Our Why
At the heart of our mission is a commitment to restoring the lives of teenage girls by sharing the transformative truth of God’s love. We seek to inspire young women to reclaim their identity and embrace a life rooted in purpose and authenticity.
The Making of A Champion
Refuge Campus
The reality is: vulnerable children in our neighborhoods and our state are falling through the cracks. Girls are being abused in plain sight yet we do not see. We must speak up for those who don’t have a voice.
Making Lemon-Aid's Refuge Campus was born from a simple conviction: every girl rescued from trafficking deserves a real place to heal — not a temporary shelter, but a long-term home built specifically for her.
Refuge is Nebraska's first specialized residential program for girls ages 12–18 who have been rescued from commercial sex trafficking. We serve girls from across Nebraska and beyond, stepping in where gaps in care exist — because a girl's zip code should never determine whether she gets the help she needs.
At The Refuge, each girl receives trauma-informed, faith-based care in a nurturing residential environment designed to meet her where she is and walk with her toward who she was made to be. Through therapeutic counseling, equine and art therapy, individualized education, and a structured restoration program, we support the whole girl — body, mind, and spirit.
We work in close collaboration with local, regional, and national law enforcement and child advocacy partners to ensure every girl who comes through our doors receives proven, coordinated care. It is a privilege to be part of this work — and to witness, in real time, what restoration looks like when a girl is finally given the chance to heal.
Our Approach
Imago Dei — Latin for "image of God" — is the heartbeat of everything we do at Making Lemon-Aid. We believe every person is created in God's image, and because of that, every life carries inherent dignity, value, and worth that cannot be taken away — no matter what a girl has experienced or endured.
Every program, every relationship, and every moment of care at Refuge is designed with one purpose: to help each girl encounter God's love, grow into wholeness, and reclaim the dignity that has always been hers.
Restored dignity is the ultimate goal of our work. When a girl comes to know her own value — when she understands who she is and whose she is, and learns to live from that truth — healing becomes not just possible, but real.
