Established 2008
Our Founder and Executive Director
For Becky Dymond, LightHousePBC began as a daydream in 2008 upon hearing Derek Loux, a modern day abolitionist share his plans for a home – a family setting – working with women rescued out of sex trafficking. Becky began to envision turning a nearby horse farm into something similar. This dream simmered in the background, while Becky completed her Master of Science Degree in Counseling Psychology, became recording secretary for Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Coalition, opened a private mental health practice and did extensive research on human trafficking while looking for a group who would work with trafficking survivors locally. Sadly, her research found no groups specifically targeting this population, offering either housing or counseling, in Palm Beach County.
It wasn’t until Becky began to look for a new office space in the fall of 2010 that her daydream stirred to life. It just so happened the farm she had envisioned three years earlier was now for sale and had an out building that would make the perfect office space for a counseling practice.
There a pressing need for services and resources for this population of both domestic and foreign national adults in Palm Beach County. With many resources devoted to under-aged minors or targeting international human trafficking concerns, there is a pressing need for services and resources for adult survivors and those who have “aged out” of other programs. The realization that this was the direction she was to go – to create a family-style ministry working with adult women rescued out of human trafficking – was an overwhelming prospect. Being a woman of faith, she took it to prayer. When she pointed out a lack of personal finances for such a huge project, that still, small voice replied, “If you will risk for this population, I will meet you every step of the way.”
As she began to take tentative steps each practical objection was resolved in unexpected ways:
- A benefit barn dance produced five times the investment providing ample resources for the necessary legal, electronic and executive hurdles.
- Business advisers stepped up to give direction and design to the strategic planning.
- Skilled volunteers for key positions appeared as if on cue.
- Our federal non-profit status was approved in less than a month!
2022 UPDATE
• Opened JohnSchoolPBC in 2021. This is a diversion program for those arrested for prostitution/solicitation.
• Running Pop-Up-At-The-Laundromat – a mentoring program for individuals in the life at local laundromats.
• Opening a micro-business baking organic, non-GMO animal treats as an eventual funding stream, but also to provide part-time employment individuals coming through the Pop-Up mentoring program.
• We have worked with over 80 survivors providing pro-bono mental health counseling, therapeutic groups, career counseling, resume building and other supportive services to facilitate their independence and stability.
• We operated a safe house, providing housing for 14 survivors in all, from 2013 to 2018.
• Created a CEU course for healthcare providers, which is also a funding stream for the charity.
• Created a number of presentations raising awareness, educating, and informing our community about human trafficking, in our own backyard.
• Delivered numerous presentations at local churches, schools and universities.
