New Friends New Life is an organization in Dallas that “restores and empowers trafficked and sexually exploited teen girls, women and their children, and drives awareness of the issue and its prevalence.”

      New Friends New Life began in 1997 when a young exotic dancer entered a church seeking help. From that first outcry New Friends New Life has helped over 400 women annually through an “evidence-based programs to help survivors recover from complex trauma, rebuild lives, and thrive.”[1]

New Friends New Life provides eight key services:

• Women’s Program providing individual/group counseling, case management, and economic empowerment tools to help adult survivors heal and become independent.
• A drop-in Youth Resource Center helping high-risk, exploited, and trafficked girls ages 12 – 22 with trauma-informed care.
• Adult Resource Center provides technology access, computer and life-skills training, and vocational and job readiness preparation opportunities.
• Employment Partnership Program helps survivors attain conventional employment, partnering with businesses in North Texas to provide entry-level, livable wage jobs and opportunities for more skill-building.
• Childcare while mothers can attend educational classes, with capacity to facilitate therapy for young children who have PTSD from experiencing or witnessing abuse and exploitation.
• NFNL has an on-site Legal Advocacy Clinic, providing our women and girls with legal aid by reviewing legal histories, creating legal action plans, leading cases on behalf of members and maintaining a Legal Advocacy Fund to help with court fees.
• Liberty Street Garden which broke ground in Summer 2023, is an innovative partnership between The Meadows Foundation, NFNL, and Bonton Farms that provides survivors a means to earn a living wage as they build a new life, with the added benefit of providing affordable, organic food to them.
• In March 2024 NFNL started the Learning Academy, which has a dedicated Education Specialist to provide trauma-informed assistance for members with specific educational goals including GED Pursuit and College Preparation.[2]

      With over 300,000 victims each year in the State of Texas and estimated 400 teens that are sold for sex each night in Dallas, New Friends New Life engages in advocacy and education programs. These programs include:

• The Men’s Advocacy Group (MAG), led by Dallas’ distinguished business and community leaders, mobilizes local men to promote awareness and act against the sex trafficking and exploitation of women, girls, and children.
• The manKINDness™ Project, an interactive workshop tailored for adolescent boys. By creating open dialogues on valuing and respecting girls and other relevant topics, manKINDness empowers boys with the tools to be leaders in healthier behaviors towards girls and each other.
• Sex Trafficking Awareness Excursions, guided educational charter bus tours exposing the reality of sex trafficking in North Texas by visiting sites of real trafficking cases worked by Dallas Law enforcement.[3]

      They do believe that everyone has something to offer and they have opportunities for volunteers in the following areas: There is a simple process to become a volunteer. First find an opportunity, create an account, and attend a general orientation. Volunteers for the ProtectHer and DefendHer levels the volunteer will attend a more rigorous training program. They also provide training and speakers to the public, schools, churches, and organizations. 

[1] https://www.newfriendsnewlife.org/what-we-do

[2] https://www.newfriendsnewlife.org/what-we-do

[3] https://www.newfriendsnewlife.org/what-we-do