MIDDLETON — Blueberry muffins, an oil change, and someone to do arts and crafts with your child.
While each of these things might seem small in and of themselves, Beth Williams knows it doesn’t always take a lot to help someone feel seen and cared about. “Our goal is to let female trafficking survivors know they’re never alone, to help them move from surviving to thriving.”
To create the resources to make that possible, she founded Yada Fair Trade & Resale.
How Yada began
Williams and her husband were living a “typical” middle-class American life — the kids, the house, the dog, the cars — when they both felt called to do something more. “We felt a kind of emptiness,” said Williams. “We were going to church, teaching Sunday school, but we found ourselves asking, ‘Is this all there is?’ I think it’s cool that God worked on both of our hearts separately but simultaneously to do more.”
In the short term, the “more” was the decision to skip a theme park-type vacation and show their kids how God was at work in the world. That led the Williams family to Guatemala, where they met a poverty-stricken woman who made beautiful embroidered purses, and to Honduras, where they visited an orphanage that grew coffee to cover the costs to care for the children who lived there.
“We emptied our suitcases and brought home all the purses and coffee they could hold,” said Williams.
Back in the U.S., the family shared the stories of the people they’d met on their travels, sold the items they’d brought back, and sent the money they raised to support the impoverished people whose paths they’d crossed. After traveling with her family throughout South and Central America, Southeast Asia, and parts of the African continent, Williams started to realize that many of the areas they visited had one sobering thing in common: sex trafficking.
“I didn’t even know it was a thing, but then you meet the people who are affected by it and realize something needs to change,” said Williams.
That something might have been to focus on more international efforts except for the arrival of COVID.
“During that time, I met Marlene Sorenson (one of the founders of Zeteo Community, a home that’s currently under construction for female trafficking survivors and their children) and realized trafficking wasn’t just an international problem, it was happening here,” said Williams. “Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Holy Spirit stirred my heart, and I knew I had to take an action step.”
She decided to launch Yada Fair Trade & Resale. “I knew it was important to raise awareness about trafficking, but I also wanted to do more, and that’s where the store came in,” Williams said. “I chose the word ‘Yada’ because it’s Hebrew for ‘to be known’ and that’s how I want the women we serve to feel.”
What Yada strives to do
At first glance, Yada appears to simply be a well-appointed boutique resale store. The interior is charming, welcoming, and well laid out with a great selection of high-quality clothing, furniture, and housewares. But this hidden gem — located next to the Bruce Company at 2620 Parmenter St. in Middleton — is so much more.
Funds generated by the store are used to support Yada’s programs. These currently include a monthly shopping session where female trafficking survivors can pick out items to support a new job and apartment, similar free car care clinics, and help with everything from childcare to emergency housing.
The store is where Williams hosts meetings for trafficked women and their children, providing respite care, tutoring and mentoring, and a sense of community. “I want these women to know they’re not alone and there’s someone who cares,” stressed Williams.
Williams has also used the store to connect those who share her commitment to raise awareness of sexual exploitation and work to prevent it in the greater Madison community.
Where Yada needs help
There are countless ways those who want to take action can play a role. Donating items and shopping at the store are critical to generate funds. And Yada is always looking for volunteers who can sort clothing and help run the shop.
But that’s just the start. “Everybody has a gift,” stressed Williams. “When people say they want to help, my response is, ‘What are you really good at? What do you enjoy doing?’”
Yada’s volunteers bake treats for the monthly community meetings, provide childcare, handle food pantry runs for women who lack transportation, create marketing materials, write grants, manage the volunteer and donor databases, and even provide live music for Yada events.
“We’d love to hear from anyone who has a heart to join us in our efforts to support women who have been trafficked,” said Williams. “We can’t fix most of the issues these women face, and we can’t fix the trauma. But we can listen, and we can offer tangible support. And hopefully, the things we do create a ripple effect that changes what life looks like for the women and for the next generation.”
To learn more visit the Yada website at yadaftr.com or contact Williams at beth@yadaftr.com