Simply Good Cakery by Extended Hands of Hope Wins Dakota Foundation Award
Organization’s social entrepreneurship model helps survivors of human trafficking
Denver, CO – September 3, 2019 - The Dakota Foundation announces the Ian Helms Award for Social Entrepreneurship 2019 Winner: Extended Hands of Hope. The award carries an initial $50,000 grant designated to support the non-profit’s new Simply Good Cakery, a social enterprise, and will follow with another $50,000 PRI to support the ongoing growth of the program. This innovative initiative offers survivors of human trafficking practical pathways to freedom and self-sufficiency through paid employment and on-the-job economic empowerment training.
“Jayla” (name changed for safety precautions) struggles in her youth due to not having her high school diploma, driver’s license, and from being homeless most of her life. She is constantly surrounded by violence and drugs. Jayla also suffers from severe depression and anxiety. Jayla was trafficked when she was very young by her own father here in Denver. Her mother struggles with her own problems of poverty, prostitution, and drugs. Jayla often speaks about how she doesn’t want to be like her mom and how she wants to break that cycle for her life and the next generation but the challenges to overcome her past and her present are extreme. Jayla suffers substantial economic loss due to being a victim of violence, abuse, and trafficking because of complex trauma, a criminal record, and a lack of standard job history. Successful and sustainable employment involves overcoming a range of challenges and obstacles for Jayla, and that’s what Simply Good Cakery’s culinary job training program seeks to address. Extended Hands of Hope believes that all people should have the chance to fulfill their dreams, live independent and self-sufficient lives, make a livable wage, and be safe and supported.
In addition to employment and a path to self-sufficiency, this one-year empowerment program offers survivors training and education in Financial Literacy, Business Management, Cake Decorating and Baking, and Customer Service. Simply Good Cakery will create pathways towards strengthening the livelihoods and well-being of not only human trafficking survivors themselves, but their communities as well, thus yielding positive social impact and creating a systemic change. The enterprise will also create a sustaining revenue source for Extended Hands of Hope.
"We are deeply grateful to The Dakota Foundation for believing in our mission and investing in the incredibly brave women in our community,” noted Kristen Harness, Founder and CEO of Extended Hands of Hope. “Simply Good Cakery will provide the funding we need to continue to offer the supportive services we already do for minors of sex trafficking but will now open up the door for us to expand our services to adult survivors as well. Our goal is to help them break through the common barriers to sustainable employment that survivors of sex trafficking often face. Thank you to the generous and compassionate people at The Dakota Foundation for wanting to help the most vulnerable in our communities see that there are better days ahead and there are people that truly care for them."
Kelsey Nolan, Executive Director of The Dakota Foundation noted that “the board of directors of The Dakota Foundation is both humbled and honored to support the Simply Good Cakery program, which embodies the nature and intent of the Ian Helms Award, in their pursuit to empower women who fell victim to the vicious cycle of human trafficking while also creating a sustainable business model that continues to help survivors well into the future.”
The Ian Helms Award for Social Entrepreneurship aims to assist local philanthropic organizations with creative and inspiring projects to increase self-sustainability while also providing a strong social return. Recognizing that small nonprofits are often constrained by the lack of capital and support, the primary objective of the Ian Helms Award is to help already-active small organizations to establish or grow a source of regular revenue that will both help secure the sustainability of the organization while also providing employment, education, or support to those in need.
The Ian K. Helms Award is named in memory of Captain Ian K. Helms, a 2008 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Captain Helms was a Distinguished Graduate of the Academy and was Wing Commander (the highest-ranking cadet). He received a graduate degree from Oxford University while studying on an Alberta and Sidney Holaday Scholarship at Exeter College. Captain Helms flew a B-1 bomber in combat, supporting U.S. military efforts in the Middle East. He tragically succumbed to cancer in 2016. In honor of Helms’ legacy of leadership, patriotism and devotion to service, the Dakota Foundation created the award in his name.
ABOUT EXTENDED HANDS OF HOPE
Extended Hands of Hope’s mission is to offer safe housing and supportive services to sex trafficking survivors, empowering them to move forward with hope and dignity. They provide safe housing and supportive services in the Denver Metro area where a girl can be surrounded by a strong support team who will walk with her as she moves forward into a new beginning. They offer the following programs in support of their mission: Avanti House Safe Home Restoration Program, Forward Learning Academy, community-based mental health services and outreach, consulting and training. https://extendedhandsofhope.org