Being a Part of Something Bigger
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Established in 2017, the LifeGuard Group is a company of experts committed to seeking justice for perpetrators of human trafficking and restoration for its victims. With the knowledge that every hour, 34 more individuals enter a life of sexual exploitation, this advocacy group takes an aggressive and comprehensive approach to find, rescue, shelter, and restore exploited persons. Their four pillar message: "respond, rescue, restore, revive" has reached several groups and individuals in Blaine County.
One group that has responded, the JUMP Youth Group from Chinook will travel to the Missoula area later this month to facilitate in the renovation of a 40-acre ranch property that was recently purchased and will be operated by the LifeGuard Group. The property will provide a haven for victims of sex and human trafficking. At this LifeHouse, a therapeutic program will include equine therapy, dance therapy, an art barn, and counselling that will enable victims to heal and learn that there is no shame in their previous captivity and abuse. The goal is for LifeHouse to be completed and operational by September 2021.
Anyone with construction skills, a desire to help, or an interest in being part of the process should contact the LifeGuard Group at info@thelifeguardgroup.org. As part of their capital campaign, the LifeGuard Group is fundraising, securing commitments from churches for their Adopt-A-Room sponsorship, and targeting multiple foundations and trusts to cover the costs of programming and staffing.
According to literature published by the group, the wide-open space of Montana has potential to offer a healing all its own. Because victims are frequently subjected to the back alleys and dark streets of the world, "being beside a river or surrounded by forest gives them a sense of serenity that they may have never experienced." Such a location "helps to remove the triggers and cues that have surrounded [these victims] for so long and to regulate the nervous system to initiate healing."
With her background in law enforcement and her talent for working with people, Renda Kelly is another responder. She currently serves in an advocacy role for the LifeGuard Group. As a spokesperson for their LifeLine program, Kelly's primary function has been in spreading awareness. LifeLine educates, empowers, and equips people with information so that they can facilitate in the rescue process. One platform they use to spread this message is school assemblies and group meetings.
LifeLine's school assembly program reaches into the lives of students and those around them. "Awareness is a weapon that cannot be ignored. Once we're aware, we can be someone's lifeline to safety. Use your brain, your eyes, and your mouth. If you see something suspicious, say something," Kelly said.
When the new Superintendent of Chinook School District, Fred Hofman arrives on the job in July, Kelly will coordinate with him and the two building principals to schedule school assemblies as well as faculty and staff trainings. These interactive workshops aim to answer questions and concerns so that faculty and staff are prepared to help students. Such programs additionally educate audiences in the signs to look for.
According to Kelly, "We MUST equip students, teachers, and staff to protect the vulnerable among them. If we band together, the things that keep us safe-like our rural location and small town mentality-won't also make us targets. We can all be the eyes to see those being exploited."
Kelly further reported the value in teaching hotel staff to look for signs, like tattoos that resemble a brand, a lone man who travels with a group of younger girls, or clues left behind for the cleaning crew. Likewise, hospital staff and emergency room personnel should be alert to frequent urinary tract infections in young girls, as these can be another warning sign.
"Be present and make eye contact; you just might be responsible for saving someone's life," Kelly said.
Anyone who sees something suspicious should call 911 or the Montana Human Trafficking Hotline at 833-406-STOP (7867).
Whether Kelly's passion for this work becomes a paying proposition or not has yet to be determined. "If I can make this a side hustle, that would be alright, too," Kelly said. Currently, she's helping the group establish a presence in the area.
The LifeGuard Group is also hoping to train someone locally to be certified as an instructor of Street Smart Defender (SSD) tactics. "These aren't self-defense courses so much as they are about learning the tactics that wake-up your innate instincts to survive. It's about training yourself, for example, to not panic if someone puts a garbage bag over your head. Instead of struggling with your attacker, simply use your finger to poke a hole in the bag so that you can breathe," explained Kelly.
SSD is a program designed to provide all people with the skill to protect themselves after only a couple of hours of coaching. "This is an immersive experience which will give you, or someone you love, the ability to easily get away from someone trying to hurt you. Such a program also teaches us to be aware of our surroundings and to always identify a possible escape route. With training, these common sense approaches will serve us when we're under duress," Kelly added.
The LifeLine further advocates for fingerprint identification kits. "Communities on the Highway 2 corridor are vulnerable because someone can swoop in and out so easily," Kelly said.
If a child is missing, law enforcement authorities can use the child's completed id kit to scan the child's fingerprints into the National Crime Information Center database. These fingerprints can then be used to help locate the child in a variety of ways.
