Refuge for Women gives shelter to those leaving sex work

Las Vegas may not seem like an ideal spot to provide refuge for women trying to escape sex work, but the founders of faith-based shelter Refuge for Women believe such a service is needed in a place with as many dark secrets as Sin City.

The shelter helps women looking to leave jobs centered around stripping, prostitution, escorting and pornography.

The nonprofit's origins can be traced to 2010, when the Rev. Ked Frank began the first safe house on a 50-acre farm in central Kentucky. Nevada is the second state to open a Refuge for Women residential program, with Illinois planning to open one in March.

"On the surface, Las Vegas seems like a terrible place to put a house for women trying to escape sex work," Frank said. "Even when I mention it to women today that they could go to Las Vegas for a new beginning, there is a pause on the other line as if they are processing the idea of going to Las Vegas for a place to escape. Prostitution has been around since the beginning of time, and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

"We aren't naive enough to think we are going to end prostitution. Our goal is to provide a path for those that want out and want to begin again."

The Las Vegas Valley home is located inside a gated community, meant to create a safe setting and family atmosphere for residents to experience healing with few distractions.

Inside, women are given the chance to develop and work on a life plan, focusing on their physical and emotional health, spiritual growth, education and the essential skills necessary for building a stable and productive life. The free, three-phase program can last up to a year.

Before being admitted, a seven-month verbal commitment is required. Once accepted, the women are provided with shelter and three meals a day.

"It's a program for women who have been treated like a reusable resource," said Karen Diers, city director for Refuge for Women Las Vegas. "Maybe she was raped by her father or picked up by a pimp when she was 12, or maybe she's a stripper and dances to pay the bills. More often than not, these women are traumatized."

Frank echoed Diers by saying that the reality of the sex industry is far from Hollywood's perception of glamour and fame.

According to Frank, of the 122 women who have been helped by the shelter, more than 90 percent are survivors of childhood sexual abuse and more than 75 percent are rape survivors diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"The majority of sex workers are victims of horrific experiences," he said.

Key aspects of the program are sobriety, healing from trauma and rebuilding trust. The first phase focuses on providing comfort and safety by working closely with each woman to help heal past trauma and rebuild her self-worth, in an effort to increase her emotional, mental and spiritual health.

"We challenge girls to talk from their heart about what's going on," Diers said.

During the second phase, women are taught skills to help them enter the workplace with confidence.

In phase three, residents enter an employment program for two months and also have the option to receive three months of additional residential care. During this phase, staff members work closely with partner organizations and businesses to help find them gainful employment that can meet their needs and those of their families.

"All in all, she just needs time and an environment like our home with tools to make something out of life," Diers said. "This is a second chance to come away from the drugs and abuse and learn that her body is worth more than making money that comes and goes."

During their time at Refuge for Women, residents have the opportunity to serve other women through volunteering and an internship, or they may choose to use the shelter's resources for further education and stable employment.

While the program heavily promotes the Christian faith and encourages women to read the Bible and pray, being religious is not a requirement of the program — though many graduates attribute their success in the program to their newfound faith.

"Nothing helped me find some hope and peace as much as my faith did," said Shantell, a 33-year-old graduate of the program who asked to have her last name withheld. "It wasn't until I found a relationship with Christ that I was able to start changing and found that doors started opening for me."

After her parents divorced when she was 11, the former Las Vegas resident said her life began a downward spiral. She got kicked out of school, became heavily involved with drugs and alcohol, and became involved in Internet modeling, which she soon learned was code for soft porn at age 17.

Her life came to a brief pause after she found out she had a molar pregnancy, which happens when tissue that normally becomes a fetus instead becomes an abnormal growth in the uterus. The molar pregnancy turned into cancer, which she beat with the help of chemotherapy.

Shantell said she then began stripping, doing sexual favors, escorting and getting involved with "sugar daddies" — older men who paid for the companionship of a younger woman.

Soon after, she said she met a pimp who recruited her for what was meant to be a "three-month hooker bootcamp."

Three months turned into two years as she worked as a prostitute in another state where she said she was mentally manipulated by a madam and a pimp.

"I was completely under their control," Shantell said.

At age 30, she finally gathered enough money to leave and return to Las Vegas, and eventually — with the help of The Cupcake Girls, a local nonprofit that does outreach to women in Las Vegas strip clubs, legal Nevada brothels and adult entertainment events — she found the Refuge for Women in Kentucky.

"I'm so grateful for everyone at Refuge for Women," Shantell said. "I feel like I have a newfound hope and purpose in my life. I know that I'm worth more than just an object to be sold."

After graduating from the program in June, Shantell enrolled in college and is majoring in business marketing. She now has a boyfriend and started Glorify Humanity, glorifyhumanity.org, a T-shirt company with a mission to build partnerships with individuals or organizations who support women who have been abused and sexually exploited.

Stories such as Shantell's aren't uncommon, as Diers said the program has a 94 percent success rate. There are consequences for those who do not obey the house rules, including extra chores and limited television time. Those who continue to disobey can get kicked out.

"They are watched 24/7," Diers said. "Some come into the house troubled, so we have to be very careful with them."

Participants must go through a detoxification program prior to entering the home, and random drug checks are performed throughout their time there.

"We have found there is a gap in services for human trafficking. People are raising awareness, changing laws, doing outreach and much more. However, there aren't many creating long-term care for women to heal from these terrible experiences," Frank said. "This is where we have found we can make the biggest contribution."

The nonprofit has an ongoing need for monetary donations as well as nonperishable food and toiletries. Diers estimated that the program costs the group $66 to $100 a day per participant.

Volunteers also are needed on an ongoing basis to serve as teachers, mentors, counselors, drivers, dietitians and fitness experts. Other volunteer opportunities include hosting a house party for potential volunteers or joining a volunteer team, prayer team, events team or assisting with communications.

The group also is looking for people to donate houses to expand the program.

"There are hundreds of thousands of women who want to get out of the sex industry, and there are just not enough beds in the U.S.," Diers said. "We want to make this a place of healing and a home for as many women as we can."

"I don't think there is anything magical we are doing in Refuge for Women. We create space for people to begin again, and we promise them they will feel more loved than they have ever felt in their lives," Frank said. "Love is a powerful component that people respond to. People are looking for authentic love and have ended up in challenging situations in life, pursuing love in the wrong places."

Women from across the nation can join Refuge for Women Las Vegas' residential program. There is a wait list, but online applications are being accepted.

Visit refugeforwomen.org/las-vegas or email volunteer coordinator Margaret Nitzel at margaretnitzel@gmail.com.

— To reach North View reporter Sandy Lopez, email slopez@viewnews.com or call 702-383-4686. Find her on Twitter: @JournalismSandy