Sioux City, Iowa (KTIV) — Adult survivors of human trafficking soon will have a place to go in Sioux City, to heal from the trauma and develop the necessary life skills to get them on their feet again.

Lila Mae’s House is intended to be a 24-month transitional living program. It’s specific long-term help for women who have survived and escaped from sex-trafficking.

The idea for Lila Mae’s House came to Sister Shirley Fineran about four years ago.

“It was divine in a sense. I listened to a woman who had been sex-trafficked and told how she had been trafficked 35 years ago,” said Sister Shirley Fineran.

After prayers, planning, some dreaming and working with a generous community, Sister Shirley says things started coming together.

“We were gifted with a home and then we’ve had to do remodeling for the women,” said Sister Shirley.

“Making Lila Mae’s House a reality has taken an entire community. On this quilted banner, you’ll find all the names of the people who have helped in some way.”

Those helpers have done everything from cleaning, construction, painting, and so much more, to transform a house that needed lots of tender loving care, into a dream home for women who need to recover from the trauma of human trafficking.

“Serving the Siouxland area, there’s really not a program specific for survivors of sex trafficking and that’s what makes Lila Mae’s house unique to serving our Tri-State Area,” said Marit Westrich, Executive Director, Lila Mae’s House.

Marit Westrich, Executive Director, says the staff at Lila Mae’s House will team up with community providers for the live-in program, that will provide housing for up to seven women. The hope is to help survivors get back on their feet in about two years by teaching them important life skills and providing a peaceful environment where they can heal.

“It often goes invisible because it is a difficult topic to talk about and it is pretty ugly and people don’t always want to look at that reality,” said Westrich.

Sometime in November, Lila Mae’s house should be operational, once staff is hired and the women are welcomed through the doors.

“Our hope for what women find at Lila Mae’s House, not only the peace, it’s about self-sufficiency and the ability to overcome and move forward with their life,” added Westrich.

Westrich says Lila Mae’s House is 100-percent privately funded so support from the community is crucial.

Staff will be fully-trained and other trained professionals in the community will be an important part of the process in helping the women.