2024 Annual report
A year of transformation, healing, and freedom!
A Message from the Director
I’m a bit of a creature of habit – routines, structure, and consistency really make my heart happy and help me thrive. Every morning, I take the exact same route to work. It’s a short commute and there are plenty of ways that I could go but I found a groove with this particular route and every single morning, without fail, I take the same few turns that bring me to our main HOC campus.
Every single morning, I pass a park that is well known in our community and every morning, it makes me quite angry. Several years ago, a young lady was spending some time in this park, relaxing in nature, journaling, and simply getting some fresh air but due to the injustice in our city, the darkness of the world in which we live, and the horrors of trafficking and abuse, this individual was attacked and taken advantage of in this park - a space originally designed for respite, relaxation, and fun.
You see, despite the evil taking place around us daily, our campus, our programs, and our homes are providing a beacon of light, a promise of safety, and a spark of hope. In 2024, over 200 individuals took a few turns past their trauma and entered the doors of House of Cherith! That is more than 200 fresh starts, more than 200 second chances, and more than 200 opportunities to show women and children that they are valuable, worthy, and have hope for a better and brighter future.
This year I plan to continue driving the same way to work, because I like routine yes, but also because passing that park every morning reminds me of my why. It stokes the fire within me and reinvigorates my passion to keep showing up for our ladies, to keep fighting for their freedom, to keep reminding them that they are priceless.
The smiles, the joy, the tears of happiness – they make it all worth it!! 11 years into this HOC journey and I love it more today than ever before. In 2025, HOC is eager and excited to welcome even more survivors HOME as they overcome trauma, find their voice, and rewrite the narrative of their stories to include chapters of profound healing, deep recovery, and true restoration.
Will you join us in this journey as we fight for freedom together?
What is Sex Trafficking?
According to the Department of Justice, Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age.
There is an estimated 4.8 million victims in forced sexual exploitation
(International Labour Organization)
Approximately 40% of victims are recruited by immediate family members or close family friends
(Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative)
Globally, the sex trafficking industry earns $99 billion annually
(Department of Homeland Security)
Currently, there is a shortage of safe housing and supportive services for trafficked victims.
Our approach
House of Cherith is a trauma-informed care residential recovery program providing a safe place for survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation and those who have been employed in the sex entertainment industry. Our goal is to provide love and nurturing while preparing them for long-term sobriety and success.
While tremendous efforts have been made to raise awareness and eradicate modern-day sex trafficking, there remains a major shortage of supportive services designed for survivors. Our focus is to serve the survivors struggling to recover from the years, or even decades, of trauma they have endured.
Impact by the Numbers
Each number is a story of healing and transformation.
Stories of Hope
Meet Brianne, a House of Cherith Graduate.
“I’ve struggled with addiction most of my life. Most of my family struggled with addiction and mental illness, so it was no surprise that I started using drugs at an early age. When I was 24, I was partying with some people in a hotel room, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up to strangers I’d never met before.
I was 27 when I was rescued. Some detectives had been building a case against my trafficker, and they rescued me and four other girls. I came to House of Cherith, and that was the best thing that ever happened to me.
The classes at House of Cherith helped me so much. I learned tools to help with self-identity and self-care. I learned how to love myself, heal my inner child, and how to repair myself. I was able to discover and heal traumas I never knew I had. I learned healthy coping skills, how to have healthy relationships, and how to set healthy boundaries.”
Meet Jessica, a Mommy and Me Graduate.
“When I arrived at House of Cherith, I was a broken mother of two who had endured 10 years of being in an abusive marriage which stole my happiness, friends, self-worth, and hope. In my despair, I turned to drugs in an attempt to get some kind of relief. Drug use quickly turned into drug addiction, and I wasn't successful in doing anything but tearing apart all that I had left. I lost my career, my vehicle, and became a criminal in an effort to keep my home, my kids, and support my habit.
Gratefully, it led me to jail, which put me on a path to House of Cherith. House of Cherith ignited my yearning to know God and restored my trust in myself to be the safe, loving person I once was. It took a little over two years to get to this point, but they have supported me every step. I am going forth to the world with the purpose to help others who are now where I once was. I am hopeful, I am loving, and I am loved.”
A Year In Review
Thank you for joining us in 2024 in the Fight for freedom!
