LifeWay Network is dedicated to combating human trafficking by providing safe housing for women who have been trafficked and educating people about human trafficking. Our work focuses on creating pathways to freedom, healing, and dignity for survivors. In 2025, LifeWay Network provided more than 3,580 safe nights for survivors of human trafficking and served over 6,120 home-cooked meals — tangible expressions of safety, nourishment, and care.
Grounded in the belief that every person is created with inherent worth, LifeWay Network accompanies survivors as they move from exploitation toward safety, stability, and renewed hope. This sacred work is strengthened by the enduring partnership of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, whose commitment to justice, compassion, and human dignity continues to inspire and sustain LifeWay Network’s mission.
At the heart of LifeWay Network’s approach is a deep respect for each survivor’s experience, resilience, and capacity for healing. Survivors are met not as problems to be fixed, but as whole persons deserving of safety, choice, and care. Through trauma-informed, survivor-centered services, LifeWay Network provides both immediate support and long-term guidance, walking alongside survivors as they rebuild their lives at their own pace.
Venissa Vincent, Care Coordinator, Sr. Kate O’Neill, RNDM, and Sr. Claudia Stecker, RNDM, Host Community Members
Housing is a cornerstone of this work. LifeWay Network offers a continuum of safe, confidential housing paired with individualized case management and wraparound support. Survivors are connected to mental health and medical care, legal advocacy, education and employment resources, and life skills development. This holistic approach recognizes that healing is not linear and that stability, trust, and dignity are essential foundations for growth.
This year marked a profound milestone with the completion of renovations to LifeWay Network’s safe house in the Bronx. This home, made possible through the generosity and vision of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, has been lovingly renewed to better serve survivors seeking refuge and restoration. The renovated space offers warmth, light, and a sense of peace — an environment where survivors can begin to feel safe enough to rest, reflect, and imagine new beginnings.
With the renovation of this home, LifeWay Network also launchedits new semi-independent housing program, expanding opportunities for survivors ready to take the next step toward autonomy. This program provides a supportive bridge between structured housing and full independence. Survivors practice managing daily responsibilities, pursuing employment or education, and strengthening life skills while continuing to receive guidance and encouragement. The program reflects LifeWay Network’s belief in accompaniment — remaining present as survivors gain confidence, agency, and stability.
LifeWay Network’s commitment to survivors extends beyond direct service into leadership and advocacy. As Chair of the Brooklyn Human Trafficking Task Force’s Housing Sub-Committee, LifeWay Network helps guide collaborative efforts to expand survivor-centered housing across the metro New York area. In 2025, LifeWay Network developed and released the first-ever New York State Directory of Housing Options for Survivors of Human Trafficking. With only 20 dedicated housing programs identified across just 12 of New York’s 62 counties, the directory reveals a critical gap in services. This new resource equips advocates, service providers, and survivors with clear, up-to-date information about available emergency, transitional, and long-term housing options.
Together with partners like the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, LifeWay Network continues to live out a shared vision: a world where survivors are not defined by what they have endured, but by their courage, resilience, and capacity for renewal.
May we continue to walk together in faith and solidarity, creating spaces of refuge and hope where healing can take root and new life can flourish.
For information on volunteering or supporting LifeWay Network, please get in touch with Chloe Kastner at ckastner@lifewaynetwork.org.
Alison Boak, Executive Director, LifeWay Network