Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Bush.
Alicia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began my career in the surgical device sales field and served in this area for 11 years. It was after I had my third child that I decided I wanted to invest more time into my family and I stepped down from my profession. It wasn’t long after I left my career I felt a strong desire to do some research on how I could be engaged in the non-profit community. It was my faith that led me to the great need for a safe please for girls who have been recovered from domestic sex trafficking to go. My family is uniquely equipped to provide a solution because my husband is a custom home builder here in North Texas and I have many connections from my corporate career.
With a team of friends around me, we put legs to this dream and established Treasured Vessels Foundation in 2015. I have always been the kind of person who can see a need and be passionate to find or in this case, create a solution. After seeing the gap in our system to care for these girls a fire grew inside of me to do something about it.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My journey stepping into the non-profit space has not always been easy. My career began in the corporate world so stepping into this has been one big learning experience. Building a team has been a joy but it has also come with some challenges. Finding the right fit for the right roles, interacting with volunteers and expanding our team has at times, been a trial and error process. I have been blessed to have many people came alongside me and help coach me through the bumps in the road.
If I could give just one piece of advice to someone starting their journey I would say, get yourself a mentor. Someone you trust and look up to, someone who is further in their journey then you are and is doing it successfully. When you are meeting with them listen, take notes and ask a ton of questions.
We’d love to hear more about Treasured Vessels Foundation.
Treasured Vessels Foundation (TVF) is building a secure community of any homes that will house girls ages 11-17 who have been recovered from domestic sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. Currently, when a girl is recovered, law enforcement has no other option than to place them in juvenile detention because there are no other safe places for them to go. This broke my heart and I knew I needed to do something to fix this problem!
Our homes will be a long-term aftercare facility where these girls can receive the trauma-informed care they require to fully heal. Through evidence-based programming, survivors are properly treated and cared for after enduring a life of torture, starvation, mental and physical abuse, and forced prostitution. The comprehensive and holistic services have two primary objectives: 1. Provide safe refuge for girls who would otherwise have no choice but to go back to their trafficker, and 2: Engage girls in long-term, trauma-informed care services that help to empower and heal.
The buildings and grounds themselves are designed to create an environment where girls feel comfortable, safe, and respected. While in our care, this may be the first time girl survivors can openly pursue their own goals and dreams, safe from the grasps of abusers and pimps. TVF will be a first-of-its-kind shelter that is urgently needed in the North Texas community and one which will serve as a model to other areas of the state and nation to help with the growing awareness of minor human trafficking.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
Networking is key! I have met so many people who have helped me tremendously through networking. I will research meetings and groups that I can be a part of in my area to meet others in this field. I go into these environments with the mindset of “who can I meet and what can I learn.” I will get a ton of business cards and once I get home I will email each contact and thank them for their time and for speaking with me.
I have developed many new friendships and mentorships by simply doing this. I am a firm believer that you can’t do this alone. There are so many people out there who know so much more than I do and I never want to assume I know it all because the moment I do, the moment I stop growing and I can’t afford for me or anyone on the team to stop learning and growing because there are girls who need our help on the other side of it.
Pricing:
- $60,000 is equivalent to building the infrastructure of the house
- $40,000 is equivalent to building one house that houses 4 girls
- $500 is equivalent to the therapy supplies for one year
Contact Info:
- Website: https://treasuredvesselsfoundation.org
- Email: hello@treasuredvesselsfoundation.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treasuredvesselsfoundation/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/treasuredvesselsfoundation.org/
Image Credit:
Raema Mauriello
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