Some of you probably know about my 19-year-old friend who recently escaped a human trafficking situation back in January. They are also an escapee from fundamentalism.
They are now trying to start her life over with an almost one-year-old baby while going through the legal process of an ongoing law enforcement investigation.
I helped them report everything that happened to police when they stayed with me for a few weeks.
Their story is complex. They were a 15-year-old in the system, taken in by a foster mom in a fundamentalist cult in North Texas centered on apocalyptic prophecy. Their guardian told them not to finish high school and just prepare to be a wife and mother because the end times are approaching. She told them, why finish high school when the world will end in the next two years?
At 17, they ran away at to another state with people they trusted who ended up using them. Now they are a teen parent who is trying to rebuild their life after leaving an abusive situation.
I’m going to be buying a new car at the end of this month and I’m giving them the car I have now. It’s a 14 year old sedan with 150,000 miles on it, but they need help paying the fees to transfer the title into their name.
Because the state values the car at $2,800 (although the car dealership would only give me $500 for a trade in), the sales tax and registration fees would be almost $300.
If you would like to donate towards the fees, which is their most urgent need, please sent it to me directly through PayPal:
HELP WITH THE CAR | Here’s my PayPal info
UPDATE 6/17/2019: We’ve funded the car registration fees and the insurance, thanks to your help!
If you’d like to give something towards diapers and baby food and other things for survival, they also have a GoFundMe.
HELP WITH BABY NEEDS | Here’s their GoFundMe
If you’d like to donate gently used baby supplies or clothing, please send me a PM or email me.
Because of the situation, we have to protect their identity, but we love them a lot and want to see them succeed and get help. It’s easier to pulled into situations where you’re being exploited easier than you think.
People are not property.
If you’re passionate about stopping abuse, if you’ve been involved in protests to protect and prevent people from being treated like objects, please consider helping my young friend find freedom and wings so that they will never, ever be used like that ever again.
We’ve already received several wonderfully useful gifts from friends like diapers, a playpen for their baby and onesies but there’s so much they need.
Don’t feel obligated to give if you can’t but if you are able, thank you!
Eleanor Skelton 