Wings of Refuge

What Wings of Refuge does

Wings of Refuge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 46-3640742) founded in 2012 in Ames, Iowa, by Christy Joy following exposure to the documentary 'Nefarious: Merchant of Souls.' The organization operates long-term residential restoration programming for adult women survivors of domestic sex trafficking and commercial exploitation, structured as a two-phase continuum: the Restoration Home (capacity of five women) for initial placement and the Transitional Living Center (capacity of five women) for movement toward independence. Services are trauma-informed and Christ-centered, comprising individual and group counseling, recovery support, life skills training, education, vocational training, and employment through the ONE MORE social enterprise, where survivors handcraft bracelets, soy wax candles, greeting cards, polymer clay and beaded hoop earrings, and seasonal alpaca hats. The organization holds ECFA accreditation, a 2026 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, and National Sheltered Alliance accreditation.

The organization's revenue model combines two streams: donations and charitable contributions from individuals, churches, and foundations (delivered via Kindful, direct mail, email, and events), and product sales from the ONE MORE social enterprise, distributed through an owned e-commerce site (onemorewingsofrefuge.square.site), a physical storefront at 503 Duff Ave in Ames (Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm), an Amazon Wishlist, and approximately eight Iowa retail vendor ambassadors. Residential services are provided at no cost to participants; product pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on church partnerships, volunteer programs, donor relationships, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), blog content, events, and direct outreach.

As of Spring 2025, Wings of Refuge is in a leadership transition: Executive Director Brandy is departing after four years to join Prairie Ridge Church in Ankeny, Iowa as Director of Outreach, and Erin German, previously Finance Director, has been named Interim Executive Director. Operational status is active and the organization continues to deliver residential programming, social enterprise production, and storefront operations in central Iowa.

Name

Wings of Refuge

Legal name

Wings of Refuge

Website

https://wingsofrefuge.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wings of Refuge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Ames, Iowa operating long-term residential restoration programs and the Transitional Living Center for adult women survivors of sex trafficking, paired with the ONE MORE social enterprise producing survivor-made handcrafted products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anti-Trafficking Survivor Recovery Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Independent Living with Supportive Services (Light ADL/IADL Support) (HLADAAAE)

Keywords

• Human trafficking recovery
• Residential restoration services
• Trafficking survivor housing
• Social enterprise employment
• Nonprofit survivor services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ames

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on donations from individuals, churches, and foundations. No costs are charged to program participants.
2. Social Enterprise Product Sales: ONE MORE social enterprise sells handcrafted products (candles, bracelets, earrings, greeting cards, alpaca hats, t-shirts) through e-commerce, physical storefront, and retail partners. Survivors make products and earn income while saving for their future.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wings of Refuge provides free long-term residential restoration services for adult women survivors of sex trafficking through its Restoration Home (capacity 5) and Transitional Living Center (capacity 5), encompassing safe housing, individual and group counseling, life skills training, education, vocational training, and supported employment via the ONE MORE social enterprise. Survivors in the social enterprise earn income producing and selling handcrafted bracelets, soy wax candles, greeting cards, polymer clay earrings, and alpaca hats through the organization's e-commerce store, Ames storefront, and Iowa retail partners.

Product overview

Wings of Refuge is a non-profit organization offering a single integrated program for survivors of sex trafficking, combining residential restoration services with a social enterprise employment program. The ONE MORE social enterprise provides trauma-informed job skills training where survivors handcraft bracelets, candles, greeting cards, earrings, and alpaca hats while earning income and saving for their future. The residential component includes the Restoration Home (long-term housing for up to 5 women) and the Transitional Living Center (TLC) for continued support during the transition to independence. All products are sold through the organization's storefront in Ames, Iowa, an online store, and third-party retail partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ONE MORE: Social enterprise program providing trauma-informed employment at Wings of Refuge. Survivors make hand-crafted products including bracelets, candles, greeting cards, earrings, hats, and more while earning income and saving for their future.

Products and services

• Restoration Home Residential Program Long-term residential program for adult women (18+) survivors of domestic sex trafficking or commercial exploitation, providing holistic programming for physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual healing needs. Accommodates up to five women at a time and includes individual and group counseling, recovery support, life skills training, education, vocational training, and employment.
• Transitional Living Center (TLC) Transitional housing program that accommodates up to five women, providing continued support as participants transition from the Restoration Home toward independence.
• ONE MORE Social Enterprise Program Trauma-informed employment program where survivors of sex trafficking learn practical job skills by making hand-crafted products while earning an income and saving for their future.
• ONE MORE Wrap Bracelets Handcrafted bracelets made with natural stone beads and leather cord, available in petite, single, or double wrap styles.
• ONE MORE Soy Wax Candles 9 oz soy wax candles with all-natural phthalate-free fragrances and lead-free cotton wicks, hand poured and labeled by survivors; available in signature and seasonal scents.
• ONE MORE Greeting Cards Hand-crafted greeting cards made with unique stamps, embellishments, and dies in sentiments like Thank You and Encouragement; sold individually or in packs.
• ONE MORE Polymer Clay and Beaded Hoop Earrings Lightweight earrings available in polymer clay or beaded hoops matching signature bracelets, made with hypoallergenic metals in various colors and styles.
• ONE MORE Alpaca Hats Hats made with undyed natural alpaca fiber sourced from locally raised alpacas, offered as a seasonal item.
• ONE MORE Storefront Operations (Ames, IA Retail Store) Physical retail storefront in Ames, Iowa selling the complete ONE MORE handcrafted product catalog including candles, bracelets, earrings, greeting cards, t-shirts, and hats.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oak Lane Candle Co.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOak Lane Candle Co. partners with Wings of Refuge to produce the 9 oz. soy wax candles sold through ONE MORE. They are made with all-natural, phthalate-free fragrances and lead-free cotton wicks, hand poured and labeled by survivors. Based in Ames, Iowa.
• Taylored ExpressionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaylored Expressions provides materials and support for survivor-made greeting cards sold through ONE MORE. Based in Ankeny, Iowa.
• Simply Sarah NicolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSimply Sarah Nicole partners for polymer clay and beaded hoop earrings, providing hypoallergenic metal components and design support. Originated in Ames, Iowa.
• PacaLand Alpaca FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPacaLand Alpaca Farm in Kelley, Iowa provides undyed natural alpaca fiber for seasonal alpaca hats. Fiber is raised and processed locally, with the farmer caring for each animal individually.
• Oak Lane Candle Co. (Retail)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner selling ONE MORE products at their shop in Ames, IA. Owner Stacy Negrete actively supports the mission.
• Coffee Attic & Book CellarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner in Iowa Falls, IA selling ONE MORE eCommerce items.
• Essence Aesthetics and HealthminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner in Waverly, IA. Owner Kerri VanEe is passionate about survivor restoration and uses the partnership to support Wings financially while raising awareness with clients.
• Made to GazeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner in Ogden, IA selling ONE MORE products.
• Overflow Thrift StoreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner in Ames, IA with products at both locations: 919 E. Lincoln Way and 202 S. Duff Ave.
• Bradford Guest HouseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner in Nashua, IA selling ONE MORE products.
• Wild Birds UnlimitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner in Ames, IA selling ONE MORE products.
• Halo Hair QuartersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner in Grimes, IA 50111 selling ONE MORE products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wellspring Living: Wellspring Living provides faith-based, long-term residential restoration and outreach programs for women survivors of domestic sex trafficking across Georgia, with program tiers similar to Wings of Refuge's Restoration Home + Transitional Living Center structure.
• GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services): GEMS provides residential and supportive services for commercially sexually exploited and domestically trafficked girls and young women in New York, with a holistic programming model similar to Wings of Refuge's trauma-informed, long-duration approach.
• Thistle Farms: Thistle Farms operates a Nashville-based residential recovery program and survivor-made product social enterprise (body care, candles, home goods) for women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction — the closest direct analogue to Wings of Refuge's integrated residential + ONE MORE social enterprise model.
• Gracehaven: Gracehaven operates a residential program and case management services for child sex trafficking survivors in Ohio, paralleling Wings of Refuge's faith-informed residential restoration model in a different geography.
• Courtney's House: Courtney's House is a DC-based nonprofit providing direct services, shelter, and outreach for child and youth sex trafficking survivors — comparable in survivor-focused direct service mission, though serving a younger population than Wings of Refuge.
• Restore NYC: Restore NYC runs a long-term residential restoration program and social enterprise (made by survivors products) for adult foreign national survivors of sex trafficking in New York — directly comparable in residential + social enterprise structure to Wings of Refuge.
• Breaking Free: Breaking Free serves sex trafficking and sexual exploitation survivors in the Twin Cities with case management, housing, and economic empowerment services, paralleling Wings of Refuge's combination of residential care and economic empowerment through ONE MORE.
• Nomi Network: Nomi Network creates economic opportunities for survivors of human trafficking and at-risk women through survivor-made apparel and accessory products, comparable to Wings of Refuge's ONE MORE social enterprise model of using survivor-produced goods for income and skills building.

Broad incumbents

• Polaris Project (Polaris): Polaris operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline and runs broad advocacy and programs across the anti-trafficking field — a much larger incumbent operating in the same mission space as Wings of Refuge but with a national, advocacy-led scope rather than a single-site residential focus.
• Safe Horizon: Safe Horizon is a large New York-based social services organization that includes trafficking survivor services within a broader portfolio of domestic violence, homelessness, and victim support programs — adjacent to Wings of Refuge's mission but operating at much greater scale across multiple service lines.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMtlebLAA3OrYK72jJRNsMg
• Facebookfacebook.com/wingsofrefuge.ia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wingsofrefuge
• Instagraminstagram.com/wingsofrefuge
• Xx.com/for1moregirl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wings of Refuge