EDEN - Visitors to the second annual RoCo Makers Market on April 29 will meet husband and wife, artisans helping the world's most vulnerable people - child sex traffickers.
Kimberley and Ethan Wheeler, carpenters who make souvenir gun cases and sell them to collectors, have spent years in Thailand helping at-risk youth and sex-trafficked teens.
One of the 50 vendors wanted to sell crafts at the First Presbyterian Church of Eden Market. The Wheelers call their business Chapter and Verse Studios.
They use their business to fund their Phoenix Alliance, a nonprofit organization that helps people trapped in the sex trafficking industry.
"Our family thrives on the direct support and sale of this home business," said Kimberly Wheeler. "That's why we mean it when we say that without you, we literally couldn't keep helping kids," she said.
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In her opinion, the RocCo Makers Market is not just an exhibition of vendors.
Ingrid McCraw, who co-owns the event with Leslie Wyatt, said: "Their goal is to give back to the community as a whole."
The Wheelers, who are from Idaho, met while attending a Baptist youth program when they were both enrolled at Boise State University, they said.
He worked in commercial AV systems until 2015, and she worked from home raising the couple's four children: Ellie, 20, Emily, 18, Ryan, 16, and Samantha, 13.
The fifth child is Ryan's 150-pound service dog, St. According to the family, the gentle giant dog helps autistic Ryan with daily chores.
How the Wheelers became interested in fighting the sex trade
The seed for the sex trafficking agenda was planted at a 2008 church conference in San Diego, where Ethan Wheeler gave a presentation on sex trafficking.
"He turned our lives upside down," he said. "It burned a hole in us for a long time."
Around 2014 they discovered Destiny Rescue and decided to make it an important part of their lives. "We discussed how we can change the child sex trafficking situation," said Kimberly Wheeler. And the couple volunteered and helped out at small local events before looking for work abroad.
A few months later, Ethan Wheeler was offered a job in Thailand, which he accepted in 2016.
The couple's move meant they had to give up their five-bedroom home with furniture and cars.
All they have left is a 2.40 x 3.50 m vault that can preserve memories for life.
Their work in Thailand was educational and rewarding, and taught them many useful skills to use in the United States.
And in late 2018, the Wheelers returned to the United States to work with young people affected by the sex trafficking epidemic.
"We were looking for a state that had a significant juvenile and teenage human trafficking problem," said Kimberly Wheeler, noting that North Carolina ranks sixth nationally for the problem of human trafficking, most of which is minors regarding. .
And with the state's largest city, Charlotte, sandwiched between New York and Miami, Tambra de Tarre's other major trouble spots seemed ideal.
They eventually settled in Winston-Salem in search of a permanent home. Kimberly Wheeler quickly found a "great home" in Eden.
"The cost was incredible and it was perfect for our family, and we had the space to open a (woodworking) shop in the basement," Kimberly said.
In 2019, just before the outbreak of COVID-19, they moved to Rockingham County.
Ethan Wheeler started out as a carpenter in Winston-Salem, but after moving to Eden, he and his wife began helping with expenses after the pandemic hit them hard financially.
"Both of our dads were in the military so one day we made flags for them and our parents loved them," said Kimberly Wheeler of the hand-painted plaques. "Mother (Ethan) convinced them to write the words 'In God We Trust' on the flags.
Through an online sales platform, "we sold hundreds of items in the first year," says Ethan Wheeler. "We didn't know many people in North Carolina at the time, but we rounded them up and sent them to the people of Idaho."
Soon the flag's sideline began to dry and the Wheelers decided to dress up. They used the same tile wooden flag design to decorate the top cover of the weapon crate's hidden door.
The most popular is 18 x 9 1/2 inches and is designed to be used as cover for those with guns.
"We thought people would like big boxes, but we sell a lot more small ones," his wife said.
The pair also features a slim case with a blue line for law enforcement. Wheeler said he spent about two hours on each item, and prices ranged from $150 to $300.
Wheelers these days have a lot of fans and sell a lot of goods, but the most popular of these are the big sealed boxes.
Building has become a family affair.
The girls have a laser engraver, so the Wheelers "hire our girls to help with the CGI," the couple said.
"Our family thrives on the direct support and sale of this home business," said Kimberly Wheeler. "That's why we mean it when we say that without you, we literally couldn't keep helping children.
"We put our heart and soul into every handmade item we sell," said Ethan Wheeler. "Often the whole family is involved, from our youngest daughter to our veteran fathers who help build our American flags," Ethan said.
"You'll find that the build quality and attention to detail is better than most and probably better than it should be," he said. "But it is important for us to do our best because we are very grateful for the work that your purchase enables us to do."
