Safe house for victims of substance abuse & human trafficking opens in Garrard County

GARRARD COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ)-With the help and support of dozens in the community “Un-Shackled By Love Ministries” opens it’s doors in Garrard county, to women who may feel many of the doors in their lives are closed.

A pastor addresses the crowd gathered for an opening celebration and says, “There may be people who’ve never tasted, felt, experienced love.”

Seven women, victims of drug abuse or the sex trafficking industry, will fill this house.

ABC 36 caught up with the ministry’s founder Jewellan Morrison for a tour of the facility. She says, “Literally planned everything with them knowing that they’re loved, that they’re empowered.”

It’s been the passion of ministry founder Morrison for years to help some of the 3000 women in Fayette County the ministry says are victims of human trafficking.

They’ll be counseled by people like Lashawna Clifton, who was once a prostitute out on the streets in Lexington.

Clifton says, “It was nightmare out on the street. I finally became in full surrender and found a new life.”

She says awareness is key to helping other victims seek help.

“It’s getting to know that, you know, this is a problem and bringing it aware to everyone is top priority.”

With a shortage of shelters across the nation the community is stepping forward to help fund the continuation of the program in Lexington.

Morrison says, “They come in and they don’t know what they’re favorite color is, they don’t know how to cook, they don’t know how to do their own laundry, we literally teach them how to cook.”

They’ll give women the life skills they need to take their lives back.

The women enrolled in the program will spend four months in restorative counseling and therapy living in the house in Garrard county. Morrison says the goal is to raise $50,000 to support another location to open in Lexington where they will spend three more months getting further counseling and job support.

If you’d like to help the cause you can donate or become a sponsor on the ministry’s website.