The Bakhita Foundation is a new Roman Catholic apostolate incorporated in the state of Virginia, that focuses on raising awareness about human trafficking and trafficking recruitment in hopes of helping potential victims stay clear of the lures of traffickers. To that end, we strive to connect vulnerable populations to valuable resources available within the Catholic Church and the local community.

We are actively in the process of gaining our 501(c)(3) status. Please visit our blog for current information.

Some of the things we do are:

-Provide awareness workshops and seminars to the community

-Train parents and members of the broader community to identify red flags  and how to report suspected trafficking to authorities

-Provide prevention programs to groups of adolescents in schools, churches and youth organizations

-Join together in a community of prayer for healing of victims and in support of the efforts of law enforcement, churches, and other community organizations on the front lines of the ant-trafficking movement

In the future we hope to:

-Offer resources for spiritual and emotional healing and restoration of victims including but not limited to Jesus’ Real Presence in the sacraments of the Catholic Church; healing prayer, days of recollection, and retreats, as well as connections to therapy and trauma- informed counseling services

-Offer support groups for family members of victims

-Partner with other local organizations to better serve victims

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!”-Romans 8:15