#OpenTheRefuge: Children of the Immaculate Heart

When I interviewed Grace Williams for chapter 7 of By an Unexpected Way, we both thought the Refuge would open in 2019. Grace Williams is president of Children of the Immaculate Heart:  "founded to serve those who are vulnerable due to human trafficking. It seeks to reach out to women and children directly in the trafficking industry as well as those made vulnerable in trafficking-dependent industries." 

The Refuge is a California residential treatment center for minor girls who are survivors of human trafficking. This wonderful place was set to provide care from schooling to job training to various types of therapy, including music and equine therapy, in a healthy family-style atmosphere in a fantastically beautiful location.

I was privileged to interview Grace Williams, to tell her story and the story of founding Children of the Immaculate Heart in By an Unexpected Way. I turned in my draft of the book in early 2019. I have vivid memories of asking Williams about how I should word the verb tense. If By an Unexpected Way came out before the Refuge opened, then I would employ future tense when describing the Refuge: "When the Refuge opens in 2019, it will be . . . "

Williams asked me when I thought the book would be available for sale. 

Summerish, I said.

Surely, we decided, surely the Refuge will be open months before that. Okay, I said. I will use past tense . . . "When the Refuge opened in 2019, it was . . ." 

Yes, I'll use past tense. Because surely the State of California will have granted the Refuge a license to open by the time my book comes out.

Guess again.

Maybe you've seen the Washington Times article: "A Catholic charity has sued California for blocking the opening of its refuge for sex-trafficking victims, saying the state would not license the shelter because of the charity’s religious beliefs. . ." You can read the Verified Petition for Writ of Mandate and Complaint here. Months after my book came out, the Refuge is still standing empty.

How you can help:

1. Pray!

2. Read the articles. Spread the word: #OpenTheRefuge links people to CIH's Facebook page.

3. Donate to support the attorneys from Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund who are providing pro bono services for this case: Sophie Piconi, a good friend of Children of the Immaculate Heart, is holding a fundraiser for their work at GoFundMe. 

4. Or give directly to Children of the Immaculate Heart to support their important ministry to trafficked survivors: https://www.childrenoftheimmaculateheart.org/donate.html.