Lisieux Community

Our Mission

The mission of the Lisieux Community is to provide support and education for women who have survived trauma, addiction, prostitution, and life on the streets.  We believe that these women do not begin a life on the streets on their own, but through the culture in which we live; we want to inspire change to transform the culture itself, while supporting each woman as she strives to achieve her goals.

There is a direct link between childhood trauma and adult onset of chronic disease, as well as depression, suicide, and being violent and a victim of violence. We provide trauma-informed care in all our interactions with the women we serve and refer them to counseling when they are willing to go.

Our Beliefs

We each carry wounds from childhood, and when we confront them and learn to let go of the pain, we have more compassion for others. Some of us received grace in the form of people who loved us and did their best to protect us. But some children were abused, even sold, rather than protected by the adults in their lives who were responsible for caring for them. Some were teenagers or even adults who lacked skills to protect themselves and were abused by others. We will offer the grace that we have received.

Our Work

We serve those women on the streets who are not yet ready to live in a residential community because their past has taught them not to trust easily. Our goal is to meet their immediate needs, while showing them that other choices are available to them. Though we cannot change anyone else, we can empower women by offering the support and resources they will need when they are ready to choose a different life.

Our Goal

Our goal is to love each of the women we serve right where they are today, and then love them again tomorrow and again the next day. We do not require specific changes in their behavior as a condition of receiving our services. As we continue to love them, they begin to ask about change, and we guide them in reaching their goals. Changes that occur when the individual makes that decision will be long-lasting.