MIDLAND, Texas — December 5 was a pivotal day for Reflection Ministries.
Nearly 30 years of planning went into "the Village", and the 5 home, 15 bedroom, 6 activity room property is nearly finished.
Donors and stakeholders were given the chance to see the property Thursday before it opens.
"Really it's a community effort. That is why we call it The Village, because we know it takes a village to meet the needs of these individuals and to build it and to furnish it and all the other components and things that you just don't see," said Lisa Bownds, CEO of Reflection Ministries.
Bownds wants to make it a place where victims feel their lives can really be transformed.
"It's an emotional time. It's seeing a dream and a vision come to life with a community that really partners with you, that understands there are multiple victims just in our area alone that need someone to step into their lives and not just be a bandaid treatment," Lisa said.
The property will be considered the crisis home for victims of human trafficking where their needs are met with medical, psychological, and behavioral restoration.
Victims will start in house one and can stay here 30-45 days before they're transitioned to another house.
All other houses are residential besides house five, which serves as a multi-purpose building for education, culinary classes, art, sewing and music.
Victims can stay in the Village up to two years and they have aftercare programs following for another two years at a different location.
"There isn't anything available in West Texas for human trafficking victims. We have less than 1200 beds in the United States for trafficking victims," Bownds said.
Any trafficked victims are welcome at The Village, Reflection Ministries just need to be aware of the victim.
"Someone needs to call us. Really it's law enforcement, or a medical provider or just a citizen. We won't turn 'em away as long as they have been in the trafficking life and they are appropriate for our program we will take them," Lisa said.