Alumni and Students Help Restore Hope to Survivors of Human Trafficking

Published: April 13, 2021

Greenville University students and alumni have found that planting the seeds of Godly work can reap unforeseen benefits.

Back in 2012, when a few University alumni and Greenville residents formed a monthly task force to raise awareness in Bond County about human trafficking, they never imagined their efforts would grow into a ministry for survivors of trafficking and an opportunity for university students to serve and learn.

That ministry, the Edens Glory home, now offers survivors of human trafficking a two-year residential treatment program to heal from their experiences, anchor themselves in Christs love and start an independent life. Partnerships between Edens Glory and members of the University continue to bear good fruit for both parties.

In 2012, Bond County resident and pastor Ginger (Jordan 03) Coakley began a task force to raise awareness and provide education about human trafficking. She gathered a small team of concerned residents, some of them Greenville University alumni. Soon, the task force felt called to create a residential treatment program for survivors.

Greenville University alumni held seats on the advisory board and board of directors as plans for Edens Glory solidified. It took nearly two years to develop the program and secure donations, but the Edens Glory team found a house to host the program and hired a small staff of trained workers.

The building needed paint, yardwork and other maintenance.

Our vision was that we wanted a place where you walked in, and it was home. It wasnt a shelter; it wasnt a clinic. It was beautiful. It was welcoming. It was inviting, says Annie Schomaker, co-founder and now director of development for the ministry.

In time, the partnership with Greenville University expanded beyond alumni to include student volunteers. Annie remembers a buzz of activity, with volunteers sewing curtains, planting a garden, planting trees . . . just kind of giving the place a facelift.

Transformed from a house to a home, Edens Glory has served 11 different women since its launch and has the capacity to host up to four women at a time. The women receive trauma therapy, off-site health care, spiritual guidance, education and job training, opportunities for exercise, nutritious meals, exposure to mentors and access to creative activities.

Alumni and other community members continue to serve on the board, and student interns routinely roll up their sleeves to assist the ministry. Eight Greenville University interns have served Edens Glory so far. Most are recommended through the Universitys social work program. As a licensed clinical social worker, Annie oversees their experience and provides the evaluation needed for internship credit.

[The students gain] a good understanding of trauma and the effects that has on the brain and the body, Annie says, but then [they] also walk out with a sense of how to develop a program; what goes into running a nonprofit, how to supervise and coordinate volunteers and how to engage community.

Students gain hands-on work experience, and Edens Glory gains valuable manpower. Most importantly, residents of the program gain connections to loving, Christ-centered individuals ready to serve them.

Not bad for a small seed planted years ago by a handful of alumni.

Annie urges anyone interested in the mission of Edens Glory to inquire about the many opportunities for involvement. Contact Annie at annie@edensglory.org, or Ginger at ginger@edensglory.org.

Staff are also available for speaking engagements or educational training in how to fight human trafficking.

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