 People in Crowing County and the surrounding area might not think that sex trafficking is something that happens here. A lot of people think that that's happening in Moldova or that's happening in Amsterdam. That's not happening in Brainer, Minnesota, but it's happening right here in our city. The Rising Hope Foundation is working to change that. We are in the business of building homes for girls who have been sex trafficked. We're also about awareness and spreading information around to help people understand what sex trafficking and human trafficking is. The foundation was founded in 2013 by David Vicki Lucky after witnessing the magnitude of sex trafficking while working in the trucking industry. They took a stance and created the foundation and got the nonprofit status going. A huge amount of money was donated and needed to be in Crowing County. And so we were able to purchase the property. That is what brought the organization to Brainer, the future home of the first Freedom Ranch. We're close to being done. We still need some funding and not only funding, but we need people's help in building it. The house will provide eight beds, schooling, therapy and a safe space for victims. It's knowing that we have places for these girls to go. These girls are being treated as human beings and given a chance for life. It's hope because this is not going to be the first one we're going to continue to build. Come spring, when the first Freedom Ranch is set to be finished, there will be a safe place in Crowing County for girls to have a second chance. We have to make a difference in eight girls' lives, but also let people know that we're not going to allow this to happen. It's everybody coming together to understand what needs to take place to have these people. They're people, human beings, and that everyone wants babies like everybody else, and what happened? They need a chance to live. Reporting from Brainerd, Rachel Johnson, Lakeland News. The Freedom Ranch will be located southeast of Brainerd. In the future, the foundation hopes to build two more Freedom Ranches with locations in Bemidji and Park Rapids. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.