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Exploit No More | Blog

{Book Review!} Look at You, Girl

5/30/2019

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Earlier this month, in honor of our 6th anniversary as an organization - WHAT!? Time flies y'all!! - we hosted a virtual book club and read through the book, Look at You, Girl by Caitlin Zick. 

To catch you up about the book before our review: Look at You, Girl is the kickstart to seeing yourself the way God does. The book is designed to be read in one week, one chapter a day, each chapter taking about 30 minutes to read with a soul work page at the end of the day. And since together is always better, the author is very intentional about readers working through the book in a "We Week" - the week we will do this kickstart! Our virtual book club had a great turn out, with twenty-six women joining us for We Week. 

Our Prayer Going Into Book Club

Our prayer was that each reader take bits and pieces from the book and fit them into their own puzzle. Growth takes time; may there be patience in the process and in the unknowing. 
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​These are Our Thoughts

Okay, I'll be honest here; writing a book review for a book written to reach one's soul where they are at is hard because my soul is in a quite different place than yours, friend. With that in mind, here's some thoughts to keep in mind when you read through the book with your tribe. 
  • Take notes that fuel you, not hinder you. Listen to our podcast, here for more tips about note taking. 
  • Like any book, you may not agree 100% with the author and that's okay! You will bring more value to your personal growth by highlighting what you resonate with than what you disagree with. 
  • Recommended Materials: Your Bible, your journal, and a pen/highlighter. 
  • Each chapter takes about a half an hour to read; I scheduled an hour for each chapter so I could read it (and re-read sections if needed) and spend time working through the soul work at the end of each chapter too. 

My Review of the Book
Go chat with anyone else who's read it and I bet you'll get a different review ;)

  • I never felt like I was participating another Bible study, but part of a community even though it was unseen. Shoutout to the concept of We Week! 
  • I appreciated that the chapters built off of one another, laying a foundation for the next day. 
  • My favorite chapter was Day Three, Word Wednesday. I'm a words of affirmation girl so this day really spoke to me and forced me to dig deep. Here's a sneak peak of the email that went out that day about this chapter. 
  • Not only was the book easy to read, but it's clear to me that Caitlin Zick poured her soul into writing this; there are practical steps to take for healing, safe spaces for growth, and a focus on self care which if you know anything about me, I'm all for that! 
  • I love that I could read Look at You, Girl again in a year and get a totally different message from it. Those are the kind of books we need more of. 

Ultimately, if you're looking for a guide to kickstart your soul into loving yourself the way God loves you, this is it. As an added treat, check out these golden truths from Look at You, Girl. 
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Golf For Freedom :: August 4, 2017

4/20/2017

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​Join us for our 4th Annual Golf Outing!

About the Event

When: August 4, 2017
Where: Ironwood Golf Course
              W270 N6166 Moraine Drive 
               Sussex, WI 53089

For more information about sponsorship packages, the day of, and supporters, visit the event site, here. 
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Register Now!

​Agenda
 

8:00-10:00 AM Registration, coffee/juice, Warm-up, Fellowship and pre-Golf Contests 
10:00 AM Shotgun start - Foursome Scramble 
Noon Lunch 
3:30-4:30 PM After Golf Activities, Including Fellowship, Food and Non-Alcohol Beverages.
4:30-6:00 PM Fellowship and Awards
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Fighting For Freedom: Human Trafficking on a Local and Global Scale

12/12/2016

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This event has closed

Event Details

​Date:  Thursday, January 12th at 7:30am
Host:  Milwaukee Global Shapers and Exploit No More

Join the Milwaukee Global Shapers, Exploit No More, and experts from around the country to discuss global human trafficking and efforts to help bring freedom to victims. 

​Note: This event has past but you can still watch the chat here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqNQvJsLwow

Featured Panelists

PictureNancy Winston, Senior Director and Member of Shared Hope’s Emeritus Board
Nancy Winston
Shared Hope International 

Nancy has long been active in the movement against sex trafficking and has worked alongside Linda Smith, founder of Shared Hope International, since 2002.

Nancy’s diverse responsibilities include speaking, writing, training, donor interactions, restorative shelter initiatives, and partner relationships. Since 2008, she has been a member of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force Victim Services Committee. She served as chair of the task force’s Legislative Committee in 2012 and 2013 and received the Governor’s Service Award for Volunteerism in 2013 for her leadership in that role. Nancy received her Masters in Social Work in December 2014.

Find out more about Shared Hope International’s work go to: Shared Hope 

PictureRebekah Stines, Training Director and Consultant, MTS & Princess Lost Curricula
Rebekah Stines
Mending the Soul


Rebekah has a great passion for working with women who have been sexually exploited, abused and traumatized. She holds her master’s degree in professional counseling and currently works as a clinician for Western Psychological & Counseling Center in Tigard, OR. Prior to moving to Portland, Rebekah was part of a private practice, Journey’s Counseling Center, in Tempe, AZ and a part time therapist for Calvary Addiction Recovery in central Phoenix.

Rebekah enjoys mentoring survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and leads professional Mending the Soul groups. Rebekah has been involved with Mending the Soul for many years as a participant, trainee, trainer, facilitator and mentor of women who have experienced all forms of abuse, trauma and commercial sexual exploitation.

Rebekah loves sharing how God has redeemed the pain in her own life to encourage others as they begin their healing journey. Rebekah and her husband, Michael currently live in Portland, OR. They have three beautiful and energetic children and love spending time together as a family.

For more info on Mending the Soul go to: Mending the Soul 

PictureAlicia Bush, Founder & CEO, Treasured Vessels Foundation
Alicia Bush 
Treasured Vessels Foundation 


Alicia Bush is a native Texan, born and raised in Texarkana. From there she traveled to University of North Texas and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Biology/Chemistry. Having considered medical school, Alicia had a leaning for the healing arts. Thus, she positioned herself in surgical device sales. This placed her in the operating room every day. She distinguished herself from her peers by her profound caring for each individual patient’s best care. It was this characteristic that gained the trust and respect of surgeons across north Texas. And thus she rose to be a top ten salesperson nationwide year after year.

Alicia was always able to compartmentalize her professional and personal life. In her personal life he became the wife of a successful custom home builder, mother of three, and dedicated leader in her church. When the demands of these roles increased, she was unequivocal in making the decision to resign her sales position in 2014. With time to homeschool her children and expand her role as a worship leader, she also listened intently to a calling placed on her heart. Out of this was founded Treasured Vessels Foundation, a 501(c)3 not for profit corporation.

The mission of Treasured Vessels is to build residential treatment facilities for underage girls rescued from sex trafficking. The mission statement is: TVF is devoted to providing a safe place for healing and growth. We have a passion for restoring purpose and value to the perfectly imperfect.

Sex trafficking is the fastest growing industry in the USA. Texas is a hub with Dallas and Houston being among the most actively involved cities. On any given night, 400 under-aged girls will be sold for sex in Dallas. Their age ranges from 11 to 13 when they are stolen or coerced into “The Life”. They are subjected to a programmed degradation of mind, body, and spirit until they willingly obey. Once trapped in “The Life”, their life expectancy is 11 years. If lucky enough to be rescued, they will need 18 to 36 months of residential treatment. But for most…. there is nowhere to go…. except back to “The Life”. Treasured Vessels will change this, and Alicia Bush is leading the effort.

​For more information on Treasured Vessels Foundation go to: Treasured Vessels Foundation 

More About Global Shapers

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The Global Shapers Community is a network of Hubs developed and led by young people who are exceptional in their potential, their achievements, and their drive to make a contribution to their communities. As an initiative of the World Economic Forum, with over 400 hubs globally, Shapers are improving the state of the world. For more information go to, https://www.globalshapers.org/

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Stop CST | Awareness & Advocacy Workshop

11/1/2013

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As awareness about sex trafficking in Milwaukee grows, people are called to action.   Our hearts are stirred.  We are angry.  And we want to see change.  Once you see the dark realities of human slavery in our corner of the world and across the globe, the thought that naturally follows is:

“What can I do?”
“Tell me how I can help.”

On October 12, Exploit No More and International Justice Mission co-hosted an awareness and advocacy training to equip attendees with some “everyday ways” to engage the issue of sexual exploitation in our community.
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We were joined by speakers from the Milwaukee District Attorney’s office, the Inner Beauty Center, and the Benedict Center, who spoke to their own experiences in working with victims of sexual exploitation in Milwaukee.  We concluded the training with a panel Q&A, which included our speakers, as well as everyday people who have stepped up to engage in anti-human trafficking efforts across the state (like the talented team behind Give Art Give Hope).

Several take-aways came out of the training:
  1. Sex trafficking is a deeply embedded industry that is perpetuated by a community’s lack of resources, poverty, and the demand for sex.  Faults in justice systems also contribute to the problem on a global scale.
  2. Milwaukee has one of the highest child sex trafficking victim recovery rates in the nation.  In 2012, we were at the top of the list for law enforcement recovery rates in a one-night sweep known as Operation Cross Country.  Current statistical measures cannot accurately predict the widespread scope of the problem because of the transient nature of the industry and complexities added by the internet.
  3. Sex trafficking is found in every county in Wisconsin. Recruitment is not limited to the “streets.”   Many kids meet their traffickers online or through friends, and many victims are trafficked from childhood through adulthood.
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Nearly 200 people attended the workshop to learn more about how they could make an impact.  While the subject was heavy, and the statistics grim, it was an exciting and hope-filled time of conversation and brainstorming.  In case you missed it, we’ve included a summary of each of the speaker’s organizations, as well as a few other helpful resources HERE.

We’ll recap with suggestions about how you can get involved with the organizations on our list:

Lend Your Gifts
You don’t have to be an attorney, police officer, or lobbyist to have an impact.  Volunteers create our flyers, review our legal policies, and take photos for our website – and these are just a few examples of how people plug-in to our work to effect change.
There is a place for everyone to leverage their gifts and propel our collective effort to stop this injustice.  Contact the organizations on the list above to lend your interests and skills.

Mobilize + Team Up
Team up and have fun!  Men’s groups, book clubs, and friends have all teamed up to have yard sales, host percentage dining nights, or golf outings to raise awareness and funds for Exploit No More. You can also sign up to donate on each organization’s website, including Exploit No More’s.

Stand up + Sign Up
Change happens when dedicated individuals stand together as a group.  With political leaders and advocates increasingly faced with tough decisions about how to allocate resources, we can support them by letting them know we stand behind their efforts to stop trafficking.

Sign up for our newsletter and social media networks to tell political leaders, advocates, and friends   that you stand with Exploit No More in the fight against injustice.  (Check out IJM’s Freedom Commons, too.)

With each new person added to our lists, we’re able to tell leaders in our community just how many people care about trafficking victims in our city and why they should, too.
For more resources, documentaries, and books, check out Exploit No More’s Pinterest page.   

​You can also find comprehensive toolkits and fact sheets from the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation’s website.
To hear more about our plans to open an aftercare home in the Milwaukee area, 
join us for our Fall Update Meeting:
Thursday, November 21
7pm – Elmbrook Church Chapel
777 S Barker Rd,  Brookfield, WI 53045
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Exploit No More is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization under the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Exploit No More are tax deductible.
  • Home
    • Newcomers Welcome Guide
  • The Issue
    • Trafficking Educational Resources
  • Impact
    • Community Partners
    • Media & Messages
    • Schools Against Trafficking
    • Churches Against Trafficking
  • Freedom Fighters
    • Be A Freedom Fighter!
    • Shop
    • Upcoming Events
    • Get Involved
  • Freedom House
  • Podcast
    • Blog
  • Donate
    • MKE Resource Hub
    • Grant and Foundation Partners
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Our Team
    • Request a Speaker
    • Contact Us
    • Career Opportunities