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We Broke Ground July 27, 2023
Through the efforts and support of multiple organizations, The Villages of Hope (VOH) and the Keiling Group held an official Groundbreaking ceremony for 14 tiny homes on the west side of Jacksonville on July 27th, 2023, at 10:00AM.
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These houses will become homes for women who have suffered from addiction and sexual exploitation. Each resident will participate in a two-year program designed for their unique situation. The trauma informed programs will include therapy, counseling, education, and long-term life planning. The houses will be built by local builders and volunteers and expect to be completed prior to the end of the year.
Click the image below for the official media coverage from CBS47.
More About The Villages of Hope
The Villages of Hope is a non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida dedicated to providing a safe place for women, freed from human trafficking situations in Jacksonville, to live, to connect with a community of care and receive unconditional love. By Fall of 2023, The Villages of Hope will have 14 tiny homes on a 1.3-acre lot.
Board Chair – Carole H. Gardner, Market President & Senior Vice President of The First Bank – Jacksonville
Board Co Chair, – Julie Keiling, President of the Keiling Group
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Key Statistics About Human Trafficking / Sex Trafficking Nationally & Locally
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Sex trafficking is identified as a commercial sex act induced by force, fraud, or coercion, plus anyone under 18 – regardless of force, fraud, or coercion. Sex trafficking is a type of human trafficking.
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In 2020, 10,583 situations of human trafficking were reported to the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline involving 16,658 individual victims. As shocking as these numbers may sound these may only be a fraction of the actual problem.
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The Real Issues
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90% of women want to leave the sex trade but don’t have access to jobs and a new life.
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12-14 is the average age of a sex-trafficked woman.
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84% of sex trafficked women are drug/alcohol dependent.
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Many survivors do not self-identify as victims.
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Florida Ranks 3rd in the Nation for sex trafficking.
o 1,887 women were identified in Florida in 2019.
o In 2019, Florida only had 131 beds. -
Northeast Florida has insufficient housing for women of sex trafficking with no long-term recovery plan.
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Jacksonville ranks 3rd in the state and 48th of all cities in the nation.
o 50-75 women rescued in Jacksonville each year.
