Happy Thanksgiving to the SFMB Community!
Hello SFMB Supporters and Friends,
The Thanksgiving holiday is a time to remember how much we have to be thankful for. God has blessed Set Free Monterey Bay with so much this past year. We were able to welcome survivors to our restoration home, hire a new Executive Director and staff, and gather the things we needed to open the doors.
The Lord has also blessed us by sending so many friends and supporters to help us. I want to personally thank each of you who attended our annual fundraiser and gave your support to our organization. Whether you donated items, gave financially, or volunteered, your support provides for survivors of human trafficking that Set Free Monterey is dedicated to helping.
I also want to thank our amazing Executive Director Ashley Chesney, our staff, and the volunteers who work tirelessly to help the women who live in our home. They not only do all the things necessary to maintain the home but also provide programs that help the women learn to succeed in their future. Their efforts have enabled our residents to have victories every day as they take classes and learn new things. In addition, I want to thank our Board of Directors for their faithful work in providing wisdom and support for Set Free Monterey Bay throughout the past year. In the last few months there have been many challenges, but with the Lord's help, we have prevailed. Our board and staff have persevered through these times and succeeded in providing needed services to our new home and the survivor community.
Many of you will be sitting down to a Thanksgiving dinner with family, friends, and loved ones this weekend. We all have so much to be thankful to God for this year after the struggles of the last couple of years. Unfortunately, there are many women stuck in a trafficked life that they never planned to live. As we pause this year to give thanks to God for our blessings, I encourage you to take a moment to think of those victims and survivors who are not enjoying a Thanksgiving meal. Your thoughts and prayers for them are always needed.
On Thanksgiving at our restoration home, the staff and residents will cook a delicious meal together. The residents also invited our outpatient clients to join us with their children, making it a full house of survivors and their families. One of our ladies will get to spend part of the day with her biological family. She expressed just this week, that this will be the first holiday she has had in quite some time where she will be surrounded by friends, safety, and zero chaos in her house. She shared gratitude for the home, and the stillness, and noticed how different this holiday season has already been for her. We are grateful for and encouraged by her reflections!
As Set Free Monterey Bay continues to run our home, more and more women will receive the help they need and graduate from our program. You can continue to be a part of our mission to serve trafficking survivors in different ways. It has become a tradition for the Tuesday after the holiday to be known as Giving Tuesday. If you were unable to attend our annual fundraiser or donate, this could be an opportunity for you to support Set Free Monterey Bay. While you shop online this weekend, you could also consider purchasing an item from our Amazon Wish List. We also encourage you to keep up with Set Free Monterey Bay by following us on social media: Facebook and Instagram (@setfreemontereybay). We regularly post updates about what is happening with our organization.
I am thankful for each of you as you join us on our journey throughout the upcoming year. May the Lord bless you and yours this holiday season.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving,
Michael Gilmartin
President
Set Free Monterey Bay