JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 17

mental healthcare and trauma 
therapy, vocational skills train-
ing and job placement, financial 
education, peer support and 
much more.
It’s “very much designed in a 
woman’s needs and what they 
want,
” Franklin said. “We have 
people now who want to go to 
culinary school, who are work-

ing outside of the house, who 
purchase their own vehicles.
”
Sanctum House has part-
nerships with hospitals, social 
workers and over 30 different 
organizations that supplement 
its services.
Since its beginnings in 2018, 
Sanctum House has helped 
more than 55 women through 
its residential program with 
24-hour care. All residents 
are drug-free and are working 
through appropriate 12-step 
programs; many have found 
jobs outside the house. Nineteen 
have reunited with family mem-
bers, and six are attending col-
lege — including one who made 
the dean’s list.
For Franklin, who grew 
up attending Adat Shalom 
Synagogue, the spirit of the 
house is connected to her own 
Jewish faith. She said she creat-
ed Sanctum House in the spirit 
of tikkun olam, repairing the 
world.
It’s “from the spirit of Judaism 

that we take care of one anoth-
er,
” she said. “
And the goal is to 
heal the world. I mean, that’s 
what we do.
”

COVID CHALLENGES 
Of course, the COVID-19 pan-
demic has impacted Sanctum 
House over the past year.
Luckily, the house has stayed 

COVID-19-free, but the tumult 
has limited the growth of 
women at the house in some 
ways, Claire said — it’s much 
harder to get out and start to 
build a new life during a pan-
demic.
Even more than that, 
COVID-19 has affected 
Sanctum House’s ability to 
spread awareness of human 
trafficking. More than 20 
speaking engagements for 
people affiliated with Sanctum 
House were canceled this year, 
Franklin said.
Sanctum House has also 
provided training to hundreds 
of first responders and hospi-
tal employees on how to spot 
human trafficking and react 
appropriately when they see the 
signs — that’s not possible in 
the same way this year.
“You can’t get the word out,
” 
Claire said. “
And that’s really 
fundamental to fighting human 
trafficking and saving people 
from human traffickers.
”

The pandemic has pushed 
trafficking itself further under-
ground. Lockdowns and quar-
antines have made it so women 
in trafficking situations are 
brought into public less often, 
and more internet sales and 
pornography have taken place, 
Franklin said.
“Women are being trafficked 

and abused and sexually assault-
ed, so we can’t forget,
” Franklin 
said. “Everything is still going 
on while COVID is going on.
”

CONTRIBUTORS SOUGHT
The virus has also cut down on 
Sanctum House’s ability to raise 
money, as its usual engagements 
and fundraisers have been can-
celed. Franklin is still writing 
grants and depends on sponsor-
ships, but now she’s launched a 
three-phase, $3 million capital 
campaign.
The organization is currently 
trying to raise $1.4 million to 
purchase its property and the 
adjacent lot. This will allow it 
to nearly triple the number of 
women it can serve at a time, 
from 12 up to 34, Franklin told 
the JN.
Franklin is also hoping to 
find around $600,000 to make 
necessary improvements to its 
campus and ensure funds for 
operating expenses and salaries 
for the trained professionals 

who run the therapeutic pro-
grams. She’s then aiming to 
raise an additional $1 million 
for ongoing operations.
Sanctum House has already 
received several large pledges 
for the purchase of the building. 
Now Franklin is hoping to find 
“a few angels” who can help 
Sanctum House make its goals 

for sustaining funds.
“We’re in this capital cam-
paign for sustainability,
” 
Franklin said. “If you don’t have 
a program, you’ve got nothing 
to give the women that they can 
hang their hats on.
”
Despite the challenges of the 
year, Franklin and the rest of 
the staff and stakeholders at 
Sanctum House remain com-
mitted to helping survivors and 
raising awareness of human 
trafficking.
“It may be a heinous crime, 
and you don’t really want to 
look at it,
” she said. “But there 
are women that are being tor-
tured and abused. Once you’re 
aware — once you know better 
— you do better.
”
Above all, “we’re all entitled 
to our civil rights and sanctum,
” 
Franklin said. 

January is National Slavery and Human 

Trafficking Prevention Month. To learn 

more about Sanctum House and its 

capital campaign, visit www.sanctum-

house.org/about-sanctum-house/.

House members 

watch TV.

Program Manager 

Shannon Brandt of 

Farmington Hills and 

Executive Director 

Karen Moore of 

Dearborn play cards 

with Katrise and 

Jesa.