Interview with Laurie Swink from Selah Freedom
At Jackie, we love the opportunity to showcase organizations that are doing good! Selah Freedom is a non-profit at the top of our list. They work directly with women who have been involved in sex-trafficking and provide them with the tools they need to move forward. This year, Jackie donated over $100,000 of clothing to Selah Freedom. Empowering women is at the heart of what we do here at Jackie and it is a blessing to be able to support women who need it the most.
Meet Laurie Swink, Co-Founder
Tell us a bit about your background. Who are you? What are you passionate about?
“I was born in Florida and grew up in Bradenton. I think we have the most beautiful beaches here and I love this area. I have been married to my husband Gary for 30 years and we have an amazing son and daughter, Austin and Melissa. I taught for 28 years in special education and regular education. I then began my career as Co-Founder of Selah Freedom. My passion in life is to educate and empower people to realize their true potential and purpose in life. That is a motivating passion for me and gets me excited every single day!”
What drove the creation of Selah Freedom?
“I had no knowledge about the reality of sex trafficking. When I learned about this horrific reality, I literally felt a piercing in my heart. For a survivor, getting out of trafficking was just the beginning, not the end. The question was asked, “Who would give them a home?" That question was the inspiration for Selah Freedom. We needed to give these survivors a place to rest , pause and reflect on how they wanted to go forward in life. They needed to find their true potential and purpose in life. Selah is a Hebrew word that means to rest, pause, reflect. We provide survivors a chance... to pause… and to reflect... about how they can walk into their freedom.”
What does a typical day look like for you?
“My time at Selah Freedom is challenging and rewarding everyday. I oversee our Education Program for our survivors that helps them with their GED, college and career goals. 100% of the survivors in our residential program are working on their career goals. We also have a mentorship program that educates and empowers other anti-sex trafficking organizations to launch their residential programs with training in our homes. We also share our policies, procedures and manuals so they are opening their programs prepared and sustainable.”
What was the moment you knew Selah Freedom was up to something big?
“When survivors started sharing that they KNEW they would be dead if they hadn’t made the decision to come to Selah Freedom, I knew this was not only changing the direction of their lives, but actually giving life back to them. Now 10 years later, I have lost track of how many women have shared those words with me. Then, there was that unforgettable moment in our safe house when I saw a mom who was able to hug her survivor daughter for the first time in 9 years. Another family reunited and restored. 87% of our graduates do not return to the streets. Trafficking has gone down over 90% in Sarasota with the work we have done with State’s Attorney and Sarasota Police Department. If it can be done there then it can be done anywhere and that is why we help survivors nationally and work with law enforcement nationally. We also have a prevention program that helps children and caregivers to become educated and empowered about how to protect our vulnerable boys and girls so they will never need our services.”
Laurie Swink & Executive Director, Stacey Efaw
Why is it important for women to identify their core values? How might they go about doing that?
“At Selah, we have 5 core values that create the culture for our volunteers, interns, staff and survivors: Ownership, Communication, Collaboration, Gratitude and Balance. We measure our strengths and opportunities for growth by these values. They help us resolve or manage conflict and walk with humility and integrity. When we require integrity for ourselves then it affects the relationships and conversations we have with one another.”
What advice would you give women who want to get involved with a non profit but aren't sure where or how to start?
“We like to encourage our volunteers to identify what they naturally enjoy and then we have them bring that passion to Selah. We have 4 arms of Selah: Residential, Outreach, Prevention and Awareness. We have many ways to empower volunteers to get involved. This is a quote that is often heard at Selah, “I thought I was coming to help but I am walking away with more than I gave.”
How can our readers and clients get involved with the mission?
“Visit SelahFreedom.com and fill out our volunteer application and background check. We also have ways that you can help us raise funds by having a “Party with a Purpose”. Donations are always needed and greatly appreciated. These programs are very expensive to operate but the results are PRICELESS!”