On Oct. 27, Bloom for Women Inc., celebrated its 10th anniversary of providing safe housing to survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The celebration, held at New Covenant Christian Community Church on Broad Street in Bethlehem, included the graduation of four women from the Bloom residential program, testimony from survivors, and a candle-lighting ceremony.

The mission of Bloom is to provide “sanctuary and a continuum of care to heal, empower and employ women survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.” Although the group has its roots in Christianity, it provides services to women in need who are of any faith, or no faith.

The current organization is the result of a 2021 merger of Truth for Women and Bloom Bangor, and is a member of both the Thistle Farms National Network (network.thistlefarms.org) and the National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance (network.atlasfree.org). On Oct. 2, 2014, Truth for Women took in the first residents to its safe house; the Bloom Bangor program opened its first residential home in 2016.

Bloom operates five homes in the Lehigh Valley. Three houses are the sites of two-year residential programs, one of which is tailored to the needs of pregnant survivors. Two other houses are fee-based homes for recent graduates who ae still in the process of becoming independent.

Bloom CEO Carol Andersen highlighted the misunderstood nature of sexual exploitation, noting that although some women are abducted and physically held against their will, many women are exploited by family members, or through non-forcible means such as drug addiction.

“Disturbingly,” she explained, “the majority of trafficking victims are coerced into this life by someone they love or trust.”

Once a woman is in an exploitative situation, Andersen said, “The shame of being duped can add another layer of complexity to someone’s belief that they are unable to get out on their own.”

However, the outlook for women who find help and stay with a recovery program is bright.

“These are people that have survived circumstances that people have only seen in horror films,” Andersen said. “With that kind of resilience, we see them reconnecting with children that they haven’t seen for years, rebuilding relationships that have been strained.”

Andersen shared one particularly moving story.

“Recently, I talked to one of our grads, whose family was so inspired by her recovery journey that several of them stepped into recovery. This has a ripple effect. A single drop of water in the ocean can create an effect greater than we even dreamed possible. Not only for the women themselves, but for future generations.”

Bloom is a registered 501(c)(3) organization with a high transparency rating from watchdog Charity Navigator. There are many ways to support the organization, which depends heavily on its donors. My Sister’s Closet, a resale boutique at 3650 Nazareth Pike in Bethlehem, accepts a selection of women’s clothing (criteria are online at bloomforwomen.org/my-sisters-closet). Both My Sister’s Closet and Bloom Creative Studio (34 Broadway in Bangor) provide revenue for Bloom, as well as employment opportunities for program graduates. Bloom also accepts monetary donations, gifts of stock, and gifts-in-kind via its Amazon Wish List (a.co/5k3X4VJ).

More information, including other ways to help, is available online (bloomforwomen.org). Women in need of help, and those referring them, can call the Bloom intake line (484-268-8581), and anyone can report sex trafficking by calling the national toll-free hotline (888-373-7888). Additional events in partnership with the Lehigh Valley Anti-Trafficking Collaborative can be found on the LVATC Facebook page (facebook.com/LVATweek).