What we do
We are so excited to share our journey of making Hestia’s Hearth a reality for survivors who need sanctuary in New Jersey.
Our story
We came together through a program called JustFaith, getting to know one another through scripted team building. It worked and we clicked! JustFaith “creates transformative programs that inspire action to address the root causes of injustice while serving with love.” In our case, the program can claim success, because we were truly inspired and have been greatly moved to serve with love. After months of meetings, discussions, and exposure to myriad social justice issues, we were moved by the need but unsure how to impact change.
An immersion experience brought us to the doorsteps of Bloom in Pennsylvania, where we had the privilege of meeting and learning from women survivors of sex trafficking and prostitution.
Several young women invited us into their living room and began to share the stories of their exploitation. These beautiful, brave women were our daughters, nieces, sisters. While the stories of deceit, manipulation, abuse and ultimately hopelessness broke our hearts and opened our eyes to a reality we could never have imagined, it was the grace, strength and resilience of these women that moved us to action. We came away that fall day knowing we would dedicate ourselves to building a sanctuary in New Jersey that would offer the same opportunity for exploited women to rediscover their worth. We are committed, invested, and passionate.
The next stop in the journey took us to Thistle Farms in Nashville, Tennessee, where the residential program for women survivors of trafficking and prostitution originated nearly 25 years ago.
Their success has changed countless lives, and the model has been replicated throughout the country. Thistle Farms has an active national network, and we are proud to be building Hestia’s Hearth based on their model. We spent two days at an intensive workshop and returned to New Jersey equipped to begin.
As with any monumental task, it is easy to become overwhelmed, but with determination and a sizeable inventory of life experience, we are moving forward one small step at a time. While we keep a candle lit for the women still on the streets, those same women and their sister survivors are our guiding light, keeping us focused and determined. We are currently tackling the nuts and bolts of building a nonprofit from the bottom up. While we have established ourselves as Hestia’s Hearth, Inc, we are awaiting approval for our 501c3 status. Our story and progress are being shared through our website and newsletter, and we invite you all to follow us along the way.
As we work to finalize a comprehensive, five-year strategic plan, our process is both broad and deep. We’ve created a long list of support services and begun outreach for community collaborations. Training is essential, with a particular focus on providing compassionate, trauma-informed care. The critical and ongoing task of fundraising is a top priority, along with gaining experience and expertise in grant writing.
While Meredith leads project management, Tricia brings legal experience to the table, and Elaine contributes her expertise in sales and design, we are looking to expand our team. We welcome all and look forward to channeling your passions and talents to help us breathe life into Hestia’s Hearth.
What comes next?
Hestia’s Vintage Boutique
Our first objective is to open Hestia’s Vintage Boutique, a resale shop featuring vintage home décor and gently worn, quality women’s clothing.
Our home is Morristown, so we are actively looking for the right location to open our doors. Donations of beautiful home goods and “smalls”, and gently worn, quality women’s clothing will help us build our inventory. And we will need the security of several months’ rent in the bank, so please connect if you can contribute space, time, goods, or funds.
Our beautiful store will employ survivors and contribute to the ongoing financial support of our program.
Hestia’s Hearth Residence
Our second objective is to open a residence in the Morristown area to house our first group of survivors. We have seen that when women who are determined to change the course of their lives reside together and depend on one another for support, guidance and accountability, healing happens. We realize we can’t depend on the contribution of a home, as welcome as it would be, so we have outlined plans to raise the funds needed to acquire a house in 2026. Of course, we are agile and would welcome the opportunity to open a residence sooner if possible.