Healing Hearts Home to expand program, hosting fundraiser in April
A local nonprofit focused on providing care to women and girls who have been victimized by human trafficking and sexual abuse is expanding its programming to offer support to men with similar trauma.
Healing Hearts Home is expanding its program, SHOUT, which stands for Sharing Hearts Openly Understanding Truth. The program offers a safe place for women and teen girls to heal from their experience with sexual abuse and trauma. Each group meets weekly for six to seven months. It also offers counseling services for six months after the participant has graduated from the program.
Healing Hearts Home Executive Director and Founder Christina Gallina-Flood said the nonprofit will be adding a SHOUT program for men.
"Here's the statistics; six out of 10 women and four out of 10 men, by the time they are 18 will have experienced sexual abuse in some fashion," Gallina-Flood said. "For many years, men have asked if we have support groups for men, and I've always had to say no. Now we are ready to expand and offer them that."
The nonprofit needs to raise approximately $15,000 to start and organize the program.
Healing Hearts Home is funded through private donors and donations. People who are interested in donating to the nonprofit can do so by mailing a check to PO Box 610066, Port Huron, MI, 48061 or online at www.healingheartshome.org/give.
Additionally, the nonprofit will be hosting its annual fundraiser, a Fancy Hat Tea Party, at noon on April 20 at the DoubleTree Hotel. The event will include lunch, tea and dessert. Participants can also enjoy a silent auction, painting and words from guest speaker Priscilla Bordayo.
Tickets for the tea can be found at www.healingheartshome.org and cost $40. People interested at sponsoring the event can also find that information on the website.
To keep its clientele safe, Healing Hearts Home does not publicize its office address. People who are interested in joining its programming can contact Gallina-Flood at (586) 727-0674 or info@healingheartshome.org.
Healing Hearts Home also offers counseling services to people not participating in its SHOUT program, boundary and co-dependency classes and court support. Additionally, volunteers receive extensive trauma and abuse training when acting as SHOUT leaders and facilitators.
A long-term goal for Healing Hearts Home is to build a healing home for teen girls who need support to heal from trauma. Once opened, the girls would live in the healing home for about nine to 12 months, where they would be guided through the healing process and learn life skills.
"If they can heal from their past, they will be able to live in the present so that they can experience a healthy future," Gallina-Flood said.
Healing Hearts Home has not yet purchased property to build the healing home. Gallina-Flood said the nonprofit would need to raise $250,000 to do so.
Gallina-Flood started Healing Hearts Home out of her own experience of trauma and abuse. She said she is a survivor and has been empowered to help others overcome their past trauma and abuse experiences.
Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Healing Hearts Home to expand programming
