With Heart Change Comes Life Change
Here at Cry Freedom Missions, we strongly believe that without heart change, there is no life change. Every survivor who has gone through our program has experienced deep wounds and trauma that often lead to pain-numbing behaviors, such as substance abuse. We want to rally around these survivors with support and love because we were not built to carry our burdens alone. We need God. We need each other. We need true heart transformation.
“Let Them Cry”
Cry Freedom Missions offers a voluntary intake form during our jail outreach. It gives the team a clearer understanding of how to love and serve the women better. Over 90% of the intake forms submitted revealed that these women have been sexually exploited in some way during their lives, from childhood molestation to sex trafficking. This lets us know that there is a deep-seated pain within them.
We don’t justify substance abuse, but we do have enormous compassion for those who experience it because if you have been hurt as these women have, you would also long for something to numb the pain.
We often hear people saying, “Don’t cry, don’t cry.” But we say, “Let them cry,” because this shows that deep healing is happening. It is uncomfortable, but it has to happen.
One survivor once sat before Beverly Weeks, CEO of Cry Freedom Missions, and through tears she said, “For the first time in my life, I’m feeling the pain.”
For so long, she had numbed the pain of what had been done to her. She numbed the pain of feeling like she had no worth, no value. But she was finally allowing the Lord to do a work on her heart and welcoming the love of her community, and this was bringing about radical heart change.
What Does Heart Change Look Like?
The face of a woman who has truly experienced heart change is noticeable. It’s different. It’s brighter. She is more hopeful. The smile that had faded over the years of abuse slowly begins to shine again. She is willing to accept help and is receptive to the love of Christ and community.
A Look Into Our Program
Our program focuses on a holistic approach to healing and heart change:
Mental Health Screening: When a woman enters the program, the first thing we do is a mental health screening with a certified trauma therapist to determine exactly where she is mentally and emotionally.
Case Management Team and Counseling Services: The first 30-90 days of the program, our Case Management Team works to determine how she is doing and what she needs specifically. The team meets with her on a weekly, and sometimes daily, basis. We offer trauma and substance abuse counseling, as well as programs such as Recovery Alive and Celebrate Recovery.
Safe Housing: We offer both emergency and long-term safe housing for the women in our program. The first 30 days are focused on getting the survivor into a safe environment. We provide health screenings, food, necessary medications, detoxification, and, of course, a safe home off the streets and out of harm’s way.
Long-Term Program: Our long-term program generally takes about a year to complete. It offers vocational training, counseling services, and one-on-one therapy.
Vocational Training: We have a social enterprise that consists of three shoppes in Roxboro and Goldsboro, NC. We provide survivors with free housing, healthcare, counseling, job readiness training, and employment.
A Message To Family And Friends
We receive many calls from family and friends pleading for us to help their loved ones. It’s totally understandable! You love them so much. It may feel like you want healing for them more than they do for themselves. And right now, that may be the case.
We want you to know that we genuinely care for them. We love them and want to see them succeed. But the truth is you can’t want it for them; they have to want it for themselves.
There is only one Savior. Our job is to simply plant the seeds and love them as their hearts are softened and change begins to take place.
Call Our Hotline
If you or someone you know is being exploited, call our 24-hour hotline at 919-988-9262. You don’t have to be in North Carolina to call!