Every week, the leadership and staff of One More Child come together for prayer and devotion to celebrate the encouraging progress in our ongoing mission to serve vulnerable children and struggling families, all for the glory of God.
Here is a glimpse into the recent good news, activities, and accomplishments at One More Child:
Where Serving is a Pleasure
One More Child recently welcomed a large group of volunteers to our Lakeland campus from a very notable southern staple: Publix. We have a long-standing partnership with Publix, and they regularly hold Publix Serves Week at our headquarters. Publix associates and employees come out to volunteer their time to serve on our campus, supporting our programs serving hungry children, trafficked children, foster children, single moms, and struggling families.
The most recent Publix Serves Week beautifully demonstrated how much can be accomplished when we unite to care for vulnerable children and families. Over the course of a few days, the team of volunteers from Publix packed a total of 25,900 meals, which will feed up to 3,700 students across at least six different schools. In addition, 7,000 meals will be sent to Ohio to serve children facing food insecurity.
They sorted 12,595 meals that will restock the family market in our Compassion Center and will be distributed to community partners. They also supported our Backpack Meal initiative by packing 1,200 backpack meal bags with 8,400 meals. To bring relief to families in need, the Publix volunteers packed 200 emergency boxes, which will bring vital immediate assistance to struggling families. Finally, in preparation for our upcoming Operation Merry Christmas, they scanned and organized 2,782 toys, which will serve vulnerable children in single moms’ homes, foster homes, or homes of struggling families.
These numbers don’t even capture everything the team from Publix accomplished during their service week. Their impact will be felt in the lives of vulnerable children and struggling families for years to come.
You can join our mission and make an eternal impact—VOLUNTEER ANYWHERE with One More Child.
From Drug Dependent to Independent
Our trauma-informed Anti-Trafficking Mobile Teams provide care to survivors with the understanding that human trafficking, drug use, and addiction are often interconnected. Our Ohio Mobile Team serves survivors facing this intersection of struggles through an Addiction Pod Outreach Program at the Hamilton County Justice Center. In the voluntary program, our team works with incarcerated women, teaching them to identify how traffickers use addiction as a tool of control while also equipping them for a fresh start after release.
Over the past year, our team has worked with many women and has seen many successfully complete the program while they were still incarcerated. Our team recently learned incredible news about a client who had gone through the program. While this client was serving time for drug-related charges, she worked with our Mobile Team in the Addiction Pod. She was recently released, and has since been able to maintain her sobriety, achieve gainful employment, and sign a lease to an apartment.
While her life previously was plagued by despair, addiction, and exploitation, she now has a brighter future based on hope and transformation. Her journey is a shining example of what is possible when partners unite in compassion, expertise, and purpose to uplift the vulnerable.
Mobilizing in Tennessee
One More Child began in the small town of Arcadia, Florida, in 1904. Since then, we have added many locations in Florida, expanded to reach 29 states, and impacted 19 countries worldwide. As part of this expansion, One More Child serves the area of Memphis, Tennessee, through our Anti-Trafficking program.
Recently, Claire Jaggers, the Director of Anti-Trafficking for North Carolina and Tennessee, had the opportunity to connect with local ministry partners and share more information about our services with the community. At Christ Methodist Church’s ministry fair, she interacted with hundreds of eager church members, explaining One More Child’s ministry, mission, and method to reach potential victims and survivors of human trafficking. This church is ready to mobilize anti-trafficking efforts in its community and has already created a committee of women who meet regularly to brainstorm ways to support anti-trafficking agencies in the area and how to educate themselves on the topic.
Claire also had the opportunity to attend the Honey Harvest Farm to Table event, hosted by our ministry partner Thistle and Bee. The organization provides a two-year residential program to survivors of sex trafficking, equipping them with job skills and life skills through the art of honey harvesting. Partnerships with nonprofits and churches are vital to effectively serving the vulnerable in our local communities—by working together, we amplify our impact.
We pray that God will continue to bless our expansion efforts so that we can reach more vulnerable children and struggling families in His name!