The Epidemic and the Game: Coming Soon
Don't forget to join us on September 16 for our 9th annual "The Epidemic and the Game" session, dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking in our community. Explore impacts, law enforcement's efforts, and your role in the solution/ Together, we'll triumph over human trafficking and create lasting change. Read for registration details and to learn more about our impactful guest speaker, Dr. Stephany Powell. Plus, mark your calendars for the celebration of CRC's 20th anniversary on April 26, 2024 - more details coming soon! As always, please follow us on Facebook or visit our website to stay up to date with all our activities.
REGISTER NOW FOR THE EPIDEMIC AND THE GAME
Join us at our 9th annual "The Epidemic and The Game" event on Saturday, September 16th, from 9 am to 12 pm. Register to attend now on our website - spots are filling up fast! Registrants will receive the official Human Trafficking and Law Enforcement T-shirt while they last.
In this session, we'll unite with law enforcement to enhance community safety and fight the battle against human trafficking. Hear Dr. Stephany Powell, Vice President and Director of Law Enforcement Training and Survivor Services for The National Center On Sexual Exploitation, share insights on identifying human traffickers and what actions you can take. Finally, please consider making a difference by becoming one of our 10 sponsors with a $500 donation. Contact us with any inquiries. Together, we can create positive change!
MEET DR. STEPHANY POWELL
Dr. Stephany Powell, our guest speaker for this year's The Epidemic and The Game.
After retiring from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) as Vice Sergeant, Dr. Powell decided to use her considerable skills and insight to educate the community about the complex and often misunderstood world of sex trafficking and to create positive change for its victims. Dr. Powell is a powerful speaker, a tenacious educator, an advocate for change, and one of the premiere experts in this field. Dr. Powell has been featured on CNN/HLN as well as local media in the Los Angeles area. She has published a human trafficking youth prevention workbook and her workbook has been utilized on a national and international level.
Her unique insight into the world of sexual exploitation and trafficking gained through her thirty years with the Los Angeles Police Department, coupled with her passion for education and her heart for community, make Dr. Powell an incredible leader in the movement to end sexual exploitation and as the Senior Advisor on Law Enforcement and Policy at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
HEMAD BIKER RIDE 2023
The HEMAD BIKERS RIDE 2023 will take place on Sunday, October 8th, at 10 am. Join Motorcycle Clubs and Independent Riders from all over in a Poker Ride fundraiser for Convergence to take a stand against human trafficking.
Registration opens on August 20th on our website. Be a participant in this history-making event as hundreds of bikers destroy myths and show you that they care about our communities.
If you are interested in riding from another state, send an email to hemad@convergenceresource.org
SAVE THE DATE
APRIL 26, 2024
Help us celebrate Convergence Resource Center's 20-year anniversary! More details to be announced soon.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
You Are Valued outreach successfully launched in Milwaukee last month and will be launching in our Madison location starting in August 2023. We are looking for volunteers to assist with material preparation and actively participate in outreach activities.
In addition to You Are Valued, volunteers are needed for the following initiatives:
Blanket Making
The Epidemic and The Game (Table Hosts)
HEMAD Launch (November)
Help us make a difference by completing the volunteer application on our website. Don't forget to include your available dates and times. Please reach out to CRCContactUs@convervence.org for any questions.
STAFF UPDATES
Carolyn Mitchell and Priscilla McBride were hired as part-time ART Facilitators doing case management. They have both served as volunteer AF Admins for a while.
Desirae Casarez plays a versatile role at CRC, always wearing multiple hats. A CRC SEAS program graduate, she now holds a permanent part-time position funded by ARPA through VOCA. Recently, she's attained numerous accomplishments, such as completing training to become an ADD Heart Facilitator in Heartmath. She's also the creative mind behind the "You Are Valued" program name and is currently serving as the outreach facilitator. On top of all that, she continues to grow! Desirae will present at the next International Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference in September and we look forward to cheering her on. Welcome aboard, Des!
Congratulations to Sarah Demerath who was recently promoted to Director of Case Management, managing the ART and HSTSI Facilitators. Sarah has held the position of Lead HSTSI Facilitator for almost 5 years. She has created a curriculum, trained, and led the AF/HSTSI team with excellence while continuing to wear several hats at CRC. We are delighted to see her continue to move forward. CONGRATULATIONS SARAH!
Special Thanks to Rene Gladney - our Front Office Administrator and representative in the MPD4 Faith-Based Partnership. Rene jumped right in and has become a valuable part of the CRC Family. She attends the meetings, relays information and keeps us active with the partnership. No matter what is going on in her life she finds a way to make sure she takes care of all of her tasks at CRC and we really appreciate it. THANKS AGAIN Rene!
Kendra Allen is no longer with CRC. We wish her the best in her new endeavors.
NEEDS SPOTLIGHT
Many of you have asked - how can I help? We hear you, so each month we will highlight a way for you to help.
You can drop donations off at CRC and we will mail your tax receipt or send it via email.
Needs for August 2023
SOS Bag Supplies (full-size toiletries)
Basic jogging suits (all sizes, matching top & bottom)
AMAZON SMILE DISCONTINUED
In February 2023, Amazon discontinued its Amazon Smile program. If you were donating to CRC through via Amazon, please consider donating to us directly instead. Thank you for your continued support!
FIND US ON BENEVITY
Have you made a financial contribution to Convergence recently? If your employer offers donation matching, you may be able to double your impact.
CRC is now registered with Benevity to make donation matching easier for you. If your employer uses Benevity to match donations, don't forget to look us up!
CRC DONATIONS VIA CASHAPP
CRC is now on CashApp! Cash App is a mobile payment service developed by Square, Inc. that allows users to transfer money to one another using a mobile phone app. The service is available in the US and the UK.
If you would like to make a donation via CashApp, please send it to our handle: "$CRCDonate"
ROUND UP TO SUPPORT CRC
Consider supporting CRC with our new round up option! Register a debit or credit card and each time you make a purchase on the registered card it will automatically round up to the nearest dollar. It will stop rounding up for the month when you reach your pre-set limit. It's just that easy. Set it and forget it!
Click here to get started and choose the round-ups button. At the end of the month you will receive notification of how much you donated and CRC will receive the funds. We will keep you aware of which specific areas your funds have been assigned.
GET IN TOUCH WITH US
Have questions, comments, or feedback? Reach out to us at
THANK YOU
Continue to pray for and with us during this time and afterward.