OUR MISSION
Solid Ground International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the help, assistance, and healing of individuals exploited by human trafficking. Our main purpose is to restore these individuals to full health and independent living through the establishment and maintenance of transitional housing.
Beyond housing, we rebuild lives through the following programs:
Facilitate counseling and other relevant social and mental health services for every resident to continue on the path of healing and redemption.
Offer opportunities for residents to participate in life skills training, academic tutoring, spiritual development, and relationship-building activities.
Partner with government and private agencies to facilitate educational and employment assistance for residents.
Conduct proper discharge planning and reintegration care to assist residents in maintaining safe, stable housing and economic independence upon exiting the program.
WHAT WE DO
Home. Healing. Hope.
We have two homes in Cebu, Philippines. Our first residents named their house Medad meaning “beloved friend.” The residents of our other home named it Malta as found in the book of Acts. Malta was a place of unusual kindness and healing, and God used the people of Malta to bless Paul and his companions with all they needed to continue their journey.
A new home will open in the Dominican Republic by the end of 2017.
Our goal is to launch residents into successful independent lives, focusing on transformation into the best individuals they can become. To assist residents in this pursuit, program staff provides structure as residents work toward achieving their housing and personal development goals.
Affordable and safe housing alone is not sufficient to prepare a survivor of trafficking for independent living. Therefore, we provide life skills training to guide residents in a process of self-discovery in these primary areas: money management, home life, healthy relationships and communication, health and hygiene, food and nutrition, self care, personal safety, employment, and accessing community resources.
Program staff and qualified volunteers facilitate life skills sessions through group and individual settings. We provide academic tutoring to individuals who need extra educational support.
Beyond documenting educational and professional growth, we come alongside our residents as they face the challenge of making healthy decisions on a daily basis. Residents slowly transition from self-doubt to confidence, suspicion to trust, social withdrawal to meaningful relationships. These transitions in thinking and behavior give them a greater understanding of their inherent value in this world.
Upon successful discharge from our program, our case manager conducts regular assessments with each graduate for an initial period of at least six months.
OUR BOARD
OUR BACKGROUND
In 2012 Dr. Lynette Hsu volunteered in Cebu, Philippines as an Aftercare Associate with International Justice Mission (IJM). While training and teaching IJM aftercare social workers, she realized the full extent of the issues facing human trafficking victims. Though the survivors she met with had courageously persevered and healed from their physical and psychological wounds, Dr. Hsu learned that after IJM’s rescue and crisis care, survivors are vulnerable to re-trafficking because they are not fully restored and also lack the skills and experience necessary to be able to live independently. She felt it upon her heart to respond by creating transitional housing that provides shelter, food, life skills training and healing, moving survivors into independence and hope. Immediately after returning home to the Bay Area, Dr. Hsu and like-minded friends formed Solid Ground International.
“I am fortunate because, of all the people needing help outside, it was me who was chosen to be here. Just like in the Bible that there are a lot of sheep and one of them is lost, and I am the one who was lost. And so I am lucky to be here because I met all of you.”
OUR TEAM
RESTORE A LIFE TODAY
“SGI provides for the resident’s needs beyond the material, especially in their emotional healing. We are with them side by side and we support them.” – SGI Social Worker