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OUR STORY
The concept of Raising a Voice was born out of a year of traveling to 150 anti-trafficking organizations in over 20 countries.
Founders Will and Katie Boggs witnessed the injustice of sexual exploitation in Thailand and around the world and knew they had to do something to stand up against this global issue.
In 2016, Raising a Voice was created to end human trafficking through gospel-centered community transformation and global outreach.
Today Raising a Voice works in Knoxville, Tennessee; Nairobi, Kenya; Kigali, Rwanda; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Our mission remains the same: to end human trafficking through community transformation.
We believe that community transformation occurs from within a community. Our local team in Knoxville is devoted to the community of East Knoxville.
Our full-time staff has chosen to live in East Knoxville and actively participate in the community here. We facilitate a Women’s Resource Center in the community.
The Center provides a safe space for women to receive basic needs, case management and healthy relationships with staff and volunteers.
We seek to create long-term impact in our community through social enterprises.
Raising a Voice owns two local coffee shops, Likewise Coffee and Cultivate Coffee + Flowers.
By participating in the local economy, we play a part in the growth and flourishing of our community.
All of the proceeds from the coffee shops directly benefit the work of Raising a Voice.
In Kenya, our partners provide educational opportunities for young girls who are at risk of resorting to prositution. In Rwanda, our partners provide free education for children to help break the cycle of generational poverty. In Argentina, our partners run the only faith-based organization accepting human trafficking survivors in the country.
Raising a Voice continues to work with victims of sexual exploitation as we watch God heal the brokenness of this injustice in our communities.
We would not be able to do this work without the support of local organizations, churches and individuals who support this work.