-helping-women-break-free
Teen Outreach Program Highlight
Sakinah Love engaged students at Our Mother of Sorrows/St. Ignatius in a discussion surrounding human trafficking, in particular the signs, risks, and barriers as well as how to protect oneself. Following the group discussion, four students interviewed Sakinah Love for their senior projects on human trafficking. Proud to be educating the future leaders of the movement.
“All Worthy of Love” Outreach
Our “All Worthy of Love” outreach event was a huge success in showing the neighborhood we care and bringing awareness to our services. We had amazing new volunteers who helped us interpret Cantanese, Cambodian, Pastu, Urdu, and Spanish to ensure language was not a barrier to spreading the love. More of our team and volunteers passed out over 300+ roses and chocolates to a local women and children shelter as well as our friends in the communities.
JANUARY 2020
Opening our Second Drop-In Center!
We opened our second drop-in center! It is located in South Philadelphia at 730 – 732 W. Moyamensing Avenue. This is HUGE as it extends our outreach across communities and enables us to support more victims and survivors of human trafficking.
Philadelphia Women’s March
AMAZING moment for Sakinah Love and Redeemed for a Cause. Check out her keynote speech at the Philadelphia Women’s March 2020 below.
EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN
CHECK OUT PAGE 2 TO SEE OUR MILESTONES FROM 2019