About

In sum...
The girls of The Black Bow Project are wearing black bows every day for a year, and raising change in their communities for sexually trafficked girls in the U.S. Do consider joining the adventure by wearing black bows (e-mail us!), or make an impact simply by shopping from Restore Innocence (We'd love for you to share how much you gave by way of your purchase so we can add you to our tally!)

In depth...
The Black Bow Project, beginning officially on March 15th, 2013, is a year-long venture to pray for victims of sex trafficking, raise awareness about their plight, and collect change for their restoration.

 The story begins when two friends, Rachel Padro and Nicole Jones, met to discuss the plight of sex trafficked victims in Colorado and brainstorm how we could help. We discovered Restore Innocence, a faith-based nonprofit organization based in Colorado  that focuses on helping rescued trafficked victims in three crucial areas:

 

 

"The Cinderella House

            When victims are rescued, they normally have no place to go and end up ill equipped shelters or treatment programs and eventually may end up back on the streets. The Cinderella House provides a safe environment specialized for the unique needs of these victims.

Mentorship program

            Our trained mentors spend one-on-one with the girls providing them with a safe person to talk to, and begin the process of healing. In addition to the girls living at the Cinderella House, we also work with victims in the area who are back with their parents or have other living arrangements.

Restore bags

            These are bags filled with brand new items (clothes, hygiene products, snacks) for the girls once they are pulled off the streets or rescued during a sting operation. We started this program in Colorado and have branched out to Oregon, California, Nevada, Illinois and North Carolina. The bags go to victims specialists and policemen, then straight to the girls immediately after they are rescued."

 

 

Restore Innocence's purpose is to restore victims of child trafficking back to the innocent children God created them to be. They have developed a symbol for sex trafficking of a black bow, similar to the pink ribbon associated with breast cancer. They have an entire product line of Restored Bow items, each featuring a black bow that symbolizes the dark crime of human trafficking and the hope for restoration.

 

            Inspired by this product line, and the concept of a symbol for sex trafficking, Rachel and I felt led to wear a black bow every day for an entire year. Because of the bow, we will be constantly reminded to pray for sex trafficked victims, and it will also be a conversation starter, opening a door for us to share with others about the reality of human trafficking in America. Not only that, but we decided to raise money each day for the cause, and donate it to The Cinderella House. We want to volunteer with the group, and also plan on having several Restoration Bag packing parties so that we can contribute them.

 

            Join us, if you feel led to, and invite your friends. The more people that join us, the bigger the movement will grow collecting change to make a change, raising money and awareness daily while not burdening any one person. And being reminded to pray that sex trafficking would end, that those in bondage would be released, not just from physical captivity but from spiritual captivity! That is a reason to wear a black bow daily in and of itself. 

 

            If you pray about this, and decide it's something God wants you to do, let us know! We'd love to have you participate in the journey, whether it means taking pictures of the change you've collected every once in a while, or sending us photos to post to our blog of you in a black bow outfit. Or maybe you'll just want to read our regular blog posts and be encouraged on the way, especially when the going gets rough. As for Rachel and I, we're excited to see where God leads us on this adventure what He does for the victims of sex trafficking, what He helps us raise for the Cinderella House, and what He does in us as He changes our hearts during the process!

  

Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,

Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,

Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

Psalm 146:5-7

 

In Christ,

 

        Nicole Jones & Rachel Padro