Alliance AA Raises Nearly $48,000 for Local Foundation to Assist Survivors of Human Trafficking

DALLAS —Alliance Auto Auctions https://www.allianceautoauction.comraised nearly $48,000 for the Poiema Foundation https://poiemafoundation.org to assist with the foundation’s mission of rescuing and helping with healing for survivors of human trafficking.

Alliance Auto Auctions is a growing chain of four auctions serving all of  Texas with auctions in Abilene, Dallas, Longview, and Waco. Combined the auctions run more than 1,500 units each week. The NAAA Auction is also a member of Auction Management Solutions (AMS), an automotive consulting firm with network of auto auctions across the U.S.

First Quarter 2018 Check Passing

Tim Adams, Alliance Auto Auction CEO, said “each year the auction group chooses a charity to work with, and when I learned about the work Poiema does for survivors of the scourge of human trafficking, I wanted to help”.

“We set a very aggressive goal of $50,000 to help Poiema,” Adams said. “We wanted the funds we raised to stay local. We came very close to reaching the goal, almost $48,000. We’re very proud of that. Each auction raised money, but our customers and vendors assisted as well.”

Poiema rescues sex trafficking victims, helps them with their healing and restoration journey, and educates the public to raise awareness to help prevent sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other methods of sexual exploitation.

Rebecca Jowers, director and founder of Poiema, said she was stunned to learn that Alliance Auto Auctions had selected her group as its charity.

“We were most appreciative, but I had to wonder who are you, and how do you even know who we are?” Jowers said. “I really think it was divine intervention getting that phone call from Alliance.”

She noted that the foundation not only assists with rescuing victims of human trafficking, but also help with the healing process. Poeima used the funds for the girls the foundation services, with boarding in the foundation’s Safe House, medical treatment, food and clothing, counseling, equine therapy, and a service dog.

Jowers said because of the level of trauma these people have because of their experiences, they often need much more care and comfort than face-to-face counseling can provide.

“When you bring the horse in , the horse can read their emotions, and it makes an amazing difference,” Jowers said.

The funds provided throughout the year provided more than 10 girls with residency in the Safe House, another 10 girls with outreach assistance, plus staffing, medical treatment, and much more for all the survivors with whom they work.

“Staffing is vital,” Jowers noted. “Because the Safe House is home to the survivors it must be staffed every day of the year. It never closes. We also must provide food and all the essentials. A house is just house, but the people in it make it a home. Without the funds from Alliance, we would not have been able to keep the home open all year.”

Adams emphasized that it wasn’t just Alliance that provided these funds.

“I’m so proud of our customers,” Adams said. “It’s our dealers, and everyone who attends our auctions. We’re like a huge family. Some of our people donated directly to Poiema as well.”

The auction raised $15,000 in the first quarter of 2018, and mid-year on June 20, Alliance held a charity auction at its Dallas location. That raised $11,000. Dealers donated items for the auction as well.

Poiema plans to enter into a partnership with another Foundation, Poetic, which will provide art and music therapy  and group counseling for survivors, free of cost. Poetic will also provide GED education for the girls as well. Poiema also plans to open another Safe House, closer to downtown Dallas in 2019.

Adams said that a key to Alliance’s mission is to establish personal and trusted relationships with all customers, and working with such an important organization helps achieve that mission. Alliance and Poiema are both located in the same area. Poiema has its headquarters in Rockwall, Texas, not far from the Alliance Auction in Dallas. During the fundraising drive, for every car sold, Alliance Auto Auction gave back a portion of the proceeds to Poiema.

 About Alliance Auto Auctions
Alliance Auto Auction is a rapidly growing family of auto auctions providing vehicle remarketing services to wholesale dealers. Founded in Texas in 2011, the Alliance mission is to establish personal and trusted relationships with all customers. Alliance’s reputation for “Customer Service to the Extreme” is igniting the company’s expansion into new markets – Abilene, Dallas, Longview, and Waco.

About Poiema
The Poiema Foundation is an organization dedicated to educating the public and raising awareness in order to prevent sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other methods of sexual exploitation. They provide a safe place, including trauma-informed care for those who have been trafficked and are on their journey from victim to survivor. Poeima plays an ever-increasing role in this recovery process. The statistics are stomach turning; the average age of a girl entering prostitution is 13 years old, 30  girls per month are trafficked as escorts, 516 girls are trafficked online via ads per month, and this is just in Texas. This is why The Poiema Foundation exists.