The B.L.U.E. House

I’ve had several requests to hear more about my trafficking experience. I have decided to host a virtual event where I will be sharing my story, discussing vulnerabilities that increased my risk, and I will briefly discuss my plans for The B.L.U.E. House . I will leave time at the end for 15 minutes of questions and answers. I hope to see you on Wednesday at 7pm CST! Click on the link below to attend. ??

If you watch the video below, and feel compelled to make a difference in the fight against trafficking, we would love to partner with you!

We had a great day doing outreach in South Minneapolis today! We gave away a truck full of clothes, coats, shoes, hygiene and along with homemade soup, hot dogs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips and water. Beautiful conversations and beautiful people. We are in the process of collecting more outreach supplies. This is a link to our Amazon registry where you can purchase supplies and have them shipped directly to us. Any little bit helps and we appreciate your support so much! The trenches are hard and we need to step in for those who are there right now. ?????? Outreach Supplies- The B.L.U.E. House - Amazon Gift List - https://lnkd.in/gcZ5_9Ak

Here at The B.L.U.E. House we recognize that many people did not get to experience the holiday season alongside their family and friends, as many are still trapped in a world of exploitation. We appreciate all of your support as we continue to work diligently to get this organization up and running. We hope that next year we are able to look back on the ways that we have supported survivors, and celebrate our determination to provide respectful and empathetic care. Even if only one more survivor is able to celebrate the holiday season in a place of safety next year, the work we are doing will be worth it.

Below are the services we intend to provide within North Minneapolis, and then expanding throughout the Seven-County Metro. We are steadily building the organization behind the scenes, and have recently completed our application for federal tax exempt status. We are so grateful for the help offered through Mitchell Hamline School of Law, who assisted us with completing a very long and complicated form. Thank you!

At The B.L.U.E. House, one of our core missions is to elevate the voices of the survivor community and allow those most impacted to guide the work we are doing, and will continue to do. Our organizational structure places our Survivor Leader Advisory Board (which is currently being developed) as equal to the Executive Director position, directly informing the choices of our Board of Directors. This was an intentional decision to demonstrate that survivor voices are not just a box to check, but a priority for the existence of the organization. Utilizing the voices of those with lived experience is a complicated task, and can cause further damage and exploitation if done without careful consideration and a prioritization of dignity and respect. We have found the “ meaningful engagement of those with lived experience” toolkit by the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery to be a very helpful resource for this topic, and wanted to share. Our Executive Director, Nyki McNamee, is a survivor of sex trafficking, which is what inspired the creation of The B.L.U.E. House. If any organization is struggling with the topic of engaging survivors, she would be more than willing to consult and offer suggestions based on her experiences. Feel free to reach out to her by email at [email protected]. https://lnkd.in/gr9gpvWf

Survivors are not something to be fought over by service providers, as they deserve all of the support that they are able to receive from their communities. We couldn’t be happier to see this news, and we at The B.L.U.E. House hope to work together with OUR Rescue in the future as we fight against the reality of human trafficking within metro Minnesota. ??????

The B.L.U.E. House’s first event was a success! Many (amazing!) frybread tacos were eaten, food was given to those who couldn’t afford tacos, we had fun games, a dance competition, raffle, and bouncy house. Did I fail to mention that the Minneapolis Fire Dept showed up for us!?! I think that was my favorite part of the day. Thank you to everyone who donated their money, time, and energy toward making this event a success. We received so much positive feedback from those who live in the neighborhood, which means everything. I forgot to take photos in the rush of everything, so thank you to those who sent me the ones that they were able to take! ??????

Only one day left until our first event! We will have frybread tacos and raffle tickets for sale to support the organization and we will also be offering numerous free games and activities for kids including a BOUNCY HOUSE! Where: 3601 N. Lyndale Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55412 Taco sales, raffle, and kids activities: 12pm-5pm Candy giveaway: 3pm-5pm, costumes are encouraged! Hope to see you there!

Can’t wait to see you all there!