In this issue of Lights, Camera, Engagement, we’re veering off from our typical content to encourage you to engage in the fight against human trafficking. In 2016, my wife, Tina, and I founded The Table on Delk (The Table), a 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose mission is to end sexual exploitation along the Delk Road corridor in metro Atlanta. Today, our organization reaches more than 1,500 individuals every year. Read on to learn more about The Table and for a special invitation to be a part of our mission, without needing to open your wallet.  

THE BACKSTORY 
Tina and I were first exposed to the horrific reality of human trafficking while on a mission trip in Guatemala in 2005. A few years later, Tina began to volunteer with a local organization that rescued women trapped in sexual exploitation in Atlanta. It was through this volunteer work we learned this issue was even closer to home than we originally realized. We learned sexual exploitation occurs regularly along the Delk Road corridor, not far from the community in Cobb we call home.  

Our hearts were broken, and it became our mission to serve the women and children that are currently, or at risk of, being sexually exploited in the economy hotels east of I75.  

It may surprise you to know that sex trafficking industry in metro-Atlanta is estimated well over $300M annually.  While we cannot help everyone, The Table reaches over 1,500 individuals every year.  We started with outreach every Saturday, but quickly expanded to 6 days a week. From the beginning, we knew volunteers would be our number one need. That need has grown to over 100 volunteer slots per week. 

ABOUT THE TABLE 
The Table on Delk provides a safe place for those who are currently, or at risk of, being sexually exploited on Delk Road to have a meal and get connected to resources that they might not know about. The goal is to bring transformation one life at a time. By showing God’s love in action, The Table is an on-ramp for our friends in other ministries to provide a wide array of restorative and recovery services. We believe that each life saved contributes to a broader impact in ending sexual exploitation in Atlanta. 

Watch the video below to learn more about our mission and the work we do every week:

HOW YOU CAN HELP 
The Table on Delk is 100% volunteer based and has no paid staff. There are many ways you can serve both onsite and from home. You can help by providing a warm smile and listening ear to our friends on site, or by preparing snack lunches that will be distributed to children as they exit their school bus at the motels. If you, your church or someone you know would like to learn more about how to get involved, please join us for a free Awareness Dinner on Tuesday, August 13 at 5:30 p.m. at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. You can sign up to attend here. Please note, this isn’t a fundraiser. It’s a chance to hear more and lock arms with us in the fight against human trafficking locally.  

Hear some of our volunteers’ stories from serving alongside our mission below: