Unique Franklin County facility will help sex trafficking victims

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A “restoration home” for survivors of sex trafficking is set to open this year in Franklin County.

The home, called Esther’s Home, is for girls ages 12-17.

It will be the first facility of its kind in the state.

It’s a project of the Richland-based Mirror Ministries.

“Throughout the last year, we have welcomed many volunteers and community support to get the property prepped and ready to begin hosting young survivors who have undergone horrific circumstances after being trafficked in our own community,” said Tricia MacFarlan, executive director of Mirror Ministries, in a statement. “This home has turned into more than we could have imagined. We are incredibly grateful for the support and are excited to open our doors for clients later this year.”

‘So grateful’

The home sits on 20 acres and has five bedrooms, plus office space and therapy and activity areas. The property also has a gym and recreation center, a barn that will hold horses for equine therapy, and a trauma-informed garden to provide space for reflection and quiet, the statement said.

Survivors will live at the home for up to two years; they won’t have to pay for the services.

The facility is named for Esther, a heroine of the Bible.

Mirror Ministries bought the property in January 2022, and staff and volunteers have been working on renovations and construction ever since. Many local businesses and organizations also have pitched in.

“We are just so grateful to everyone who has made this home a reality,” MacFarlan said.

‘A hidden crime’

Mirror Ministries started in 2014, and it’s served more than 450 sex trafficking survivors. On average, it helps 50 survivors a month with case management and therapeutic support.

“Not only is a facility like this crucially needed in our state, it is vitally needed right here in our own backyard of the Tri-Cities,” MacFarlan said in the statement, which noted that an estimated 200-plus underaged girls are trafficked on any given night in the Tri-Cities.

That statistic came from a 2013 sur- vey conducted by NewEdge.

“Sex trafficking is what we call a hidden crime as it is done behind closed doors and seldomly discussed, which makes it hard to acknowledge that it is happening in our own community,” MacFarlan said. “But we can help survivors of this horrific crime by providing a serene environment to recover and heal. Esther’s Home provides that space for young girls that would otherwise have nowhere to turn for help.”

How to help

Mirror Ministries continues to raise money for Esther’s Home.

So far, the group has brought in more than $3 million for construction and renovation, and $700,000 more is needed for operating costs for the first few years.

“Join us with a gift as we raise the final dollars that will help make this home a reality for girls in our local community,” MacFarlan said in the statement. “We have been amazed at how our community has come together to raise the costs needed to completely renovate the home to turn it into a dream environment for survivors. A gift today ensures that we open the doors later this year.”

To donate, visit the Esther’s Home capital campaign website at givebutter. com/esthershome.

For larger gifts and to learn more, contact Debbie Toner, capital campaign manager for Esther’s Home, at 509-9471316, debbie@mirror-ministries.org.