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DuPage County nonprofit opens home for victims of sex trafficking

Restoration61, a DuPage County nonprofit, opened the area's first residential facility for victims of sex trafficking. As of June 1, the organization has welcomed four women into the home, each a survivor of commercial sexual exploitation and now in the process of receiving restorative services through Restoration61.

With 15 to 20 thousand women and children at risk to be trafficked in the Chicagoland region (Raphael, J. & Shapiro, D.L. 2002), sex trafficking is the second most lucrative criminal enterprise in the United States.

The average age of entry into the life of trafficking is 12-14 years of age, and recruitment of these young girls and boys often happens through social media and online grooming tactics.

Kara Doan, co-founder and chief operating officer of Restoration61, has worked with over 700 survivor-clients in the past two years. She works closely with an expansive network of nonprofits and government agencies, each committed to the abolition of sex trafficking in the United States.

Restoration61 works to address what law enforcement officials claim as the most pressing need: emergency housing and effective aftercare services for women exiting "the life."

"We're committed to providing hope and dignity to these women, who have experienced extensive violence and abuse through the commercial sex industry," said Doan. "No child should be sold for sex; no woman should be treated as a commodity. We want to offer someone the chance at a life of freedom."

About Restoration 61

Established as a 501(c)3 organization in 2016, Restoration61 is the sole provider of emergency services to victims of sex trafficking in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. They are committed to providing hope and dignity to victims of sex trafficking through collaboration with both nonprofit and law enforcement partners.

Restoration61 is based out of Naperville. For more information, please visit www.restoration61.org or follow www.facebook.com/restoration61/ or twitter.com/restoration61.

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