Meeting Recap – May 2022

Nearly 120 business partners gathered for an evening centered on the issue of human trafficking.

Thank you to all who joined us! And a special thank you to Prouty Project for sponsoring this event. In case you missed it, here is a quick recap of the evening and a way to connect further.

Laurie Kallevig, set the tone for the evening as she shared her gift of music and the origin story of Survivor Girl Ukulele Band. With a clear call to “do something” after learning about the devastating reality of human trafficking, Kallevig got to work. She learned to play the ukulele, secured ukuleles in bulk, and headed to India to teach ukulele to victims of trafficking. Amplify partners were invited to participate in a mini ukulele class, experiencing first hand the “vehicle of love, laughter, and community” used to bring healing through her work. A special thank you to Schmitt Music for the generous donation of ukuleles to Survivor Girl Ukulele Band through this event. 

Detective Carter Staff, with the Eden Prairie Police Department’s Special Investigation Unit, shared eye-opening statistics and heartbreaking stories about the prevalence of trafficking in our community. It was a reminder of the brokenness in our world and the need for prevention, intervention, and restoration work.

Danielle Freitag, founder of Action169 shared her firsthand experience of the trauma and complex issues victims of exploitation face as they seek healing and restoration. Committed to holistically addressing exploitation, Freitag gave an overview of the organization’s programs and focused on a recently acquired house, Rose House, for longer-term restoration services. Her ask of Amplify’s network was to help create a more predictable revenue stream for Rose House so they can operate at full capacity and serve more women. 

CeCe Terlouw, Executive Director of Terebinth Refuge, shared about her mission to provide stability and resiliency to victims of trafficking through housing and employment readiness programs. With a recently acquired social enterprise, Terlouw invited business leaders to help expand the Hope & Healing Store to meet her goals of enhanced employment readiness training for women and increased financial stability for the organization. 

We watched a ministry spotlight video from Jonny Nelson, Director of JSAW, and were reminded of the impact we make when we gather together. The event closed with an opportunity to shop and support the three organizations represented at the meeting.