Her Song

Volunteer Outreach Opportunity - Calling All Tutors!

Her Song is a Jacksonville based ministry that provides safe shelter for women who were former victims of human trafficking. Besides participating in programs that help them gain their independence, many of these women are working towards completing their GED or are enrolled at FSCJ to earn their degree.

One of the ways that Our Saviour can help these women succeed is by providing tutors in several subjects including high school math, college algebra, and English - especially writing and composition.

If you have strong knowledge of one of these subjects, the ability to teach, and the patience/grace to work one-to-one with adult students, you would be a great fit!

Students range in age from early 20’s to 40’s. They are often coming back to school after a decade or more and are adapting to online courses.

While most of the staff, coaches, and volunteers who work with Her Song clients are women, men are warmly welcome and encouraged to serve as tutors, with the side benefit of exemplifying a positive male Christian presence.

The Learning Center is located off of St. Johns Blvd near the Town Center and the tutoring schedule is very flexible with tutors spending 1 - 2 hours a week with a student on Wednesday or Friday between the hours of 9 and 3.

If you are called to minister to these women by helping them successfully continue their education, Her Song wants to hear from you!

To learn more, contact ministries@oursaviourjax.org who can help answer any questions you have and connect you with the very important ministry taking place at Her Song.

An Interview with Her Song Volunteers

by Kerry Baldwin

Our Saviour Couple Supports Local Community by Sharing the Love of God with Formerly Trafficked Women.

Recently, I sat down with Wayne and Mary Jo Plummer to learn from them about their experience volunteering with Her Song, a non-profit organization founded in Jacksonville in 2013, created to help women who are survivors of human trafficking through residential support, programs, and spiritual growth opportunities.

Mary Jo learned about Her Song in their early days during a session with her therapist, Rachel White, who was the founder of the organization. Supporting Rachel’s mission as a volunteer from the get-go, Mary Joe’s husband, Wayne, joined the board of Her Song in 2016 and, up until 2020, was the Treasurer dealing with all things financial, including taxes and grants.

Excerpts from our conversation:

KB: So how did you guys get started working with Her Song?

MJ: Rachel would tell me about the women and what they were doing so I started getting involved by making each girl a quilt. The first one I made was in black and white and when I delivered to one of the women, her home had the same color scheme. She was very excited!

KB: How many quilts have you made, Mary Jo?

MJ: I’ve made a lot. I can’t even count.

WP: She has made hundreds of quilts.

When Her Song built their first home for the women, they wanted volunteers to come out that would serve as positive role models. As a loving married couple, the Plummers were a great addition.

WP: We go once a month on a weekend to visit. We cook a meal, play games.

KB: What has it meant to the both of you to be a part of Her Song?

MJ: Rewarding. Blessed.

WP: To me it’s just seeing how God works. It’s like having a front row to God’s grace and how people can change. Most of these women, what they’ve been through in their life has been unfathomable.

MJ: The girls that make it through the program have God in their lives, so deeply enriched into their soul, that it’s really cool to see. It’s just wow, wow, wow!

Since 2020, when the Tim Tebow Foundation became involved, Her Song has begun expansion into two more cities - Chattanooga, Tennessee and Columbus, Ohio.

WP: I remember when we started out we were praying we would have enough money but it always worked out. If God wants it, God will find a way to fund it. Seeing that and how it’s grown and taken off, it’s neat to be part of something like that.

KB: It sounds like you guys have developed deep relationships with some of the women over the years.

MJ: They’ve become part of us.

WP: When we walk in we get a big hug and cook dinner and we visit. They view us like grandparents.

MJ: And that’s fine with me. If that’s the way they think about me then that’s an honor. It’s an honor.

KB: What does it take to be a volunteer at her Song?

If someone wanted to volunteer with Her Song, they have to be consistent. They can’t say I’m gonna go up twice and then not go anymore and then think they can be part of the girls’ lives. You can’t. You have to be consistent.

They recently went to Georgia to visit one of the women they got to know during her time at Her Song.

MJ: She just hugged us and said ‘thank you for coming!’ Her own parents haven’t even been to visit her.

Wayne is excited about his newest venture with Her Song. He and new member, Bob Lees, are going to be the new “honeydo list fix-it guys” for the house. “Nothing too crazy but we’re fixing a few things in the houses.” They may even grill dinner for the women once in a while.

If you are interested in finding out how you can support the mission at Her Song, please contact the Ministries Coordinator at ministries@oursaviourjax.org.