Residents fight ministry helping victims of sex trafficking

GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Volunteers at Straight Street Revolution Ministries fill backpacks with canned goods for distribution, while building valuable work skills, one of the many programs run out of the organization's Gainesville headquarters.

“We focus on people who have been marginalized by society, pushed to the edge by society,” said Beau Robson.

But it is Straight Street’s plan to build housing for women who are fleeing sex trafficking on 50 acres of land off Weaver Road in southeast Hall County that has the non-profit at odds with some area residents.

“We’re not real happy about it at all,” said resident Lois Souther.

Souther’s home sits just down the road from the site of the proposed campus which would eventually include 17 homes for the women, a chapel, an administrative building, and barn.

“There’s only 20 beds for women wanting to come out of the sex industry in the southeast, which if you think about it is not a lot,” said Jennifer Robson.

As part of their ministry, organization founders Beau and Jennifer Robson work with these women along with the help of a partner organization.

“To provide a long term phase home for those ladies to assist with individual counseling, group counseling, life skills training job skills training,” said Jennifer Robson.

But opponents have made it clear they don’t want it in their rural community.

“We can’t understand why they want to put something like that in a residential area,” said Souther.

“[It’s a] very tranquil, very quiet environment. We would like to keep it that way,” said resident Lee Clendenning.

Like other residents, Clendenning has crime and safety concerns, fearing the place could draw a bad element.

“We owned this house for a full 19 years. We’ve raised our two children here and we were here first and they are encroaching on our property and our security in the neighborhood,” said Clendenning.

The Robsons have met with anxious residents in an effort to alleviate their concerns and gain their support for the controversial proposal.

“These ladies need a community to recover they need a loving environment right next door and all over our county,” said Jennifer Robson.