Next Step Ministries
#200 317-37 Avenue NE T2E 6P6 Calgary, AB, Canada

NSM officially launched our social enterprise this week For the Sparrows, a brand that directly empowers survivors of sexual exploitation through employment in our production line. Our curated shop of lifestyle goods for women are proudly designed and ethically produced by women. You create change when there is purpose through your purchase. To shop, head to www.forthesparrows.ca

Every day, hundreds of women in Calgary feel trapped in their life of sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, with no safe place to escape. We’re on a mission to change that. NSM offers programs centered on the strengths, needs, and individual choices of each woman we serve. We walk alongside survivors and work together to increase their safety and move toward a life of hope, healing, and stability. Learn more about us at our website https://nextstepministries.ca

At NSM, we know that relapses back into sexual exploitation are more likely for survivors who cannot secure and maintain reliable employment. It creates another barrier to sustaining their own housing and basic needs. That's why we created For the Sparrows, a curated brand of ethically made home goods to provide survivors opportunities to achieve and maintain economic self-sufficiency and advancement through training and employment. We invite you to be a part of our story! E...very time you make a purchase, you are empowering women-survivors through employment. Shop www.forthesparrows.ca

To celebrate Mother’s Day and offer a lovely gift for all the incredible mother figures this year, the women in the day program created these beautiful floral arrangements! Starting with thrifting vases, they got creative and painted them, and then they learned how to arrange each gorgeous bouquet in a workshop taught by Majesty Florals. The whole process was an excellent opportunity to learn fun skills and try something new! We hope every mom out there feels how valuable and loved you are. Happy Mother’s Day

NSM's Follow Care offers long-term support, walking with alumni as they rebuild their lives. We support the women in obtaining employment, independent housing, pursuing their educational goals, and navigating reuniting with their children and families. We continue building meaningful long-term relationships and offering trauma-informed counselling. Our alumni have the opportunity to access staff support at any time. We're available for phone calls, meeting up when they feel lonely or triggered, bringing extra food, and providing support where we can. We encourage alumni to share in the classroom and attend meetings and events with current participants to offer them hope to begin their journey.

Today is Red Dress Day a day to bring awareness to the impact of colonization, residential schools, and a social system that has allowed for the devaluation and oppression of Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2Spirit people. 50% of sex trafficking victims in Canada are Indigenous, and Indigenous women only represent 4% of the Canadian female population. By simply looking at this data, a stark image of the legacy of colonization and systemic oppression emerges, showing how enormous the disparity is. There is a long legacy of racial and gender violence that perpetuates the exploitation and violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2spirit people in Canada. Wear red today and take time to honor and recognize that every person who has gone missing is a sacred, beautiful individual who deserved love, dignity, and autonomy.

A former NSM participant started her own small business through our microenterprise initiative, and now she has partnered with For the Sparrows to create these beautiful hand-knit throw blankets! Each blanket tells a story about strength and survival, and is a chance to bring social impact to your decor. All of the profits go back to her small business. Shop here www.forthesparrows.ca

Thanks to Paisley and Polkadots for making these beautiful cookies for us to celebrate our 10th anniversary today!

We’ve been taking the time over these past few days and leading up to our 10th anniversary to thank God and give praise for all of the amazing opportunities He has blessed us with over this past decade. Something we want to celebrate today is having EmergeFree join our ministry this year! By working together, we have been able to expand NSM’s Outreach front line impact. EmergeFree’s focus has been around building relationships with women working in massage parlours and those working on the street (The Stroll). NSM staff and volunteers are able to continue building relationships, walk alongside women, offering access to resources and services, as well as a way out. This collaboration will greatly extend NSM’s reach. Let us know if you’ve been celebrating with us by participating in the gratitude and connection challenge!

NSM turns 10 today! CELEBRATE WITH US! Video: Uplift Media

GIVEAWAY An Indigenous woman in our program makes her own dream catchers that incorporates a clock and she wanted to give one away this week in honour of her birthday. All natural materials used: real leather, real sinew, and authentic animal hide. She shares I want to give a dream catcher clock away to celebrate me turning 41 years old. After all I have received I want to give back. ... To ENTER: follow @ministriesnextstep tag a friend (1 per comment) and share with them something you are thankful for receive 5 extra entries by sharing this post to your Story and tag us This giveaway closes Thursday November 26th at 12pm.

It's hard to believe it's been 7 years since we first opened the doors to Sparrow House! In 2017, we opened up our second home. NSM Sparrow Houses provide second stage housing and safety for women exiting sexual exploitation. They are given a room with a key so each woman has a safe place to call their own. They learn home based life skills while building community within a comfortable home setting.

NSM Follow Care offers long term support. walking with alumni as they rebuild their lives. Next steps often include finding employment, independent housing, pursuing their educational goals, and navigating being reuinted with their children and families. Alumni may access staff support at any time.

Did you know that we have a social enterprise at NSM? Next Step Market provides skill-based training and empowers the women in NSM programs. It also provides sustainable funding for our programs and brings awareness about the issue of sexual exploitation. Last week we added a new product: the Sparrow Light Blend! Each bag has been roasted, labelled, and hand bagged by all the women in the NSM Day Program! Through this skills based training, they are able to learn what i...t’s like to work in a small business and some of the skills needed. When you buy a bag of coffee, the money isn’t just going back into the program but you’re also giving and providing tools for these women on their journeys. Bags of coffee are ethically sourced and organic from Nicaragua. place your order through our shop online https://nextstepmarket.square.site/shop/coffee/19 photo : @_jana_naomi_

Here is the NSM Outreach video created in 2018! Outreach teams meet women where they are at within street level, commercial, or forced sexual exploitation. Our goal is to offer access to services and resources that provide them with safety and choices.

Outreach teams meet women where they are at within street level, commercial, or forced sexual exploitation. Our goal is to offer access to services and resources that provide them with safety and choices.

Reflecting over the past ten years has been amazing. We are so grateful to God for the many blessings and opportunities we have had. It’s incredible to see where we’ve come from and where we are now. NSM connects with over 100 agencies in Calgary. We collaborate to ensure that we can provide the best care possible for women experiencing and exiting sexual exploitation. We are also thankful to have such an amazing and large volunteer based filled with wonderful people. We are better together

In the past 10 years at NSM we have seen and experienced many things beyond what we could imagine. One thing that stands out is the incredible depths of trauma held by the women we serve. At NSM we strive to implement trauma-informed care (TIC) into everything we do, not only because it is the best evidence based practice but also because of our faith and Biblical mandate of loving one another as we love ourselves (Mark 12:3-31). In the past year we have been able to add a tr...auma informed counsellor to our staff who has been instrumental in the healing journey of the women we serve that have experienced abuse and trauma beyond what we could comprehend. All of our staff take part in trauma informed training personally and NSM is proud to be a part of the Trauma Informed Care Collective which is committed to agencies working together to promote TIC internally and enact TIC throughout our provincial and government systems. See more

7 years ago we started the NSM Day Program! While living in the Sparrow Houses, women attend the Day Program. Within a trauma informed classroom structure, women work on life skills, building resiliency, attaining personal goals and are supported along their healing journey. Classes are designed to affirm participants of their inherent worth, value and to encourage women as they discover their identity.