Blog Archive

2-Year Impact Report

I stand in humble awe of our growth since publishing the first 6-year impact report two years ago. In the 2022 Impact Report we projected these strategic goals, and we’ve met them ALL! Improve our Economic Empowerment program component by scaling our Social Enterprise and creating a Workforce Readiness curriculum Launch an Alumni Aftercare program component including subsidized housing, therapy, and ongoing case management for a third year of transitional support Create a dedicated Emergent Care space for short-term emergencies such as sick-bay, relapse support, intake issues, alumni safety net Strengthen and resource our Prevention, Training, and Advocacy arm Add Global partnerships… Click here to keep reading the 2022 – 2023 Impact Report!

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You’re Invited! Hope Reimagined 2024

Rest Stop Ministries would be honored by your presence at the 12th Annual Gala, Hope Reimagined. Join us on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at The Mill at Lebanon. ​Guests will enjoy a catered dinner, messages from survivor speakers, great music, and stories of impact from Rest Stop Ministries’ 9 years of comprehensively restoring female survivors of domestic sex trafficking. We are thrilled to shine a light on all God has done in the lives of the women we serve! ​Browse our Silent Auction in person before placing your bid using our virtual platform. In addition to our Silent Auction, we’ll have our Good Hope Farms Shop on site! ​You will have an exclusive opportunity to purchase your favorite handcrafted items from the Good Hope Farms Shop, our Hope Enterprise and Workforce Empowerment pillar of the program dedicated to supporting survivors of trafficking both locally and globally. Every sale promotes the economic empowerment of RSM residents and helps sustain the residential restoration program of RSM. ​This is going to be an evening you won’t want to miss. Tickets can be purchased individually or as tables of 8. Purchase tickets here and save your seat today! ​Become a Sponsor for Hope Reimagined ​By becoming a Sponsor Underwriter for our Annual Gala, our largest fundraising event each year, you enable us to cover the costs of the Gala before the event so that every dollar raised that night goes directly to the provision of care for our survivors in the residential program. For more information regarding Sponsor-level benefits, marketing exposure, and/or requesting an invoice, contact RSM Director of Development of Marketing, Carissa Elliott, at [email protected].

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Growing Hope in 2024

We are thrilled to re-introduce you to Good Hope Farms: the Hope Enterprise & Workforce Empowerment pillar of Rest Stop Ministries! This 9-month curriculum that residents complete while participating in our core residential restoration program provides opportunities for them to gain valuable workforce-readiness skills and earn an income. Through a combination of weekly “class” and “lab” sessions, gain a deeper understanding of: job readiness skills, financial literacy, resume writing and interview coaching, and much more. ​In addition, residents will participate in a variety of paid hands-on training through our retail shop, Good Hope Farms! Training includes: inventory management, shipping, retail product development, marketing, dry package food manufacturing, beekeeping, and artisan soap making. ​We are delighted to offer these meaningful opportunities for the women in our care, and we pray that this formalized Hope Enterprise & Workforce Empowerment curriculum continues to Grow Hope in their lives! ​Head over to GoodHopeFarms.org to see all of the items we have available including apparel, home goods, accessories, stationary, and more! Plus, many products are made by survivors locally and globally. By purchasing a product from GoodHopeFarms.org, you’re providing empowering opportunities for RSM residents, as well as our sisters around the globe! HAPPY SHOPPING!

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Look who trotted his way to Rest Stop Ministries! 🦓✨ #IYKYK⁠
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We don’t usually host zebras, but we do believe in second chances and safe spaces. Plus, we could use some help around the farm with Lauren's baby on the way! ⁠
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Just another wild reminder that healing can happen for anyone. 💚 ⁠
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#RestStopMinistries #OnlyInTennessee #FaithHopeAndZebras

Look who trotted his way to Rest Stop Ministries! 🦓✨ #IYKYK⁠

We don’t usually host zebras, but we do believe in second chances and safe spaces. Plus, we could use some help around the farm with Lauren`s baby on the way! ⁠

Just another wild reminder that healing can happen for anyone. 💚 ⁠

#RestStopMinistries #OnlyInTennessee #FaithHopeAndZebras
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🌈 Happy Four-Year Work Anniversary, Susan! 🌈⁠
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Susan is a ray of sunshine at the office! 🌞 She FAITH-fully serves as our bookkeeper, and let’s be honest, it’s no small feat gathering receipts, timesheets, and donation info from our already busy staff! 🤪⁠
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Through it all, she carries out her work with incredible patience, kindness, and always with a smile. 💙⁠
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Please help us congratulate Susan on four amazing years at RSM! 👏🎉⁠
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#RestoreSurvivors #SowingInLove #HopeGrowsHere #SheIsPriceless⁠

🌈 Happy Four-Year Work Anniversary, Susan! 🌈⁠

Susan is a ray of sunshine at the office! 🌞 She FAITH-fully serves as our bookkeeper, and let’s be honest, it’s no small feat gathering receipts, timesheets, and donation info from our already busy staff! 🤪⁠

Through it all, she carries out her work with incredible patience, kindness, and always with a smile. 💙⁠

Please help us congratulate Susan on four amazing years at RSM! 👏🎉⁠

#RestoreSurvivors #SowingInLove #HopeGrowsHere #SheIsPriceless⁠
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May is a reminder to check in on your mental health and ask for help if you need it. Let’s lift each other up. #MentalHealthMatters #SheIsNotForSale 🧠🩵

May is a reminder to check in on your mental health and ask for help if you need it. Let’s lift each other up. #MentalHealthMatters #SheIsNotForSale 🧠🩵 ...

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Together, We Heal: Read How We Can Support Survivor Mental Health in this newsletter 🌿⁠
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🪴Hannah, our therapist, shares reflections from the work she does through compassion group.⁠
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🌻Good Hope Farms is featuring survivor-made artisan products this season.⁠
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❓️What can you do to help support mental health awareness for survivors and your community? We've included some helpful tips!⁠
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🚜In less than two minutes, you could enter RSM for a mini-grant and be a hometown hero!⁠
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🔗https://mailchi.mp/reststopministries/together-we-heal⁠
#MentalHealthAwareness #RestoreSurvivors #SheIsPriceless

Together, We Heal: Read How We Can Support Survivor Mental Health in this newsletter 🌿⁠

🪴Hannah, our therapist, shares reflections from the work she does through compassion group.⁠

🌻Good Hope Farms is featuring survivor-made artisan products this season.⁠

❓️What can you do to help support mental health awareness for survivors and your community? We`ve included some helpful tips!⁠

🚜In less than two minutes, you could enter RSM for a mini-grant and be a hometown hero!⁠

🔗https://mailchi.mp/reststopministries/together-we-heal⁠
#MentalHealthAwareness #RestoreSurvivors #SheIsPriceless
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👏 Shout out to Patty, our Senior Director of Finance and Administration! 👏⁠
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Thanks to Patty’s expertise, commitment, and eye for detail, we've made transformative strides in how we track and measure everything that is provided to survivors through Rest Stop Ministries programs. 📊⁠
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When RSM realized our client experience software tool wasn’t quite the right fit for our restoration pillars, Patty stepped in and got to work. 💪 From day one with Team Rest Stop, she began reimagining how the tech we had could be customized and improved to meet our unique needs. 🌿⁠
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With financial and technical support from our friends at @HighTideConsulting_, Patty fine-tuned the platform into a powerful resource that now helps us monitor mental health therapies, program milestones, survivor outcomes, and so much more. ✅⁠
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Her success didn’t go unnoticed either. Due to her success with this critical project, Patty was invited to share her insights during a professional development webinar hosted by High Tide! 🎉⁠
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Thank you, Patty, for your dedication to Excellence, Integrity, and Transparency—one of the core values we hold close at RSM. 💫⁠
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#RestoreSurvivors #StopOppression #SheIsNotForSale #MHAM2025

👏 Shout out to Patty, our Senior Director of Finance and Administration! 👏⁠

Thanks to Patty’s expertise, commitment, and eye for detail, we`ve made transformative strides in how we track and measure everything that is provided to survivors through Rest Stop Ministries programs. 📊⁠

When RSM realized our client experience software tool wasn’t quite the right fit for our restoration pillars, Patty stepped in and got to work. 💪 From day one with Team Rest Stop, she began reimagining how the tech we had could be customized and improved to meet our unique needs. 🌿⁠

With financial and technical support from our friends at @HighTideConsulting_, Patty fine-tuned the platform into a powerful resource that now helps us monitor mental health therapies, program milestones, survivor outcomes, and so much more. ✅⁠

Her success didn’t go unnoticed either. Due to her success with this critical project, Patty was invited to share her insights during a professional development webinar hosted by High Tide! 🎉⁠

Thank you, Patty, for your dedication to Excellence, Integrity, and Transparency—one of the core values we hold close at RSM. 💫⁠

#RestoreSurvivors #StopOppression #SheIsNotForSale #MHAM2025
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🌼 "It’s all I had to give." 🌼⁠
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She arrived in a new place, feeling hopeless and lost. 💔 Though she was on the path to freedom, it didn’t feel like it yet. 😢⁠
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But during Easter celebrations in her new home, something shifted. She laughed while hunting eggs, mischief twinkling in her eyes as she playfully tossed them at her sister survivors and staff. 💙⁠
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Later, seeking a moment of peace, she stepped outside for fresh air and quiet. 🌈 When she returned, her hands held a small fistful of delicate wildflowers. She gave them to Residential Manager, Tara, with a soft smile and a simple, powerful phrase: “It’s all I had to give.” 💐⁠
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Moments like this — filled with healing, gratitude, and authentic joy — are the heartbeat of our mission to #RestoreSurvivors. 🌿⁠
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#SheIsPriceless #SowingInLove #StopOppression #HopeHeals

🌼 "It’s all I had to give." 🌼⁠

She arrived in a new place, feeling hopeless and lost. 💔 Though she was on the path to freedom, it didn’t feel like it yet. 😢⁠

But during Easter celebrations in her new home, something shifted. She laughed while hunting eggs, mischief twinkling in her eyes as she playfully tossed them at her sister survivors and staff. 💙⁠

Later, seeking a moment of peace, she stepped outside for fresh air and quiet. 🌈 When she returned, her hands held a small fistful of delicate wildflowers. She gave them to Residential Manager, Tara, with a soft smile and a simple, powerful phrase: “It’s all I had to give.” 💐⁠

Moments like this — filled with healing, gratitude, and authentic joy — are the heartbeat of our mission to #RestoreSurvivors. 🌿⁠

#SheIsPriceless #SowingInLove #StopOppression #HopeHeals
...

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Together, let’s advocate for better resources, policies, and support for everyone. It’s time to take action for a healthier future. #MentalHealthAwareness #AdvocateForChange #MentalHealthMatters 🧠🩵

Together, let’s advocate for better resources, policies, and support for everyone. It’s time to take action for a healthier future. #MentalHealthAwareness #AdvocateForChange #MentalHealthMatters 🧠🩵 ...

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