Redeem Project Ministry hosted an open house late Tuesday afternoon and finished off the evening with a celebration of 11 years of community work in Jefferson City.
In 2010, Redeem's Executive Director Vicki Bullock had a dream of finding a way to help "people who fell between the cracks."
"This has been my passion for 11 years," she told about 40 supporters, volunteers and community members whom the project has lifted up.
It is because of (former United Way president) Linda McAnany that Bullock and the project are around today, she said.
"I called Linda, and I said 'I know this sounds crazy, but I have this idea and I really want to help the people that fall between the cracks,'" Bullock said. "I don't have any idea what that entails yet, but I really want to help them."
Linda didn't skip a beat, she said.
"Well, Sparky, that's a good idea," McAnany replied.
At the time, Bullock had been the director of the Salvation Army Center of Hope.
"I'd seen people come and go," she said. "And I'd seen a lot of people hurting in different ways that we couldn't help for whatever reason."
She wanted to be able to help people The Salvation Army had to turn away for various reasons.
Within two months, the project opened its doors.
The nonprofit quickly outgrew its space, other places were generously provided.
In 2016, the Housing Board of Commissioners requested that Bullock come in and do her monthly report in person. Before she left, Larry Kolb promised to do some digging for her. He soon called and told Bullock the project could have a new home in Jefferson Plaza.
"Here we are. We've been here since 2016. This has been the best location for us because of the bus routes, because of where we are - for everything," Bullock said. "A lot of our people live close to here. It's turned out to be a great location."
Redeem Project Ministry's event featured successes of its five-year Family Self-Sufficiency Program, which has graduated 25 families in 10 years.
Bullock said she's proud of all the program graduates. One graduate, Alicia Edwards, who is the executive director for Building Community Bridges, takes care of people, her neighbors and the community, she said.
Edwards said she heard about the program through the grapevine, a program that matches funding to whatever rent Housing and Urban Development families were paying in rent.
"That first meeting that I went to, I was going through a lot of things. I had recently separated from an abusive relationship. I was a single mother of two at that time," Edwards said. "There's this thing in Black churches called that Praying Grandmother. That is Vicki. No matter what I was going through, there would be a friendly text, a friendly Facebook message - 'I'm praying for you.'"
Bible verses would arrive at the right moment.
That first meeting, as they kept talking, Edwards opened up and burst into tears.
She had other women supporting and motivating her. She enrolled in cosmetology school.
One of the courses that struck Edwards concerned financial literacy.
"A lot of things that we learn in high school just go in one ear and out the other," Edwards said. "But, that really made me put into focus my income, and how can I manage my money, and how can I support my family?"
It taught her self-sufficiency.
"When you're a single mom, and you don't have anything, and you're barely making it, with the support of Redeem Project and those instrumental tools that they give you, it pulls a different side of hustle out of you," Edwards said. "Because you learn how to manage the little things that you do have. And to ready room for the increase that's coming."
Many participants in the program begin by obtaining their GEDs in order to get jobs or promotions.
The families are taught budgeting and all other needed life skills. As they develop, families support and help encourage each other.
It's hard to put into words how much the program affects the Jefferson City community, Edwards said.
"The people that partake in the program, even the ones that don't graduate, just knowing you've got your praying grandma' over here by your side, can really influence and change everyone's life," she continued. "I want to encourage you all to be community activists and help bring our community together in love. And help be someone else's stronghold."
The open house was also an opportunity for visitors to learn about the Hope for Christmas campaign Redeem Project operates every winter, or the project's food pantry.
Generous community members bring in food and consumer products that the project hands out to anyone who needs them, Bullock said.
The project offers life-skills, parenting or anger management classes; Bible study; GED tutoring; and gas cards or bus passes to help people get to work or to health appointments.
New for the Redeem Project this year will be Captive Grace. Announced Tuesday night, Captive Grace is a program whose mission is to disrupt human trafficking in Central Missouri by taking the love and grace of Jesus to individuals who are in the sex industry, or who are otherwise afflicted by sexual sin, Redeem Project Ministry Assistant Director Julie Meranda said.
"We are going to meet (victims) in the venues where exploitation is prevalent and build relationships with them. When they are ready to escape or leave that life, we'll be there to help them," Meranda said. "Whether it's through programs or getting them relocated or just being a friend and showing them the love of Jesus."
All volunteers undergo training from the Exodus Cry Intervention Manual, which is designed to train churches and teams in doing effective outreach to those caught in the sex industry. It outlines different strategies to reach people caught in sexual exploitation, whether in streets, strip clubs, jails or via the internet, according to the Exodus Cry website. Exodus Cry is an anti-sex-trafficking organization that began in Kansas City.
Training includes consultations with law enforcement. Law enforcement also shares best practices to keep team members safe.
The team values people who aren't easily frightened and those who can remain calm when there is chaos around, Meranda said.
"We would want to have a team of about 10, but only about four or five people would go at one time," Meranda said. "We have four or five - that way there's safety in numbers."
No weapons are allowed.
"If you take a weapon, that escalates a situation," she said. "We don't want to do that. We want to show that we're just there to love them."
Contact Redeem Project Ministries at 573-353-4720 to volunteer to help with any of its programs.
This article was edited at 8:36 a.m. May 12, 2021, to correct the misspelling of Larry Kolb's name.