Our Beginning

Our Volunteer Directors bring with them great training, compassion and experience!

Lisa began her work with human trafficking advocacy in 2009 in Cambodia with World Hope International. She has traveled to Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles for extensive training. Lisa is the former WI State Representative for FREE International. In January 2015 she joined the Super Bowl outreach in Phoenix, AZ. providing training, victim outreach, and connecting law enforcement with leads. In 2015, Lisa traveled to Nicaragua with Breaking Chains to help sex trafficking victims on the streets and in brothels. Lisa founded Damascus Road in 2013 to more directly serve the needs of local survivors of human sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. She has completed Ending the Game Supporter Training, ACEs Training, GEMS Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Training, National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women Training, Treasures Sex Industry Care and Outreach Training, International Christian Alliance on Prostitution Global Summit Training, Thistle Farms National Conference,  and training through the Wisconsin Department of Justice/Wisconsin U.S. Attorneys' Offices Human Trafficking Conferences. Lisa is a passionate and committed advocate for the sexually exploited, and educates professionals and community groups throughout Wisconsin.    Some of Lisa's commitments include case management (working with probation & parole, attorneys, social workers, AODA programs, etc.), overseeing our incarcerated survivor program, volunteer training, weekly prison encouragement correspondence, donor relations and bookkeeping oversight. Lisa also transports clients to out-of-state long-term restoration programs, partners with law enforcement for stings and oversees the office's needs, which includes covering drop-in shifts periodically. About a decade ago Lisa founded a prayer ministry called Scarlet Cord, enabling every survivor Damascus Road Project assists to be prayed for regularly by our prayer team. Clients can also be anonymously "adopted" by community members who are committed to praying for them.  It is one of her passion projects to this day.

Kelly has her BA in Interpersonal Communications from UW-Milwaukee. She has completed additional college coursework in Business Management at UW-Madison and Child Development through MATC. Kelly has also served as an Americorp Vista volunteer and a youth mentor. She pursued Human Trafficking education and has completed programs through both Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and Stanford University on-line. Kelly has volunteered with Damascus Road Project full-time since 2015. She has completed the Ending the Game Supporter training, Treasures Sex Industry Care and Outreach training, Thistle Farms National Conference,  ACEs training, and training through the Wisconsin Department of Justice / Wisconsin Human Trafficking Conferences and the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution Global Summit training (ICAP).   Kelly coordinates services for overcomers and provides incarceration advocacy and case management for the women we serve, in jail, prison or in community.  She communicates regularly with the Department of Probation & Parole, Local Law Enforcement, Public Defenders and other Attorneys, Social Services, Social Workers, AODA Programs, Counselors and more as a survivor advocate.  In addition, she oversees our prison pen pal program, places survivor written and therapeutic book orders for survivor inmates and facilitates a correspondence Life Group.  Kelly accompanies women to court appearances & medical appointments as needed for support. She also manages our social media and web presence and handles all things technology for Damascus Road Project. In our office, Kelly facilitates a bi-weekly Life Group for survivors, staffs the office during drop-in time, and helps to coordinate invites and transportation for our monthly family dinners.  Kelly also partners with local law enforcement, participates in organized stings resulting in the recovery of exploited women. Kelly manages all of our travel needs, and transports clients to out-of-state long term restoration programs.