May is mental health awareness month. One of Rapha’s goals is to empower survivors of trauma with resources for mental health. In Joplin, MO, where Rapha is headquartered, we provide mental health counseling and community education and support through the Hope and Healing Center, established in 2020.
The purpose of Rapha's Prevention program is to help strengthen families and communities and to promote the protection of children from exploitation and abuse.
The program equips Community Workers to offer education, training, and social support, facilitate activities at Rapha’s Kids Club Community Centers, and administer services to vulnerable families and children. It also provides resources for families (food, clothing, healthcare, and housing support) and education support for children (tuition, school supplies, and uniforms).
Human trafficking does not happen in a vacuum. It is deeply impacted by its context–the social, economic, political, and other circumstances in which it occurs. Conflicts, migrations, disasters, and other events influence the dynamics of human trafficking. Over the last few decades, the internet has made profound changes in the way human trafficking is perpetrated, investigated, and understood.
Dear Friends of Rapha -
Each December, I look forward to seeing all the social media photos of children posing with Santa. Some children run happily into his arms and smile with excitement, while others scream in justifiable outrage at being photographed with this overwhelming stranger!