Courage House speaker Tara Siegal at our February meeting

We were pleased to welcome Tara Siegal to our February 2011 meeting from Courage 2 B U. C2BU is building
Courage Houses, homes for children rescued from the hideous world of sex trafficking.
The first homes are being built in Northern California and in Tanzania, Africa, and are slated
to have girls living in them by the fall or winter of 2010.
Why is Courage House different than any other solution…
• It’s not just a program; it is a home. It has no minimum or maximum defined stay
• It’s a safe house. Location is undisclosed so perpetrators cannot find girls
• Each girl will develop an individual Unique Life Plan (ULP) addressing her physical, emotional,
psychological, educational, psychosocial and spiritual needs. Resources will be
provided and plans created to ensure each girl’s successful transition to independent,
self-sufficient living.
• Whether placement is voluntary or mandatory, we recognize these children are prone to
run away because of their trauma and their difficulty in navigating and participating in
healthy relationships. We will have protocols in place as part of each girl’s life plan to
address the triggers of running away. In addition, we will offer a menu of activities that
are intentionally designed to daily exhaust and nurture the mind and body of each girl in
a healthy, therapeutic way.
• Though there will be no minimum stay defined at Courage House, we recognize that
state license requirements will not allow all girls to stay past their 18 1/2 year birthday.
We anticipate establishing Courage House Too, a home for girls who are “aging out”, but
still require structure, therapy, and assisted transition towards independent living whether
that might be attending college, working a job or vocational training.
The good news is the Courage House is awaiting its license and plan to move forward very
soon.
What can we do?
• Share the message, by bringing friends to benefit concerts to raise money and educate
with speakers from Courage to be You.
• Monthly Donors, gift cards from Target and RC Willey wishlist and the Courage Cafe.