The Everyday Advocate

In this powerful episode, we sit down with one of our incredible mentees as she reflects on her journey and the life-changing impact Allies has had along the way. Through seasons of transition, healing, and growth, she shares how the unwavering support and community at Allies became a constant in her life, offering hope, stability, and the reminder that she’s never alone.

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In this episode, a longtime mentee reflects on the journey they’ve shared with their mentor — the trust they built, the moments that mattered, and the lessons learned along the way. They offer honest reflections and words of wisdom for new mentees just starting out.

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What is the scope of homelessness in our city? Elliot Zans of CHIP helps us broaden our understanding about the reality of homelessness in Indiana, and the role housing insecurity plays within the issue of human trafficking.

Often, human trafficking, substance use, and mental health are so intricately connected, that in order to serve survivors, all of them must be addressed together. Elizabeth Benitez joins us to share about this important intersection and how trauma-informed practices help facilitate the opportunity for healing.

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Brian Carter joins Jessica to share about how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) create vulnerabilities for trafficking and why healthy community and safe adults are the most important protective factors we can give our children.

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Diving into a series on challenges survivors of human trafficking face, Sarah Daniel, CEO of Unconditional, joins Jessica to share about the intersection of strip clubs and human trafficking, and the beautiful work Unconditional does, offering relationship and new opportunities to those they serve.More about Unconditional:

https://unconditionalindy.com/

Wrapping up our series on commitment, Tracy Nasser joins Jessica to share why she is committed to Allies, and how her faith has motivated her to continue to learn, share and be invested in the mission.

Learn more about becoming a mentor with Allies: https://www.allies-inc.org/becoming-a-mentor/

LOVE. RESPECT. COMMUNITY

Allies empowers survivors of trafficking & sexual exploitation through mentorship and family support

Serving as a mentor and coach for Allies, Julie Deem shares about the ups and downs of these relationships, and why commitment matters.

Learn more about becoming a mentor with Allies: https://www.allies-inc.org/becoming-a-mentor/

LOVE. RESPECT. COMMUNITY

Allies empowers survivors of trafficking & sexual exploitation through mentorship and family support

Allies' outgoing board president, David King, joins Jessica to share about how his incremental commitment to Allies has ignited personal growth, served as a catalyst for his whole family to serve, and has deepened his faith.

Learn more about becoming a mentor with Allies: https://www.allies-inc.org/becoming-a-mentor/

LOVE. RESPECT. COMMUNITY

Allies empowers survivors of trafficking & sexual exploitation through mentorship and family support

Live from the Cannonball Lounge in downtown Indy, Allies "flipped the script" on Giving Tuesday and hosted a live podcast event. Hear from guests Kyle Defur, president of NCF Indiana and Melody Gandy, co-director of Family Advocacy Ministry at College Park Church as they share about living generous lives everyday.

Check out information about the upcoming 2025 Everyday Generosity event: www.allies-inc.org/everyday-generosity.

Learn more about becoming a mentor with Allies: https://www.allies-inc.org/becoming-a-mentor/

LOVE. RESPECT. COMMUNITY

Allies empowers survivors of trafficking & sexual exploitation through mentorship and family support

Host Jessica Evans sits down with Brittany Babbitt to wrap up the series on mentorship best practices. They dive into the key aspects of steadfastness, perseverance, and commitment in mentorship relationships.

Audra Ames joins Jessica for an honest conversation about how practicing empathy in our relationships can foster authentic connection and healing. Audra shares practical ways we can show up for others and encourages listeners to grow through uncomfortable moments.

Emily Watson and Jessica explore the topic of setting boundaries that are based on our personal values, and why respecting boundaries set by ourselves or others is a key to long-lasting relationships

For the first episode in our series on Best Practices in Mentorship, Jessica sits down with Allies colleague, Beth Carney, to discuss worldview - how to recognize it and the ways it impacts our relationships

Jessica shares a few updates about recent events at Allies and shares some incredible moments from the recent Thrive gathering. The next series of The Everyday Advocate will focus on the best practices of mentorship and will launch on Friday, September 13!

What is the scope of homelessness in our city? Elliot Zans of CHIP helps us broaden our understanding about the reality of homelessness in Indiana, and the role housing insecurity plays within the issue of human trafficking.

Often, human trafficking, substance use, and mental health are so intricately connected, that in order to serve survivors, all of them must be addressed together. Elizabeth Benitez joins us to share about this important intersection and how trauma-informed practices help facilitate the opportunity for healing.

Brian Carter joins Jessica to share about how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) create vulnerabilities for trafficking and why healthy community and safe adults are the most important protective factors we can give our children.

Diving into a series on challenges survivors of human trafficking face, Sarah Daniel, CEO of Unconditional, joins Jessica to share about the intersection of strip clubs and human trafficking, and the beautiful work Unconditional does, offering relationship and new opportunities to those they serve. More about Unconditional:

https://unconditionalindy.com/

Jessica pops in to give a quick update on Allies before heading into summer break, and share a sweet mentee story. New episodes will be out in August!

Concluding our series of the Allies Journey, Jessica's long-time friends, Angie Smith and Joe Garner, join her to share about the ways God used her community to help launch and sustain the work and ministry of Allies.

Continuing our journey through the Allies story, Sarah Christofis joins Jessica to reminisce on the early days of Allies (known then as Purchased) and how God used a group of friends with a lot of passion and love to build something bigger than themselves through a lot of trial and error.

Jeff and Judy Thorne, Jessica's parents, reflect on the path she has been on from childhood to the start of Allies. They share their unique insight into the early days of following God's call and supporting her in taking steps of faith.

Long-time volunteer and supporter, Melissa Thompson, joins Jessica and room full of supporters at the open house for the new Allies office space. Melissa shares how she's seen Allies grow over time, and why she is excited about the future of Allies.

Jessica pops in to share some updates happening this Spring at Allies, and gives a peek into the book studies the staff have been working through together this year. 

LaNisha Clark is part of a unique ministry in Indianapolis, Freewheelin Bikes, empowering her staff and the community through bikes. She sits down with Jessica to share about her passion for leadership and the joy it can be to empower others and watch them learn and grow. 

Martha Cortes, Chief Partnerships Officer of KIPP Indy Public Schools, shares her passion, not only for KIPP, but also for purposefully partnering with the community on something that truly matters.

Darlene Bradley, friend and powerhouse in the local anti-trafficking movement, joins us again on the podcast to share how we must adapt our leadership as we grow and as the world around us changes.

Author and Leadership Development Professional, DeNeen Attard and Allies Mentorship Program Coordinator, Amanda Sparks, join Jessica  to talk about the unique calling and purpose God gives each one of us. DeNeen shares what she has learned about stayed focused on pursuing God's purpose for her life, and the importance of staying in tune with who God says we are.

Jessica takes a few moments to share updates from the beginning of 2024 and some exciting things to look forward to this year with Allies.

Kyla McLinn chooses to be an intentional presence in the lives of youth through coaching and volunteering and being the "cool aunt." Hear how she has capitalized on her season of life to mentor those around her and fulfill the call God has placed in her life.

Dara Berkhalter is passionate about raising up the next generation of leaders, and has infused that philosophy into the corporate setting where she leads. She shares the importance of investing in those around her and seeking out other leaders to learn from.

Andrew Smiley joins Jessica to unpack how discipleship differs from traditional mentorship, and shares insight on how being a disciple of Jesus is a challenge worth taking.

Mentor pair, Mandy & K, sit down with Jessica to reminisce on their six year mentorship relationship, and the impact it has had in each of their lives.

The Everyday Advocate is back for season two! Host Jessica Evans shares what we can look forward to in 2024 to continue inspiring us to make a difference in our community wherever we are today.

Live from the Cannonball Lounge in downtown Indy, Allies "flipped the script" on Giving Tuesday and hosted a live podcast event. Hear from guests Kyle Defur, president of NCF Indiana and Melody Gandy, co-director of Family Advocacy Ministry at College Park Church as they share about living generous lives everyday.

Learn more about becoming a mentor with Allies: https://www.allies-inc.org/becoming-a-mentor/

LOVE. RESPECT. COMMUNITY

Allies empowers survivors of trafficking & sexual exploitation through mentorship and family support

Wrapping up this series on generosity, Audrey and Jessica are joined by Elaine Banter, Director of Volunteer Engagement at Dare to Care Food Bank in Louisville. She shares how volunteering is an intentional act of strengthening the community, and inspires us to be creative in how we play a part.

Learn more about becoming a mentor with Allies: https://www.allies-inc.org/becoming-a-mentor/

LOVE. RESPECT. COMMUNITY

Allies empowers survivors of trafficking & sexual exploitation through mentorship and family support

In the conversation of generosity, we tend to think that if we don't have much money, we can't be generous. Anna Campbell from National Christian Foundation joins Audrey and Jessica to remind us that it's not about what you have, but what you do with what you have that really matters.

Restored Creations: https://restored-creations-wmm.square.site/

"Story" by King Kaleidoscope: https://open.spotify.com/track/1MeQJmRY0bhWHBifD2dL7I

Learn more about becoming a mentor with Allies: https://www.allies-inc.org/becoming-a-mentor/

LOVE. RESPECT. COMMUNITY

Allies empowers survivors of trafficking & sexual exploitation through mentorship and family support

Jake and Jake are known around Indy as the Flower Boys. They join Audrey and Jessica to share about how they operate their business and live their lives with an abundance mindset. The Jakes encourage us to practice generosity whatever our role is in the workplace.

Learn more about becoming a mentor with Allies: https://www.allies-inc.org/becoming-a-mentor/

LOVE. RESPECT. COMMUNITY

Allies empowers survivors of trafficking & sexual exploitation through mentorship and family support

The delightful Kara Ranieri joins Audrey and Jessica as they jump into a new series on generosity. Living a life of generosity means much more than what we give financially. Kara shares how generosity in relationship can have a ripple effect in the community around us.

Learn more about becoming a mentor with Allies: https://www.allies-inc.org/becoming-a-mentor/

LOVE. RESPECT. COMMUNITY

Allies empowers survivors of trafficking & sexual exploitation through mentorship and family support

To wrap up the series, "How To Be A Friend 101," Audrey and Jessica invite a colleague who embodies intentional friendship, Amanda Sparks, for a conversation about how to express care and expand possibilities for others in our lives.

Learn more about becoming a mentor with Allies: https://www.allies-inc.org/becoming-a-mentor/

LOVE. RESPECT. COMMUNITY

Allies empowers survivors of trafficking & sexual exploitation through mentorship and family support

Jessica and Audrey share some practical tips for all of us who want to engage in healthy mentoring relationships. Listen as they unpack Allies' approach to preparing mentors for their mentoring relationship utilizing The Search Institute's Developmental Relationships Framework. 

https://www.search-institute.org/developmental-relationships/developmental-relationships-framework/

Learn more about becoming a mentor with Allies: https://www.allies-inc.org/becoming-a-mentor/

LOVE. RESPECT. COMMUNITY

Allies empowers survivors of trafficking & sexual exploitation through mentorship and family support

In anticipation of our next series, we're sharing the first episode of, "The Everyday Advocate".

What does it mean to be an everyday advocate? Join hosts Jessica Evans and Audrey Hood as they share stories and resources for you to learn how to be an advocate wherever you are today.

LOVE. RESPECT. COMMUNITY

Allies empowers survivors of trafficking & sexual exploitation through mentorship and family support

Because youth spend a majority of their day in schools, educators have a unique opportunity to support kids and provide protective factors against trafficking. Dr. Keeanna Warren, CEO of Purdue Polytechnic High School joins Jessica and Audrey to highlight the importance of partnerships between schools and the community to create a holistic learning environment to keep kids safe and reach their full potential.

Every youth Allies works with is touched by the Child Welfare System in some capacity. They sometimes get a bad rap, but understanding that their ultimate goal is for the safety and provision for youth who have been harmed helps us change that perspective. Audrey and Jessica are joined by Yvonne Moore, Focused Needs Director for the Indiana Department of Child Services to give a high-level overview of the Child Welfare System in Indiana and what we can do to support it as everyday advocates in our community. *Opinions expressed in the episode are that of Yvonne Moore and not the Department of Child Services.

It might be assumed that once a survivor is removed from their exploitive situation, most of their challenges are over. However, for many, the challenges merely shift as they navigate the legal system, recovery and community-based resources. Audrey and Jessica sit down with Karen Maher from ICESAHT to talk about policy and legislation impacting survivors and the complexities that survivors face.