“Worth It for One”: The Heart Behind House of Cherith

One issue affects every state, city and county in the United States: human trafficking.

As a young girl, Dr. Kelsi Franco saw firsthand how trafficking and exploitation affect vulnerable women and children.

“At the age of 13, I met a survivor of trafficking, and she told me her story. In that moment, I looked at my dad, and I said, ‘I know what I want to do for the rest of my life,’” Kelsi shared.

Since childhood, Kelsi had witnessed her father serving hurting families in the community through City of Refuge, an organization he founded 28 years ago that provides care for women experiencing homelessness, schooling opportunities for children, vocational training and more.

“[City of Refuge] started building program by program based on the needs presented in our city, in our community and in the worst neighborhood in the state of Georgia. [This neighborhood] has the highest rates of homelessness, incarceration, drugs and prostitution,” Kelsi explained.

12 years ago, a woman caught in a dangerous trafficking situation came to City of Refuge, and their team recognized a greater need they could help meet.

“We didn’t have a safe house at the time, and Bruce [Deel, City of Refuge CEO] said, ‘Hey Kelsi, would you like to start a safe house?’” she recalls.

In 2014, House of Cherith was born.

“[Cherith] comes from the book of 1 Kings where we see Elijah tell Ahab, the king at the time, that there’s going to be a drought in the land until God tells Elijah otherwise. Then God immediately instructs Elijah to go rest by the brook of Cherith,” shared Matt McGee, House of Cherith’s director of development.

“In a time of drought and danger, he was safe, he was protected and he was fed by the ravens. That’s the spirit of what we do at House of Cherith.” 

House of Cherith is a program of City of Refuge that offers free and safe shelter to women and mothers escaping human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual exploitation. 

“We provide everything a woman needs to rest, recover, renew their life and their spirit, trust in people, trust in God and set foot on a new path in life,” Matt explained. 

Case managers partner with women to form a customized plan to help them find healing and stability, whether they need to visit a doctor or a dentist, resolve legal issues or process past trauma with a counselor. Then the House of Cherith team helps women develop life skills and prepare for future jobs.

“We hope that when a woman graduates our program, she has developed coping skills and worked through some of the trauma, has access to stable and safe housing, has reliable transportation, has a source of income above the federal poverty level and has reunited with safe relationships,” he said.

Daily, Matt and Kelsi hear stories like Allison’s. Years ago, Allison was working as a nurse in a doctor’s office when an encounter with a male patient changed the trajectory of her life.

After his routine doctor’s visit, he found Allison through social media and sparked a relationship with her. 

“His messages felt harmless, funny, charming, almost flattering. His attention felt like safety. But slowly, without me even realizing, that ‘safety’ became control. His charm became chains. Over weeks and months, his influence wrapped tighter around my life until I didn’t make a move without his approval,” Allison shared.

Under the control of drugs and this man, Allison was trapped and exploited until a police raid freed her. After a year of homelessness and wandering, she was arrested in Georgia, where a judge recommended House of Cherith.

“I loved House of Cherith from the start because they saw every part of me, my trauma, my needs, my potential. They planned for my healing before they even knew my name. They didn’t just give me a bed; they gave me medical care, counseling, trauma-based classes, vocational course opportunities and the belief that I could be whole again,” Allison explained.

This year, 17 women with stories like Allison’s graduated from House of Cherith.

“Each of those stories of trauma could make a horror film blush,” Kelsi said. “But their success stories would be a Hollywood blockbuster. They are warrior women who have dug deep and fought.

“We have ladies getting their driver’s license for the first time in years, getting keys to their own apartments and reunifying with their children.”

When an opportunity to expand House of Cherith’s outreach for women in crisis presented itself last summer, both Kelsi and Matt were excited to take it. 

“When the Community Foundation reached out to us and asked if we wanted to partner, we, of course, wanted to share our story,” Matt shared.

Through this partnership, Kelsi looks forward to raising greater awareness of an issue that affects every community in the United States.

“A lot of people are still naive to what’s taking place. They think it’s a third-world issue, but Atlanta is in the top two cities for trafficking every year in the United States,” she explained. 

“[The Community Foundation] puts us in front of different audiences and gets our story out there.”

With the support of fundholders and donors, City of Refuge and the House of Cherith team plan to open another house with space for 12 more survivors to join the program.

“We hope our work and story will inspire members of the Community Foundation to contribute to a woman’s life and provide the resources she needs for a new start,” Matt said.

Even as they celebrate 17 women finding freedom, Kelsi continually reminds her team of an important truth:

“We’ve done this for 11 years now,  and if it were all for one lady to find freedom, it would be worth it,” she said. “This work is hard. It’s heavy. I cry often. But it’s worth it for one.”

Support House of Cherith at cfneg.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=6115.