ReHope eNews – August 2024

We are excited to announce the merger of Veronica’s Voice into ReHope. These two nonprofit organizations are dedicated to raising awareness and assisting survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in their own journeys to freedom.

Veronica’s Voice was founded by pioneer and survivor Kristy Childs in 2000. The organization has provided education, legislative and legal advocacy, support, safe housing and recovery to hundreds of sexual exploitation victims. Veronica’s Voice was named to honor one of Kristy’s closest friends, Veronica Neverdusky. The girls met when Kristy was in her twenties, having run away from an abusive home when she was 12. Veronica, 14, was forced to live on the streets after testifying against her abuser. Kristy respected the young Veronica’s courage to stand up to this man and put him behind bars. The girls became very close, like sisters.

Veronica was senselessly murdered in 1993. She was just 21 and the mother of 3 young children when her voice was silenced. Seven years after Veronica’s death, Kristy – who endured years of trafficking – founded Veronica’s Voice in memory of her friend and the countless women and girls throughout history without a voice. Veronica’s Voice provided much needed services to women who endured the horror of trafficking, while educating the public on the realities of this issue.

On July 1, 2024, Veronica’s Voice dissolved as a 501c(3) nonprofit and combined its assets, resources, and passion with ReHope. While the organizations sorted out logistics of the merger, ReHope converted the Wyandotte County, Kansas, house and opened a crisis stabilization home in March 2024 for women who recently exited trafficking or exploitation. Survivors already find safety, rest, comfort, care and healing in one of four fully furnished bedrooms. Staff and volunteers help these women stabilize and plan the next steps on their healing journey, which may include ReHope Farms.

The crisis stabilization staff and volunteers are led by Mary Helm, program manager, who previously worked at ReHope Farms and has deep experience serving those coming out of crisis, in the Kansas City Metro area as well as on the US border. Mary will report to Chief Program Officer Roxie Lloyd. Roxie oversees all of ReHope’s services for survivors whether they enter this home or those at ReHope Farms.

Kristy Childs will continue to work for ReHope to assist in the final details of the merger and provide her expertise to further ReHope’s expanded support for trafficked women.

Thank you so much for your support as donors, partners, and volunteers. Because of you, ReHope continues to expand its services to survivors.

To learn more about Veronica’s Voice and their extensive, pioneering work over two decades, please visit https://www.veronicasvoice.org/

I feel strongly that this merger will help to further extend our reach of services and assistance to those in areas that we could not reach before. This is an incredible opportunity of growth and expansion, the beginning of a new era which we have already ushered in with open arms and open hearts.

— Veronica’s Voice Survivor

This merger expands and extends support to survivors and to women in crisis in the Kansas City Metro area. This merger is full of possibilities and excitement, and I am certain we will be better together. We are pleased to carry on the tremendous impact that Kristy and Veronica’s Voice have had in the lives of so many survivors in the fight against the horrific scourge of sex trafficking.

— Jason Alvis, ReHope CEO