Community. Advocacy. Connection.

We help women, ages 18+ in the Indianapolis area, who have experienced sex work, commercial exploitation, or sex trafficking.

Community. Advocacy. Connection.
We help women, ages 18+ in the Indianapolis area, who have experienced sex work, commercial exploitation, or sex trafficking.

Our Story

Meet our founder, Stefanie Jeffers.

Stefanie Jeffers is a graduate of Ball State University where she earned her degree in Legal Administration. Early in her career, Stefanie worked in local government offices. She then transitioned into a position as a paralegal, working in both family and personal injury law. Stefanie has a heart for justice and a passion to advocate for individuals who are disenfranchised by society.

Stefanie is a founding member and Secretary for Food 4 Souls. Food 4 Souls is a faith-based, non-profit organization that works with the homeless population in Indianapolis. Stefanie has worked with women experiencing commercial sexual exploitation since 2013 and is the founder and CEO of Grit Into Grace, Inc. Stefanie advocates on behalf of women affected by sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, assisting them in acquiring recovery and mental health resources, housing, education, and daily resources needed for sustainable change. She also works with incarcerated women, building relationships and continuing to advocate for them upon their release. Stefanie has had the opportunity to work alongside local and federal law enforcement agencies to identify victims of sex trafficking and women who are engaged in prostitution and offer victim services.

Stefanie is a survivor of the sex industry and has been out of that lifestyle since 2004. Her story is one of courage, redemption, and hope. Her experiences inside the commercial sex industry give her a unique insight into that world, and allow her to speak about the lifestyle with expertise. Stefanie is a passionate speaker on the issues of sexual exploitation in its various forms and uses her voice to raise awareness on these important topics.

Take a Look at the Highlights from our 5th Anniversary Celebration "Remain"

Our Approach

Shame says that because I am flawed, I am unacceptable. Grace says that though I am flawed, I am cherished.

Our Services & Resources

Community & Resources to Help Build a New Life

Non-Residential Care

The Dream House is a daily place of refuge and rest for survivors of sexual exploitation, sex work, or sex trafficking. Here you will find a place to belong; a place of community, advocacy, and connection.

Residential Care

The future Butterfly House will be a residential home where women can live, engage in programming, and become encouraged and equipped to live independently.

Incarceration Care

The Purple Project is a Grit Into Grace initiative working with survivors of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation within the criminal justice system.

Resources

Grit Into Grace staff will connect you to local partner organizations to provide holistic care for your specific needs.

Meet the Board

Sarah Filson

President

I was born and raised an Indiana farm girl. I am married and have 3 children. I first met Stefanie at Bible study through Heartland Church and ministered with her in the clubs a couple years later. She came to me with the idea to start Grit Into Grace, and I was an enthusiastic yes! I have been the President of Grit Into Grace since its inception. Grit Into Grace meets needs unlike any other group nearby. It is an honor to serve alongside my fellow board members. I cannot wait to see what God-sized missions we can be a part of in our future.

Adam Johnson

Vice President

Adam Johnson is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana and a graduate of Arlington High School. After attending Ball State University and Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma, Adam completed his BA degree in Public Affairs, from IUPUI. Married with four children, Adam enjoys venturing on road trips, bike rides and movies with his family. When not engaged with his family, Adam seeks opportunities to assist high schoolers find their post-secondary pathway in life, via the organization he is employed by, Elevate Indianapolis. As a teen, Adam, his mother and two siblings endured the hardships of poverty, hunger and homelessness on multiple occasions. This instability lead to poor academic progress and failure on multiple academic levels. His inability to read fluently and lack of reading comprehension as a teen further complicated life. These challenges are what compelled Adam to work with youth virtually his entire adulthood; in the church, in the school and in the community. Not deterred but motivated by his struggles, Adam published his first children's book in October of 2021, titled "I Wish I Wish," with the hope and dream of increasing the functional literacy of kids, who are just like him.

Alatha Johnson

Secretary

Alatha is a native of Muncie, Indiana. She is a registered respiratory therapist and registered polysomnographic technologist. She graduated from The University of Akron with an Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Care degree, and Western Governors University Indiana with a Bachelor of Science Business Management degree. She is a trained Stephen Minister and a member of Tau Gamma Delta Sorority, Inc. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, listening to music and watching UFC fights.

Meet the Staff

Stefanie Jeffers

Founder & CEO

Grit Into Grace began as a dream in the heart of our founder, Stefanie Jeffers. In 2004, Stefanie walked out of the strip club where she was employed for three years. Though she lost everything during the three years she worked in the sex industry, God completely changed and restored her life. Since 2009, Stefanie has used her unique understanding of being in the life and how difficult it can be to leave it behind to serve and care for women in the sex industry

Amanda Burris

Survivor Advocate

Amanda is a survivor. She previously worked in the dental field before becoming a part of the Grit Into Grace team. She’s passionate about serving and using her experiences and faith to offer hope to other women. When she isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and pets and spending time outside. 

Laura Coonrod

Chief Community Officer

Laura has a passion to walk alongside people, specifically women. She values relationship and believes that each persons story matters and has significance. Laura has had the opportunity to be involved in the anti- trafficking movement in the Indianapolis area as well as abroad. Laura joined Grit Into Grace in 2018 and has held various roles there including cook! Her time there has allowed her to live out her passion by walking with women, hearing their stories and hopefully imparting the truth that each has significance. Laura is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and currently serves as a co-chair to the adult victim service committee with IPATH (Indiana Protection Against Trafficked Humans).

Brianna Downs

Survivor Advocate

Brianna is a former teen mom and survivor committed to supporting and advocating for other women. She is passionate about helping women remove shame from their stories and rediscover their true identity, free from who society and trauma says they are or should be.

Soraya Trauner

Program Director

Being a survivor of human trafficking from a young age Soraya learned all too well the impact of this harrowing crime. Throughout her working career Soraya has had the privilege to advocate for people from all walks of life. In the midst of serving those with mental illness, survivors of trauma and people with a variety of disabilities there was always a pull to reach out to Human Trafficking survivors. Offering hope and educating those who do not know the reality of human trafficking is a passion of Soraya’s and she lives it out in her life. She believes that behind every survivor there is a name, behind every name there is a face, behind every face there is a story and most importantly a heart that deserves to be valued, loved and humanized.

Christina Lyman

Survivor Advocate

Christina previously worked as an Addiction Coordinator before becoming part of the Grit into Grace team. She attended Indiana Wesleyan University for her Addiction Counseling degree. She is currently working towards her Masters in Social Work. Christina is a sexual exploitation and domestic violence survivor and wants to turn her pain into her purpose. She has a strong desire and passion to help women recover from their trauma, grief, and addictions. Christina has been helping women who have worked in the sex industry find hope and purpose in life since 2019.

"God is not calling us to go to church, He is calling us to be the church to the world."

Our Partners

We are privileged to partner with organizations in the city who are doing important work with women. Our goal is not to recreate what is already being done, but to fill in any gaps that may exist in the city of Indianapolis for women being commercially sexually exploited.