Love's Arm street outreach
Love’s Arm has provided a way out for dozens of local women stuck in the cycle of drug addiction and prostitution. On Thursday, Nov. 7, from 6-8 p.m. at the Granfalloon at 400 East Main St., Love’s Arm will host a Jazz and BBQ dinner to educate the community about the power that grace and redemption hold in breaking the deceptive cycle of shame that keeps victims trapped in this lifestyle, said officials.
Survivors will tell their stories and answer questions from the audience about their experiences, their trauma and how they found the strength to break free. Live jazz will be provided by the Ben Friberg Trio.
Founded in 2005 by Mimi Nikkel while she was teaching at a local detention facility, Love’s Arm sends community members and volunteers throughout Chattanooga and north Georgia to intentionally engage and foster relationships in the streets, strip clubs, jails and motels with drug-addicted prostitutes and those who feel trapped in the sex industry. Once a week, volunteers go out to these communities and do three things: introduce themselves, offer a bag of hygiene supplies and offer prayer. Many of the volunteers are survivors of sex trafficking so they can offer a level of support and encouragement few else can. The foundations of these relationships are unconditional love, continual prayer and grace-filled wisdom.
Transition into recovery from sex trafficking includes trauma-informed care, mental health services, healthcare services and a residential recovery program called Rahab’s Rest. Rahab’s Rest is a cost-free, 24-month recovery home for women exiting addiction and prostitution. Love’s Arm works hand in hand with the courts, law enforcement and local churches to provide a deep and unparalleled level of life-changing healing, reaching all part of the victims to turn them into victors, said officials.
The dinner costs $30 a seat or $250 to sponsor a table. To purchase a ticket, please go to LovesArmOutreach.org, find them on Facebook or call 637-7255.