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House Could Help Families Escaping Polygamy

Utah Attorney General's Office

A group that helps families leaving polygamist communities is hoping to buy a big house to help their effort, and they're asking for donations to make it happen. 

Kristyn Decker, who works with the HOPE Organization, says she got a call a few days ago from a realtor who told her a ten-bedroom home had come on the market in the town of Washington, near St. George.  The asking price is $360,000.  Decker says it could become a safe place for women and children leaving the FLDS communities in Hildale and Colorado City, just a few miles away. She says it's not always easy to let women know there's help on the outside.

"I think that the way they'll find out the very most is word of mouth," Decker tells KUER.  They have family who've been kicked out already or they have family who've left, and often, that's what we're finding, is that it's been by word of mouth from relatives who've already left."

Once women ask for help, Decker tries to connect them with community resources such as job training and food stamps.  Decker says it's been a chaotic time in the FLDS towns as Warren Jeffs tries to maintain control of the church from his prison cell in Texas.  He's serving a life sentence for sexual assault against two underage girls who were members of his church.

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