GIVING BACK

Studies show that as many as one in five girls and one in ten boys recall a childhood sexual assault or sexual abuse incident. Childhood sexual abuse is highly correlated to further exploitation and even trafficking. Reclaim13 is working to break the cycle of sexual exploitation, and ensure that every child has a chance to grow up safe and loved.

Reclaim13 founder and executive director Dr. Cassandra Ma started Reclaim13 in 2012 as Compassionate Communities for Children, to help keep children safe, and to help those who have been exploited begin to heal.

Childhood sexual exploitation occurs right here in our own backyards, and we must be proactive to fight for our kids.

Thirteen is an extraordinarily vulnerable age for children. Studies indicate that the average age a child is induced into commercial sex trafficking is as young as 13.

“We are committed to breaking the cycle of exploitation, and to reclaiming the childhood of these children, to begin building a future of hope”, Ma said.

In 2015, the organization rebranded as Reclaim13 to better represent this fact.

BY AMY ADLER

Reclaim13 works through Chicagoland, and is based out of Downers Grove and Lombard.

Reclaim13’s prevention/education programs were developed to equip children, parents and communities with information they need to be aware of sexual exploitation and to protect children from the cycle that potentially leads to further victimization and trafficking. Reclaim13’s prevention of abuse and child exploitation program is offered for children from kindergarten through high school to teach the necessary skills to identify, avoid and handle high risk situations that could lead to abuse. Over the past seven years, Reclaim13 has engaged more than 13,000 individuals and organizations in the Chicago urban and suburban community, equipping them to actively participate in the fight to end childhood sexual exploitation.

Raising awareness of this issue includes creating opportunities for community engagement in many different areas related to the fight against abuse and exploitation.

Reclaim13 is a volunteer-driven organization. Each year, volunteers offer more than 15,000 service hours, including direct service to survivors, community education and at community events.

Helping survivors of trafficking find healing is complex. In December 2015, Reclaim13 opened Cherish House, a local safe-house for girls between the ages of 10 and 17 who are escaping sex trafficking. Cherish House is the only safe house in Illinois for minor victims of sex trafficking, offering a trauma-informed therapeutic environment for holistic healing, so girls with highly traumatized histories can heal and begin to move into productive and hope-filled futures.

This year, Reclaim13 will be launching the second phase of its residential healing with a transitional program for young adults ages 18 to 25.

Mentor teams work with residents of Cherish House and Reclaim13's young adult program, as well as for community survivors of exploitation and trafficking, both minor and adult, helping each individual move towards his or her life goals.

Together, in each of these three areas, Reclaim13 is working to break the cycle of exploitation at each potential intervention point.