Advocate. Rescue. Restore.
A Way Out Ministries
All services are free of cost to A Way Out clients. We budget for these expenses and partner with community services and other non-profits.
Fighting Sexual Exploitation
Our Six Pillars:
Policy advocacy
Outreach
Community Case Management
Residential
After-Care
Social Enterprises
1. Policy Advocacy
2. Outreach
A Way Out has an incredible team who conduct outreach to venues in the Mid-South known for human trafficking. In addition, we have a short-term mission team who reaches, rescues and places the thousands trafficked at the venue during the national football championship game. The venues we reach locally include:
If you are interested in joining our outreach team or more information, email info@awoministries.org
3. Community Case Management
Not all women who want assistance leaving the sex industry need or want to come into our residential program. We therefore provide case management for women living in the community who need support as they are exiting and after they exit the sex industry. This includes an open survivor-led weekly support group, individual counseling sessions, the option to attend any of our bible-based trauma-informed groups, legal assistance from our on-staff attorney, assistance in budgeting, community referrals to resources needed, and pretty much - whatever is within our ability to provide assistance and prayer support.
4. Residential
We have a one-year Christ-centered trauma-informed residential program for women who have a history of sexual exploitation. Women who successfully complete the first year can apply to remain for a second year where we assist survivors in finding employment and housing.
Once accepted into the A Way Out Program, each client must complete Life Skill and Addiction Classes (LSA), weekly trauma counseling with a licensed therapist, Bible study, Celebrate Recovery classes, and any classes deemed necessary by the AWO staff. During the last three months in our residential program, survivors choose a mentor from our community of volunteers or through churches they join who will continue walking alongside her upon graduation.
The goal is to help each woman grow physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. It is our intent to give those we work with a hand up, not a handout.
We provide in-house and through strategic community partnerships:
Medical assistance | Dental Assistance | Professional COunseling | Safe Housing | Food | clothing | financial assistance | life skill Classes | Alcohol & Drug recovery | GED/HiSET Preparation | Education Assistance
GROWTH GROUP BIBLE sTUDY
Every week our program participants and volunteers have dinner and study God’s word together. The children have their own class while their mothers are in Bible study.
Life Skill and Addiction Classes (LSA)
Each program participant is required to complete this 18 week set of classes which may include:
Surviving Childhood Sexual Abuse
Dealing with Sexual Addiction
Healing the Mother Wound
Anger Management
Parenting (if needed)
Dealing with Depression
Processing Groups
Boundaries
12 Steps: a Spiritual Journey
Forgiveness
Lies Women Believe
Fool-Proofing Your Life
Heart of Addiction
Relapse Prevention
Weekly Counseling
Each program participant must attend weekly counseling that we contract with licensed therapists. Every woman entering the program is matched with a trained Christian counselor and A Way Out covers the fees.
Mentoring
A Way Out teachers, staff, and volunteers at local churches women attend serve as Godly mentors throughout women’s time in our residential program. Three months before each woman is scheduled to graduate, each survivor will choose a Godly mentor from the community God has surrounded her with. We believe in giving trafficking survivors their voice back. We allow relationships to form organically while in our residential program and give survivors the choice about who they want to continue mentoring them on their journey after they graduate. A Way Out provides training to each mentor chosen to ensure they are a compassionate role model, healthy friend, and someone offering practical help to accomplish the woman’s goals after graduation.
Special Events
Many of the special events we offer are meaningful first-time experiences for the women. These might include birthday parties, conferences, dinner and a movie, and overnight retreats.
Job Readiness Training
We partner with local ministries and businesses to find employment for our clients. We also provide the following:
Advancing in the Workplace
Dressing for Success
Personal Finance
Basic computer skills
Microsoft Office programs
Interviewing and Resume Basics
Welcome Home Capital Campaign
A Way Out Ministries is building a rural campus on over 80 acres that was generously donated by the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes, Inc. Once this campus, called The Meadow, is completed our residential program model will be enhanced and modified.
5. After-Care
Once women graduate, we provide after-care support through weekly survivor-led groups and community case management when needed.
6. Social Enterprise
A Way Out Ministries has a goal to launch several social enterprise businesses that will serve two purposes:
Provide a trauma-informed work environment where we can hire the women to make products and pay them wages for their time
Provide sustainable revenue to support operation costs for the ministry, meaning the women will be giving back to their own healing and support
Stay tuned for exciting updates on these businesses.
