By Brian Koonce, reprinted with permission by The Pathway

Ministry involved glitz and glamor for one night, on Jan. 25, as ReHope hosted its 11th annual fundraising gala to support its services to survivors of human trafficking.

ReHope, a faith-based ministry formerly known as Restoration House, was originally an effort of Blue River-Kansas City Baptist Association. Its residential and recovery ministry provides survivors with individual attention and focused programming that promotes sustainable healing and ongoing support. These are the building blocks to help survivors, who once felt trapped and helpless, move confidently toward healthy, self-sustained, independent living.

Hosted just across the state line in Overland Park, Kans., the fundraising event saw sponsors and more than 400 attendees gather to support the ministry. They also heard four testimonies from survivors of human trafficking that are working their way through ReHope’s programs and learning to embrace their value before the Lord.

ReHope’s chief executive officer, Jason Alvis, said they offer a broad, comprehensive approach to helping adult survivors heal and recover (for minors, they partner with ministries such as Missouri Baptist Children’s Home).

First is the crisis stabilization program in Kansas City, Kans., where adult women who are close to exiting from trafficking or exploitation can separate from the outside world for 30 to 90 days. There, they receive counseling, therapy, can detox if necessary, and can examine their options.

Some may choose to spend up to a year at the ReHope farm, a group home of sorts with 24/7 staffing for mentoring, safety and stability. A second phase of up to a year can offer more autonomy, education, work opportunities, and the third phase can be up to a year in independent/transitional living in a new tiny home community ReHope is opening this month.

“Essentially we are running a tiny little town of one-bedroom tiny homes,” Alvis said. “We have our own wastewater treatment plant, we have a freshwater distribution system, and we have plans for a community center that will go in there.”

Alvis said there are currently five homes pending inspection, five more nearly complete.

“We’re praying that by the end of 2025, we have a full complement of 20 tiny homes,” he said.

As the ministry continues to broaden and deepen its impact, Alvis asked Missouri Baptists to pray for the ministry, its staff, and the survivors they work with.

“I think this year is going be big. We’ve kind of accepted the challenge,” he said.

Alvis said he would ask for “continuous prayer that [ReHope’s clients] would know by being in our program that they are loved by us but more importantly and way more deeply and vastly by our Creator God; that they are created in His image and that they would just feel that love of the Lord when they walk into the campus, when they step foot into any of their therapy sessions, and as they go about their day; that they would just know that they are they are valuable to the Lord and made in His image.”

For more information, go to https://rehope.org/.