BeLoved is a Christ-centered, non-profit organization dedicated to love, support, and equip women who are survivors of sex addiction, the sex industry and sex trafficking. It is really our gift and an honor to ask you into partnering with us, and we believe God will bless your endeavors.

In November 2009 I got to step out of a job I love – to do the thing Jesus was calling me to do – launching BeLoved to reach out to women who are in really challenging places. Most recently we are in the process of opening an outreach and aftercare branch in Miami FL along with the continuing efforts here in Lexington KY.

You can’t talk about the Commercial Sex Industry without addressing trafficking as 70 percent of all trafficking victims – labor or sex – are first trafficked into the commercial sex industry, whether that is a strip club, porn, an escort agency, or street prostitution so we are reaching out where the ladies are.

As stated by one of our ministry partners, Treasures Ministries in LA, whether a woman enters the sex industry by choice or by force, fraud, or coercion, as in the case of trafficking, overwhelming research indicates the following:

• The average age of entry into prostitution 12-14 YRS

• Between 66-90% of women in the sex industry were sexually abused as children

• 73% of women in prostitution have been raped more than five times

• More women are employed by the sex industry than any other time in history

• There are more strip clubs in the United States than any other nation in the world

• Hollywood releases 11,000 adult movies per year – more than 20 times the mainstream movie production

• At 13.3 billion, the 2006 revenues of the sex and porn industry in the U.S. are bigger than the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball combined

• Worldwide sex industry sales for 2006 are reported to be $97 billion. To put this in perspective, Microsoft, who sells the operating system used on most of the computers in the world (in addition to other software) reported sales of 44.8 billion in 2006

• Every second – $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography

• Human trafficking is the second largest global organized crime today, generating approximately 31.6 billion USD each year. Specifically, trafficking for sexual exploitation generates 27.8 billion USD per year

• There 1.39 million victims of commercial sexual servitude worldwide

The shame and secrecy surrounding sexual abuse make it difficult to get accurate data regarding incidents among women in the sex industry. The studies that have been done reveal that compared to the general population, women in the sex industry experience higher rates of…

• SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES
• RAPE AND VIOLENT ASSAULT
• SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
• DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
• DEPRESSION
• POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

(Rates comparable to war veterans)

       This is why BeLoved does everything we can from going into clubs giving the girls gifts without expecting anything in return with our contact info in it – to leading support groups for women currently or formerly in the sex industry, to long-term building a home for girls and ladies needing out of the industry.

BeLoved is ready and poised to create a safe, beautiful environment for these precious girls and women who deserve a life that they were always meant to live out. These girls and women are all GOD”S CHILDREN. I really believe I am giving you the gift of a lifetime by asking you to partner with us.

Financial support makes the work of BeLoved Ministries INC possible. The finances given goes directly to helping change lives of girls and women across the nation and around the world. When you partner financially with BeLoved you are helping us specifically in the following ways:

We do extensive outreach into high risk populations including strip clubs, porn conventions, and other sex industry related venues. We give gifts to the ladies to let them know they are loved by God no matter where their life has taken them. Within the gifts they have our contact information, support group information, resources such as dvd’s or inspirational material, bibles and books. In 2012 we are expanding into Miami, FL which has hundreds of strip clubs and escort agencies of which we will begin to do regular outreaches to at minimum 50 establishments this year and need the resources to purchase gifts, packaging materials, reading materials and curriculum for support groups.

Your support will also help continue our drop-in center in Lexington as well as creating a drop-in center in Miami – places where ladies seeking help can go to, as well as the place we hold support groups during the week.

The 2012 Expenditure by Category is as follows:

83 % – Program/Outreach/Personnel – $240,000

12 % – Administrative Costs – $35,000

5 %   – Fundraising, printing, etc. – $15,000

Total 2012 Budget – $290,000

Your support can change a woman’s life. It can unleash HOPE!

To donate to BeLoved, please click HERE. 

On behalf of the Savage family, our board and directors, and all of our staff and volunteers, thank you so much. Your part can change lives and eternities that will ripple out FOR an eternity.

Thank you so much,

Sandra Savage

Hi Everyone!

We had such an amazing time at the Gala and would love to thank all our fantastic volunteers, silent auction and corporate donors, Trust Lounge, our amazing DJ Shawn Tye and all our fantastic guests for coming out. Our founder, Sandra Savage, has posted some pictures of the event that are stunning! Thanks Matt Renaud for your photography skills! You can see the pictures HERE.

Trafficking Conference at Georgetown University

Sandra will be one of the speakers at the Uniting Minds, Transforming Lives Kentucky Conference on Human Trafficking being held March 23-24 at Georgetown College. For a full list of speakers and registration info, please go to the event website HERE.

Human Trafficking Bill

HB350, the “Rescue and Restore Kentucky’s Children Act” was recently filed here in Kentucky – Here is an excerpt from a great article written by Shared Hope International:

At the end of each year I love to look back and remember all God has done and look towards all I am asking for in the upcoming year. Thank you all for your support – 2011 has been incredible! Here are a few things to look back on…

• We moved into our new office where any woman in need from the sex industry could come and find help and healing.

• We began creating the program for a home that will house sex-trafficking survivors with board member Dr. Christine Savage, Chair of the Community Public Health department at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.

• We began creating a support group for women in the sex industry as well as continuing support groups for women with sex addiction.

• We have 2 new directors! Sarah Webb Hall, our Social Media Director and Sara Gilliam, our Outreach Director!

• We officially became a 501( c ) 3 non-profit!

• We partnered with XXXchurch.com and Treasures in Los Angeles to join the Strip Church Network and our outreach branch became The Lexington Stripchurch. 

• We gave more than 1,000 gifts to women working in strip clubs letting them know they are loved, valuable and worth Jesus giving His life for.

• We began the search for a home for sex-trafficking survivors. (if you know of a great 4 bedroom on at least 5 acres let me know )

• We got to be involved in a ton of fantastic events such as Ichthus, The Uprising, Questapalooza, and Camp UNITE put on by Operation UNITE and so much more spreading awareness that sex trafficking (women and children who are daily raped for profit) is happening all around us, and approximately 80 percent of sex trafficking victims are women and girls, and up to 50 PERCENT ARE MINORS in the United States. We know that together we can make a difference to these children and women!

I believe 2011 has been our best year yet…and I KNOW that 2012 is going to blow us away with the plans and dreams God wants to accomplish. You and I have the incredible opportunity to join God in the work He is doing.

Please help us start 2012 off strong by making your year-end contribution today. You will not BELIEVE the things we have planned for this year. I can’t wait to share with you all! Join with us today!

The money you donate goes directly to helping change lives of women across the nation. When you partner financially with BeLoved you are helping us create awareness, to provide the means to do outreach to high risk populations and creating a place where girls and women can find hope, healing and restoration.

Love,

Sandra Savage

All donations are tax-deductible. Donate online at www.UAreBeloved.com OR

checks can be mailed to the address below payable to BeLoved Ministries INC. (make sure it is postmarked by Dec 31st for your year-end contribution)

PS. If you would like to follow my journey of beating breast cancer this year, check out my website by clicking HERE

PO Box 1721

Lexington, KY 40588

www.UAreBeloved.com

Federal Tax ID: 45-0645268

First off, I apologize if I hadn’t gotten to you in person with this news. I would have loved to speak to everyone in person, but that’s not possible. I want to be able to share this part of my life with everyone. There is a great journey ahead for us. But on this day when I heard, “I don’t have great news for you. It is cancer.” A great journey was NOT what I was thinking….

I was angry. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that this was now a part of my story. If you haven’t read my history, you can click HERE for the full story. I thought – “Hasn’t enough happened to me in my life?”

Things are moving fast in ministry, and along with that, my husband Tim and I have been helping my sister with our newborn niece for about two months and we had just started to try and have children of our own. 

I was in shock.  My family, closest friends and I were sure this was a benign mass. NOT cancer. But the voice on the other line was telling me it was. That day I began a grieving process. 

I wanted to have a real authentic conversation with God about this news. The first few days I felt like life was a Psalm. On one hand so upset and on the other worshipping God because He is good. He is constant and He doesn’t change. He works all things together for my good, to fulfill His plans and purposes…

When I think back to how I found the mass, it shows me God’s love for me. Tim and I had heard a few months before to try and start having children. In preparation for that I downloaded this great iPhone app called IPeriod which tracked my monthly cycles and ovulation. One thing the app also does is remind you to do a monthly breast exam. So the reminder popped up one day and I thought – “Hey! I’m 40 now, I should do an exam!” 

And then I found it. 

That day I called my Dr. and set up an appointment. A few weeks later I was getting a multitude of mammograms. That day they found 3 spots. 2 small and one large and I immediately had biopsies done. The first two spots collapsed – they were just cysts. The third didn’t. It was large, and solid. The Dr. took a core sample of it and sent it to the lab. I walked out that day sure that it was just a benign mass. I called my pastors and a few friends to be praying and waited for the next day.

Then the call came the next day. It was cancer. So we set up an appointment with my fantastic surgeon and started looking at the reality of cancer in our lives.

So that’s where we are now. Today (Friday) I have surgery at Central Baptist. From there we will see what type of treatment is needed. I will keep everyone posted by writing about this whole journey as it unfolds. 

Here’s the deal – I gave my life to Jesus April 27th 2003. That was the day that the battle was already won. My life is His, and He will walk us through it. 

Joshua 1:9 NLT says…

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

It isn’t a suggestion from God. It is a command. I get to be a warrior for Him, He is my protector, and I trust Him that He makes all things work together for all of our good. 

For BeLoved, we are accelerating forward. Jesus is the Hope of the world and we will push further and harder into the darkness to let people know no matter who they are, or what they have done or will do, Jesus loves them and wants a relationship with them. 

Love to you all,

Sandra Savage – a survivor. 

“I’m alive to bring, glory to You King. God of Victory – You are my passion” – Jesus Culture

I hope everyone is having a great summer!  Fourth of July is this weekend…where has the time gone? There are SO MANY updates and news to share!

There are 350,000 reported cases of people being trafficked domestically within the United States each year and sex trafficking victims, on average, are first exploited by their trafficker at the age of 13. However, this number is much higher as there are so many cases that are not reported.

Trafficking in women and children is the second largest global organized crime today, generating approximately $12 billion a year. Behind these numbers are daughters, mothers, sisters and friends drowning in a cycle of physical and sexual abuse and assault. The dark world of sex industry leads to brokenness that ripples out into families and communities around the world.

There are tons of ways you can help in the fight against sex trafficking. 

Below you can find 7 ways you can help RIGHT NOW.

Recent BeLoved News:

The Hope Project
Last week we had a fantastic time with the ladies from the Hope Project in Michigan. Those ladies are on a 10 day whirlwind tour through the US linking arms with ministries that are reaching out and supporting survivors of sex trafficking. Be praying for them as they are wonderful ladies with full hearts to help combat this injustice. Here is a blog they wrote after leaving Kentucky:

http://www.hopeprojectusa.org/go/blogs

Club Outreach

We had a fantastic club outreach a few weeks ago where we got to give gifts to women in eight clubs in Lexington and had amazing conversations with 4 of the managers. This is a picture of some gift bags that had cookies, makeup, jewelry and hand written notes of encouragement in them. Thank you to all the people who donated jewelry and makeup for these ladies and to our fantastic volunteer team who poured out love and hope to the ladies in the sex industry.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS! 
Be looking for our next newsletter… We have 2 MAJOR announcements coming up that we areVERY excited about. I can’t wait to share with you all!

With the residential shelter, we will provide a free-of-charge biblical-based program, committed to providing the women we serve with excellent educational program services and living skills that will in turn empower them to take responsibility for their own lives.  A team of professional specialized caregivers will respond to the complex emotional, physical, and psychological needs of these brave women.  It will take the generosity of many private and corporate givers, organizations, and individuals to make this a reality.

There are many ways to fight the injustice of sex trafficking.  What if by next Christmas these girls and women who are just trying to survive the holiday season could celebrate next Christmas with the real hope, joy, peace and love they were always meant to experience?  YOU can make a difference! Your donation will be used to fight sex trafficking in supporting, housing and equipping survivors.  Join us now by making a financial gift to BeLoved by clicking HERE or you can send your financial gift by mail to:

BeLoved

PO Box 1721

Lexington KY 40588

Will YOU help build HOPE This Christmas?

Best Wishes for the New Year and thank you for all your support!

Sandra Savage, Founder and CEO of BeLoved

www.be-loved.cc

www.facebook.com/UAreBeLoved

www.twitter.com/UAreBeLoved

Trafficking in women is the second largest global organized crime today, generating approximately $12 billion a year. Behind these numbers are daughters, mothers, sisters and friends drowning in a cycle of physical and sexual abuse and assault. The dark world of sex industry leads to brokenness that ripples out into families and communities around the world.

After a trafficking journey that typically involves deception, rape, beatings, and constant threats, victims are often forced to live in confining and unsanitary conditions. Once formally put to work, human trafficking victims can be forced to service from 40 to 110 customers in one day. Malnutrition, sleep deprivation, as well as emotional and physical abuse become the day-to-day norm. In addition, forced abortions and the contraction of STI’s, Hepatitis B & C, and AIDS are ever looming probabilities. Life for a victim of sex trafficking is hell on earth.

There are fewer than 100 shelter beds are available in the United States for trafficking victims, yet these Beloved women need to be in a place where they can find help, hope, healing and a place their hearts can be transformed through the love of Christ.

Would you be willing to support a place where women can find freedom