Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Bush, Kelly Singleton and Abigail Ours.
Alicia Bush, the Founder and Executive Director, formed Treasured Vessels Foundation (TVF) in 2016 after finding out about the lack of placement for girls once rescued from a situation of sex trafficking or sexual exploitation. She decided to join the fight against sex trafficking and help bridge the gap in care for minors. Over the past few years, the mission has expanded from serving minors 9-17 and will also serve youth ages 18-24. The TVF team is currently comprised of three people: Alicia Bush, Kelly Singleton, and Abigail Ours.
Abigail Ours is the Director of Communication and has been a part of the team since 2017. She originally connected with Alicia oversees when they were both helping women in the sex industry in Thailand on a missions trip. Kelly Singleton, the Director of Community Impact, has been with TVF since the spring of 2019. When she became aware of the severity of the issue locally. She is utilizing her extensive background in Marketing and Sales to raise awareness and garner support for the mission.
Through the tireless work of many individuals, TVF is where it is as today-with an expected on track to open in 2020. Treasured Vessels Foundation will begin Phase I and serve girls ages 18-24, and will eventually expand to Phase II and serve minor girls ages 9-17. Treasured Vessels Foundation will have a safe tiny home community for girls to heal and recover long-term. Each tiny home will house up to four girls. We currently have one tiny home and will begin the second one soon.
Treasured Vessels Foundation is committed to collaboration and learning. They want to partner with other organizations that have gone before them and learn what they can. We are one year out from opening our doors and are only here because of the assistance of so many individuals. We will provide wrap-around services including continued education, individualized therapy, life skill training, medical and dental care and more.
We look forward to the day our doors are open and we have a place for these girls to go and receive the long term, residential care they need. Each bed in each home represents a life that deserves freedom and healing, and they are the reason we are doing what we are doing.
Has it been a smooth road?
Since the inception of TVF in 2016, it has proven to be a slow but rewarding journey. When we were first looking for land, we faced many challenges. We had to find an area that was secure and spacious enough for the long-term vision of TVF. We moved through multiple properties until we eventually secured a beautiful piece of land perfect for what we are doing.
When we began sharing with the community our plan and vision we were met with a unique challenge. Many individuals were unaware of how prevalent human trafficking is in DFW. Many individuals assume sex trafficking happens overseas but not “here.” However, over 79,000 minors and youth are victims of sex trafficking in Texas and there are very limited options for them to heal and recover long term. A study done in 2011 found that 400 underage girls are being sold for sex each night in Dallas. Not only do we have a problem with sex trafficking and sexual exploitation we have a lack of resources for individuals to heal and reclaim their future.
Many things have come up along the way but we have persevered. Whether it be rain delaying our ability to build or other unexpected circumstances, we are in this for the long run and want to provide individualized care for each girl with excellence in mind. No matter how long or slow the process, we are devoted to providing a safe place for healing and growth. We have a passion for restoring purpose and value to the perfectly imperfect.
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
TVF longs for a community, a country and a world where people are free from enslavement. We seek justice, dignity, and hope. We desire for people to learn to look past brokenness and cracks on the outside and reveal the treasure inside. We are set apart from other organizations in that we will be providing residential care specifically for girls being rescued from sex trafficking or sexual exploitation and will do it in a tiny home model. There is nothing like it in North Texas.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Over the next five to ten years, we hope to see an emergence of similar programs serving individuals affected by sex trafficking. There will hopefully be an increased awareness of sex trafficking and the need for various services. Additionally, we hope to see a decrease in sex trafficking.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://treasuredvesselsfoundation.org
- Email: info@treasuredvesselsfoundation.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treasuredvesselsfoundation/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/treasuredvesselsfoundation.org/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/treasuredvf
Image Credit:
Dana Driensky (RED CARPET PIC)
Sarah Spruell
Keith Higgs
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