josely.labarrere@bluegrassnewsmedia.com

 

Redeeming Hope, an organization providing support to sex trafficking survivors, will be hosting a special movie screening on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 6 p.m. at The Grand in Lancaster. The goal of the event is to raise awareness about child exploitation and to engage local communities in the anti-trafficking effort. The cost of tickets to the screening is $15.

The mission of Redeeming Hope is to provide a safe and secure home environment for sexually exploited adolescent girls, offering a holistic approach to healing through counseling, education, and support services. The organization’s current efforts focus on creating a 6000-square-foot house in Berea, Madison County, where girls between 14 and 18 are provided mental health care, healthcare, and recreation therapy.

 

What sex trafficking looks like in Kentucky

Sex trafficking is a continuing problem in Kentucky, where the state ranked ninth in the country for reported federal human trafficking cases in 2019. Kentucky’s position on major interstates such as I-75 and I-64 makes it a crucial path for traffickers.

Contrary to popular belief, trafficking is not confined to big cities or foreign countries — it happens in all 120 counties of Kentucky. Victims are often trafficked by those they know, such as family members or intimate partners, and many are brought to a situation of exploitation through psychological coercion, rather than through physical restraint.

 

How the community can help

Redeeming Hope is 100 percent dependent on community support to sustain its mission. By helping to spread awareness and educating the public through local volunteers, they have become a pivotal part of the fight against human trafficking.

The organization encourages attendance at the March 29 screening as a way to learn more and support the cause.

For further details on Redeeming Hope or to contribute, visit the event at The Grand, 117 Lexington St., and contact the organization directly.