RAHAB Ministries has been focused on ending the slavery of sex trafficking for the past 17 years. It’s hard to believe such atrocities take place in our own backyard, but every day, staff at RAHAB serve as a support system for women across the state of Ohio. RAHAB offers a continuum of care to survivors of sex trafficking. Its core work is to offer hope and healing to children and women who have been trafficked. Its two safe houses help fulfill this mission by offering a safe place for survivors to stay until they feel ready to reenter society. Some stay a few months; some more than a year—whatever they need since healing takes time.
The safe houses offer group therapy, yoga, art, time with trauma-informed therapists and other case management services. Staff hope to help the survivors plan the next chapter of their lives.
“We provide a safe place for girls to heal and try to provide as many normal experiences for them as we can,” explained Katie Spoonseller, the director of minor safe housing.
Katie remembers a young woman who had to help provide for her siblings, including putting food on the table. At Rebecca’s Place, the safe house for minors, she had her own bedroom and celebrated her birthday for the very first time. Thinking about securing food for her family, as a child herself, was no longer her responsibility.
An important staple that provides stability and security for the girls served at Rebecca’s Place is three consistent meals each day.
“Seeing the menu each week is one less thing they have to worry about. Food is a huge stressor for many of these girls. They have peace of mind knowing they don’t have to do anything for their meal,” said Katie.
Rebecca’s Place, and other services of RAHAB, have partnered with the Foodbank to offer nourishing meals to the people they serve. “There are no fees for the survivors who stay with us, so partnering with the Foodbank helps us cut costs. Otherwise, we’d be fundraising and looking into grants,” said Kelli Cary, vice president of programming for RAHAB.
The organization also offers three drop-in homes across Northeast Ohio. Drop-in homes are safe places women can visit during the day that offer a family atmosphere and ensures their basic needs are met, including meals, showers, emotional support from staff, etc.
“We see stories of hope and we see stories of healing day in and day out, so it really does feel like an honor and a privilege to get to walk alongside the people we serve and to get to know that we get to be a significant part of their story,” said Kelli.