New nonprofit is resource center for other groups helping women in Vegas

Girl power just got a boost in the Las Vegas Valley. The BE A SHERO Foundation received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in July and is now operational. The group specifically addresses the needs of young women and girls who have been abused, made to work in the sex industry or faced similar life circumstances. It works with various local entities to see that each girl gets the type of help she needs.

The meaning behind the letters of BE A SHERO are not set in stone, according to group founder Kimberly Miles, who said they could stand for a variety of words, including bold, beautiful, educated, empowered, strong, secure, happy, honor, engaged, reliable, resilient, opportunities and optimistic.

"We decided it's not just one thing," she said.

According to the group's website, its mission is to "provide resources needed to support, sustain and empower young girls and women under the age of 25 who have been abused, abandoned, and exploited." It works as a resource center to bring other valley agencies with similar missions together.

The organization plans to host a fundraiser, the Mardi Gras Masquerade, from 6 to 10 p.m. Feb. 6 at Rain inside the Palms, 4321 W. Flaming Road. Tickets are $225 or $300 for VIP and include entertainment, with Cirque du Soleil performers, a Mardi Gras- and carnival-themed dining experience created by a chef and an open bar planned.

Miles said it is important that women in the community provide help for other women who are dealing with challenges.

"It's all of our business to raise a child," she said. "It's a community's responsibility to empower, inspire and provide shelter, safety, food, water and education to a child … 'It takes a village' is an old African proverb. (A woman) can do anything she puts her mind to."

Miles knows the dangers of the streets all too well, and her personal experiences led to starting the foundation.

"At 15 years old, I was homeless," she said. "My mother committed suicide when I was 10 years old, and my father kept us as long as he could. In the '70s, men really didn't keep their kids and raise them. I feel blessed we weren't put in an orphanage. I moved in with a 27-year-old female who sold cocaine, and she exposed me to a life no child should have to ever be exposed to, no matter what."

Miles was involved with drugs but not the sex industry. She intends to write a book about her experience.

The toughest part of setting up the foundation, she said, was finding the right people to be part of the board — people who believed in the mission and didn't see it as a vehicle for their own advancement. She shares board duties with Monica Coburn, Theresa Anderson, Linda Painter and Dr. Lisa Durette.

There are more than 12 entities working with the new foundation.

Sarina Rohrig is the equine therapy founder of Breaking Free Therapies in Boulder City, which was founded in August and works with abused young women, especially those coming out of sex trafficking, and horses. Breaking Free can accommodate 10 clients a day and is not a mounted program but rather follows a team approach model with a therapist.

"What makes it unique is, the horse is used as a metaphor during the session. So, you're taking the therapy session from the couch and going into the arena with the horses. The horses are so honest, and they provide immediate feedback," Rohrig said. "... The horse feeds off the human energy because they are a prey animal — they're hypersensitive to their environment — so it's interesting to see how horses will bond with people."

Being in the sex trade means there's always the possibility of becoming pregnant. Christine Schmitz Gronau is the Las Vegas director of the local chapter of Project Cuddle, whose national spokesman is actor John Stamos. The Las Vegas chapter has been around about six years. It runs a toll-free hotline for new mothers who want to give up their newborns.

"We're completely confidential ... women are afraid of being seen, so they call our hotline, and they get routed to a doctor or a safe home or however we can facilitate," Gronau said. "Here in Las Vegas, we only get a few calls because by the time they get to me, there's something really bad going on, so we go rescue the baby. A lot of times, we just send a cab to pick them up and take them somewhere safe, so we work as a conduit. That's why BE A SHERO is great because (by being integrated with other groups) we're going to be able to help so many more people."

Karen Diers is the city director for Refuge for Women, which recently started a chapter in Las Vegas. The home-based program assists women looking to escape prostitution and the sex industry by helping them deal with trauma and emotional issues and setting them up for success.

The group began in Kentucky about six years ago, and one of its success stories is a young woman, now 21, who was sexually abused by her father from the time she was 4. Later, he would sell her to his friends to make money. The woman now speaks out about her experiences with the hope of helping others and has been invited to speak in Las Vegas in the future.

Diers said BE A SHERO was a way for her group to see that such young women get help in many vital areas.

"We can't be like the Lone Ranger in this city," Diers said. "We have to look out for one another. ... I would love for Las Vegas to be known for something other than the sex industry."

Visit sherofoundation.org or facebook.com/beasherofoundation.

— To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.