A former strip club in Spokane, Washington, is being transformed into a faith-based center aimed at rescuing and restoring victims of human trafficking, offering what anti-trafficking leader Caleb Altmeyer described as a powerful example of redemption and renewal.
During an interview on “The Bible Bros Podcast With Billy Hallowell and Dalton Harper,” highlighted by CBN News, Altmeyer shared how his ministry, Helping Captives, purchased the former strip club and paid it off completely to create what will become the “Freedom Center,” a facility focused on helping women escape trafficking and begin rebuilding their lives.
Altmeyer said his ministry originally believed anti-trafficking outreach would be only a small part of its broader mission. That changed after launching a safe house and witnessing the staggering need firsthand.
“We thought that we were going to help three to five women,” Altmeyer said. “And we had 21 women go through our house in 9 months.”
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The ministry soon realized many survivors needed far more than temporary shelter.
“They need a recovery program with Jesus intertwined in and counseling and case management and they need to get off drugs,” he said.
As the outreach expanded, Altmeyer and his team began praying for a permanent emergency stabilization center where women coming directly off the streets could find immediate care, detox support and long-term recovery services rooted in faith.
Then an unexpected opportunity emerged when a local strip club shut down.
“I was like, ‘You know what? God, maybe you’re crazy enough that you would turn a strip club that was known for objectifying women and turn it into a center that would be known nationally for helping women come out of trafficking,’” Altmeyer said.
One of the most emotional moments came when a trafficking survivor touring the property revealed she had once worked there. After walking through the darkened building, survivors told Altmeyer they believed the facility should become the ministry’s new home.
“This is what God did in our life,” one survivor said. “He took something that was used for something that we are not really proud of and gave us a new meaning.”
Altmeyer described the former club as a place filled with darkness, addiction and painful memories. Yet the ministry saw something different: the opportunity for transformation.
The project faced major hurdles after the ministry was offered $1 million in government support that came with restrictions requiring the building to be used for “secular use only.” Altmeyer said the ministry declined the funding because faith in Jesus Christ is central to helping survivors heal.
“Because we love Jesus, we can’t do it,” he said.
The ministry later received private funding and officially paid off the building outright without restrictions.
The story stands as a reminder that redemption is at the center of the Gospel. We serve a God who restores broken places, heals wounded hearts and brings light into darkness. A building once tied to exploitation will soon become a refuge for freedom and hope.
And just as that strip club is being transformed into something life-giving, we know the Lord still does the same with people every day.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
