The Street Hope TN Story

Our story goes all the way back to 2012. A group of leaders from churches across Knoxville gathered to learn about the trafficking of children in our state and across our nation. Street Grace, an organization in Atlanta, exposed the Knoxville community to the evil of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking and the urgent need for a faith-driven response. We entered into a season of prayer and collaboration, asking God to show us how we could join in standing for those close to His heart.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
-Psalm 34:18

During our first years together, Street Grace walked alongside us to help us begin raising awareness about DMST in East Tennessee. In 2014, we established an official board and moved towards the creation of an independent organization called Street Hope TN. We gained our 501(c)3 status in Jaunary of 2015.

Our story is one of passionate individuals coming together, motivated by faith that no life is beyond the reach of God’s heart or His healing. Our goal is to extend our reach from Knoxville to all of Tennessee in an effort to help prevent children from ever entering trafficking or being exploited in the first place and to see a day where all children are free from sex slavery and restored by Jesus Christ.

We believe there is no life too broken to be healed by God. Every life has value and each person, victim or perpetrator, may abound in hope.

Since we have become a 501(c)3 organization, we have watched the Lord move in miraculous ways and grow our efforts to increase knowledge, reduce vulnerability, empower survivors, and seek Him.

Our Prevention programs have expanded and we have been able to reach children and adults with our many trainings and Project POST curriculum to increase their knowledge about the issue of DMST and reduce their vulnerability from being trafficked or exploited. Our Internet Safety curriculum, Project POST (Positive Online Social Tools), is currently serving youth in 6th to 8th grade in the Knox County school system and some of the surrounding county schools, as well as some homeschool systems.

We have been on a journey to build the first safe home, Garland Oaks, in East Tennessee for young girls ages 12 to 17 who are survivors of sex trafficking. The Lord has called us to be His hands and feet on the restoration journey for these girls.

We are so excited to see where the Lord continues to take us on this journey and invite you to join alongside with us!