Rahab’s Rope has been protecting women and children who are at-risk for and survivors of human trafficking in India for over 16 years. The organization, started by Vicki Moore, is now a large-scale operation run by her family and a group of dedicated volunteers.
Rahab’s Rope offers education, vocational training, childcare, job placement, medical needs, housing, and anything else individuals escaping traumatic situations related to human trafficking need. And they do it all with the funds they make here in Northeast Georgia.
“That’s why the stores that we have are super important,” says Jennifer Lunsford, director of sales and Moore’s daughter. Rahab’s Rope operates primarily out of five centers in India, where women escaping their unsafe situations can come work. In their centers, women handmake home decor, accessories, clothing, and more that’s sold in their two stores.
“People can know shopping here that they really are making a difference,” Lunsford says. “We’re not just using a portion of the proceeds; all of the profits that are made through any of our stores go back to fund what we do.”
The support they get from their community does so much more than keep the lights on and pay their staff; it changes the lives of women 8,000 miles away.
“I think it’s really neat how we can connect with people right here in the South, and they’re actually connecting and helping women, children, and families all the way across the globe,” Lunsford says. “That’s one of the things we really try to do with our products and in our stores– we want each customer to know that they’re not just purchasing a gift, that that gift has real value, purpose, and meaning.”
Rahab’s Rope isn’t just helping families in India; they’re helping small business owners in Georgia, too. “Just as we help all of these families overseas, there’s no reason we can’t help these families here in our own community, in our own state,” Lunsford says.
The two stores, located in Gainesville square and downtown Clarkesville, offer products made by local businesses, like Cornelia-based Pure and Simple Soap. “Whether our ladies made the products or not, there’s an artist, [or] there’s an impoverished person– there’s a face and a story behind each and every product,” Lunsford says. “It’s just another unique part of our store that we have is that we’re supporting these local families as well.”
For anyone who sees a future in the line of work Lundsford does with Rahab’s Rope, Lundsford says there’s just as much work as there are good feelings. “Be prepared to put in a lot of hours,” Lunsford says. “Nonprofit work has its pros and cons. I mean, if I didn’t love it, I would not be in it. Your heart has to be in it.”
But at the end of the day, all the hard work is worth it. “There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. There are days that I have cried, and I’m like, ‘I’m not doing this anymore.’ I feel defeated, but it’s not about me,” Lunsford says. “There’s a purpose so much greater than just myself. There are all these women, these children, these families that depend on what we do.”
You can shop Rahab’s Rope at their Gainesville (118 Washington St NW), Clarkesville (1404, Washington St), or online stores.
