April, 2020
Volume 1 - Issue 4
|
|
Unknown to most,
April is National Month of Hope!
For many bombarded with information released daily regarding COVID-19 during the month of March, there may have been more concern than hope. Yet, when times are "uncertain," "trying" or "challenging;" we at Purchased Vegas recall that we hope in a God who is certain, trustworthy and victorious!
“Faith and hope work hand in hand, however, while hope focuses on the future, faith focuses on the now.” – David Odunaiya
|
|
From the Director's Desk - Kathleen Khal
|
|
Hello friends! While COVID-19 may have come as a surprise to us, it was not a surprise to God. During these strange times we have been able to see God do some amazing things through the church, and it brings me so much joy to see how good God is even in the middle of hard times.
This past week, I sent out an SOS of sorts to our trained Purchased volunteers with some urgent needs from our community partners. We received so many items that we were able to fill all of the requests sent our way!
- We were able to serve 7 families in need of grocery items through Club Christ, and will be able to continue to serve families through Club Christ this week!
- We were able to create beautiful, fun "Pandemic Care Packages" for the girls in our juvenile recovery program! These turned out AMAZING and we actually have enough to make each gal 2 separate care packages to be delivered on different weeks.
- We were able to serve 3 women coming out of the industry through TrueID by providing grocery items, hygiene items, and small gift bags of encouragement!
This is all because YOU gave. Thank you to everyone who took the time and money to help those who are in need right now. All of what we have comes from God: every good gift is from Him. Serving others in this way glorifies God, not ourselves, and I saw that love for God in each of you who reached out to drop off items or donate. It's easy at times like these to panic and start hoarding items, but by caring for one another we are living the way we are called to live!
If any of you have a need, please feel free to reach out. This is such an incredible time to come together as a community! Let's continue to trust God to care for all of our needs.
|
|
The Coordinator's Corner -Tiffany Carty
|
|
In Joshua 1:9, the Lord boldly states: “
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
” Our God exists outside of time, and therefore, so does His living Word. This statement is no less powerful for those of us who hear Him speak today. In the midst of such an uncertain time and the anxiety it produces for many, let us all remember that we can be strong and courageous, as the Lord goes with us in whatever we face!
This may be a time of solitude and working off-site, but ministry in the
Purchased Juvenile Recovery Program
has not stopped! I am excited to share with all of you that God is making progress with our ladies, even now. While working off-site, the program participants have continued to accomplish their online school assignments. Weekly check-in’s have continued over the phone or utilizing Zoom technology, and we will soon be hosting online trauma recovery classes as well! In addition to these programming shifts, working off-site has allowed our Purchased staff and volunteers the time we needed to develop even better future curriculum. It is exciting to see the way the Lord is using this time to propel our programming forward, better anchoring our teaching methods.
For those of you interested in sending an email or note of encouragement to our Purchased ladies, please contact me via email at
Tiffany@PurchasedLV.com
or via text at 702.724.4959. I would love the opportunity to forward any positive words or prayers you are hoping to share! It is invaluable to keeping our ladies connected to the Purchased family and feeling supported.
If there is a way that Purchased staff can assist you during this time, please do not hesitate to contact us. It is an honor to serve our volunteers, to pray with you, and to hold you in our hearts as family. Rest assured that you are not alone – you have an army of brothers and sisters in Christ fighting alongside you!
|
|
Reclaimed: Trauma + Trafficking
Trained Foster Families
|
|
Reclaimed is a new program in partnership with the Department of Family Services and Fostering Hope
to train foster families about trauma and trafficking so that they can become a safe, loving home to a teen girl who's been trafficked. That teen will then receive wrap-around services in the Purchased Juvenile Recovery Program, and the foster family will receive support as well! It's a holistic approach to keep everyone healthy and cared for.
Studies show that kids do better in
families
than they do in group homes or institutions. This is why we want to plug these kiddos into a loving home that is equipped to care for them and their trauma alongside Purchased LV.
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about becoming a Reclaimed Foster Family, please email our director, Kat, at
Kathleen@PurchasedLV.com.
|
|
Would you like to volunteer with PurchasedLV?
|
|
Ever wonder how you could make a difference in the lives of young people? Looking for ways to support those impacted by human trafficking? Please consider adding to the lives of PurchasedLV participants.
Due to COVID-19 stipulations, no volunteer training is scheduled at this time. Until it is safe to offer a training, here is information about what you could do as a volunteer in the future:
|
|
Purchased volunteers help to fill many program needs.
Program Assistants
can find themselves monitoring the girls during their online schooling or helping them with homework.
Recovery Class Leaders
prepare and instruct materials that enhance the participant's spiritual and emotional health. Because Purchased LV participants live across the valley, we rely on our
Transportation Volunteers
to help get the girls to and from the program space. The
Outreach Team
routinely prays with and provides supplies and support to trafficking victims throughout Las Vegas. Our
Events Team
assists at community and training events; while the
Prayer Team
supports the
program through prayer.
Thank you!
|
|
|
|
Volunteer Spotlight! - Elaine McConnell
|
|
 |
For April, we would like to shine the spotlight on our volunteer,
Elaine McConnell
!
Elaine has volunteered with Purchased LV since its beginning. She engages with the young ladies as a
program assistant
and also provides study guides for the recovery classes.
Let's hear more about Elaine:
“I grew up in South Bend, Indiana, and after graduating from Indiana University, moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where I met my husband. Las Vegas certainly wasn’t on the list of places I thought I’d live, but God had other plans.
|
|
|
|
After moving to Vegas in 1979, the year we got married, God providentially used the circumstances in my life to draw me to faith in Jesus in 1982.
Early in my walk, the Lord impressed on my heart two verses from Ephesians 4:1-2 that are my life verses: 'As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.'
Hope’s Purchased ministry is without question my all-time favorite place of service. It is the ideal ministry for me to use the gifts our Lord gave me in tandem with my background in education. I hope that our teen participants will perceive the unconditional love that emanates from each volunteer and come to faith in Jesus so that He can redeem every circumstance of their life for His glory.
My favorite self-care practice is exercise—walking outside or on my treadmill and working out on my Pilates reformer. It’s fortunate that my favorite self-care practice is exercise because my favorite food is dark chocolate!”
Thank you, Elaine!
|
|
|
|
All trainings are being rescheduled due to COVID-19. Feel free to email us to be placed on a waitlist for future trainings!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
