“For outreach, consistency is key,” After Hours Ministry Executive Director Mari Clark told The Epoch Times. “The victims out there need to know that there are people who care and that there are options for them.”
She has been working with the organization for five years in an area of South Los Angeles known as “The Blade,” a prostitution hub near the intersection of Figueroa and 69th streets where girls appearing to be as young as 15 prostitute themselves.
The area is teeming with local crime syndicates involved in pimping and is no stranger to drive-by shootings and axe-wielding madmen, according to Clark.
“There were two recent shootings that happened right after we left the area,” she said. “But the situation is getting worse due to the recent legislation changes of the state.”
Clark pointed to the passage of a recent state law that prohibits police from questioning sex workers on the basis of loitering.
“With laws changing, the pimps and johns are on The Blade declaring that ‘they own the streets,’” she said. “The importance of positive voices for the girls has never been more vital.”
Clark and others working for the nonprofit hand out gift bags to girls and women they encounter filled with chapstick, hand sanitizer, mints, condoms, and most importantly, a business card with a telephone number to their hotline.
If called, the nonprofit can refer those in need to counseling, medical help, and even housing.
The nonprofit is also planning to soon provide a mobile drop-in center which would have a bathroom, sink, first aid, clothing, and donations, as well as a space for conversation.
According to the nonprofit, such would be the first of its kind.
“We have three survivors attending the gala, and it takes such bravery to be open about their experiences,” Clark said.
