A native of Greenville, SC, Beth Messick serves as Executive Director of Jasmine Road, South Carolina’s first innovative two-year residential program for adult female survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. Her passion for bringing hope and healing to forgotten and underserved populations has been the focus of her career and led to the development of Jasmine Road and its affiliated social enterprises. Beth recently graduated from the Furman University Riley Fellow program (2021) for leaders who create social and economic progress across the state of South Carolina and serves as a member of both the South Carolina and Upstate Human Trafficking Task Forces. Prior to launching Jasmine Road in 2018, Beth was as a Restoration Advocate for Triune Mercy Center where she worked in local jails and with the criminal justice system advocating for female survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. She has also served in an advisory capacity for local, state and federal law enforcement, assisting in the identification of human trafficking victims and in the development of restorative justice solutions. Beth has spent more than 30 years in advocacy work, including serving at-risk and pregnant teenagers at the Piedmont Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and also founded a Christian counseling ministry to offer counseling services to women who were sexually abused. Beth received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Furman University and is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP).
SESSION(S):
Mobilizing Stakeholders and Community Building in Residential Care
- This is such an important topic as we try to create community buy-in and support for survivors. Launching a successful residential program can be a daunting task- from fundraising, to partnerships, operations, storytelling and all things in between- it is multifaceted and complicated. It is imperative we build goodwill in our communities that creates buy-in. This leads to greater access to services, improved community partner relationships and results in more opportunities for survivors we serve. It also lays the groundwork for future capacity building and support. The topics covered in this presentation include how to engage your community in your work and trauma-informed storytelling to impact and educate.
