ODESSA, Texas — The Ernest Cecil Foundation is an organization passionate about helping girls 17 and under who have been rescued from the sex trade industry.
They are currently in the process of building a home for trafficked victims to provide counsel, love and advocacy.
A local husband and wife team right here in the Permian Basin started the Ernest Cecil Foundation in 2019 to support girls who are victims of sex trafficking.
"Why not us? I think someone will step up and we should be those people," Co-Founder of Ernest Cecil Foundation, who asked to remain anonymous, said. "We’re trying to essentially restore girls that have been taken and trafficked. Their lives have been taken from them and we’re trying to put it back together get them back to where they can rejoin society and recovery."
To help that recovery process, the foundation is in the process of building a home for trafficked victims.
"Next steps for us right now is we need a piece of land. We have been donated a 10,000 sq. foot building. We need a piece of land to put it on, from then on we need to [provide] 24/7 care [and] we need to house parents to be with these girls all the time," another Co-Founder of Ernest Cecil Foundation, who also asked to remain anonymous, said. "Hoping for a 180 for them. They will be in a home that has parents that will love on them that’s gonna surround them to counsel them and also to advocate for them and give them therapy."
The City of Odessa is also combatting the trafficking problem by signing a resolution that provides protection for victims.
"I think it’s very important. You know statistically for somebody to be willing to step up and help these children and victims that are being traffic there is resources out there but it’s hard to find," said Odessa City Councilwoman Denise Swanner.
Odessa Police Chief Mike Gerke said those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.
"You don’t really get reports of human trafficking it’s something that you really have to look for and I explained earlier how we do that. The hard part of the human trafficking case is really getting that victim to come forth and say I’ve been trafficked," Gerke said. "With a crime like human trafficking the best route for us to go is the federal prosecution route and we will absolutely try that."
On Sept. 16 ASCO's will be holding their 11th annual charity golf tournament that will benefit young victims of sex trafficking in the Permian Basin. This golf tournament will also help the Ernest Cecil Foundation with the building of their home.