By Christine Bryant
Staff Writer
Love people back to life again.
It’s a phrase Jordan Boucek believes in, and one that inspired her to make a difference in the lives of women who are healing from horrific circumstances.
Boucek recently released a song called, “Proclamation” in which profits from its downloads will go toward Ohio Women’s Refuge, a Grove City-based nonprofit that helps sexually trafficked women regain their independence.
“When I was living in Australia in 2009, I learned about the epidemic of human trafficking, and I knew I wanted to be involved in some way to help bring freedom to those enslaved,” the Grove City resident said.
After writing lyrics and adding music to it, Boucek recorded a demo – knowing all along she wanted to donate the proceeds to the Ohio Women’s Refuge.
“About a month after the recording was finished, a staff member with the Ohio Women’s Refuge contacted me to see if I could write a song for them and possibly donate the proceeds, so it was confirmation that this is what I was supposed to do with this song,” she said.
The song, based on a Bible scripture that focuses on healing the broken-hearted and bringing freedom to captives, is available for purchase through iTunes and Amazon by searching for Boucek’s or the song title’s name.
“No one should live that way, and even just bringing awareness to the issue can help,” she said.
Rhonda Hicks, development director for Ohio Women’s Refuge, says the center serves women who are in need of a safe place to find healing and hope through a four-level program designed to address the complex needs of the abuse and trauma they have experienced.
“Our faith-based program is designed to help our guests experience safety, sobriety and provide the opportunity to build trust and develop healthy relationships,” she said.
According to the U.S. State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year. Of those, 80 percent are female and half are children.
Human trafficking – a form of modern-day slavery – occurs when a trafficker uses force, fraud or coercion to control another person to engage in commercial sex acts or to solicit labor or services against that person’s will.
The epidemic is one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises worldwide. Though often thought of as an international issue, human trafficking occurs closer than many think. In fact, according to the Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, each year, an estimated 1,078 Ohio children become victims and several thousand more are at-risk.
Believing that each woman deserves to walk without her past defining her future, staff at Ohio Women’s Refuge provide transitional housing, counseling, social service connections, medical resources, educational assistance and job preparation assistance.
“We use as many community services as possible to provide the wrap-around services they need,” Hicks said.
Since learning about human trafficking, Boucek has volunteered with Ohio Women’s Refuge and has spent time with many women who have escaped life in the sex industry, she said.
“I have also had a friend record another song I wrote on their album that relates to this topic called ‘Beautiful Out of the Mess’ on a CD called ‘Revelations of Love,’” Boucek said. “I am going to donate proceeds from this song to the Ohio Women’s Refuge.”
A special public worship event at 6 p.m. May 1 at the Grove City Church of the Nazarene, 4770 Hoover Road, will feature both these songs. There is no charge for the event, but a free-will offering will go benefit Ohio Women’s Refuge. It is recommended that only children older than 12 attend due to the mature content of the survivors’ testimonies.
For more information, go to ohiowomensrefuge.org.
