Our Story
Hands of Justice
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When first established in August 2017, Hands of Justice was geared toward teens. Our first teen meeting consisted of eight local Montgomery County, Texas, teens. That group grew to over 40 in just two months. Once a month, teens came together to learn about human trafficking from Founder and Overcomer Rebecca Cary. From there, this teen group created social media campaigns, poster campaigns, and personally educated hundreds of their peers and their families. They helped co-write and film an educational documentary, The Movement, which aired in the spring of 2017.
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In the summer of 2019, Rebecca Cary shared her personal story for the first time as an Overcomer of Domestic Sex Trafficking. With an incredible Board of Directors and Advisory Council, she was able to use her lived experience to identify services that could help other survivors in need. This led to the vision of an Economic Empowerment and Resource Center. Over the next few months, Rebecca expanded Hands of Justice by adding direct services to help other Survivors thrive through economic empowerment, long-term support, and educational resources.
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In the fall of 2021, at our annual Artreach for Freedom Gala, Rebecca announced the dream of creating a safe and welcoming space for Overcomers to come together and support one another. In less than five months, Hands of Justice found a location suited to their needs and began developing services specifically for Survivors who were not suited for residential facilities but still required ongoing supportive services.
In July 2022, just ten months after announcing this dream, Hands of Justice opened its doors to the public. The new Economic Empowerment and Resource Center provided both male and female Overcomers of Human Trafficking with a variety of long-term programs. To see the available services, click the services link below.
In May 2022, Hands of Justice partnered with 20 Overcomers from across the nation to write and publish our first book, When Silence Ends.
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July 2024, hurricane Beryl hit southeast Texas causing extensive damage to the Economic Empowerment and Resource Center, and the center was closed, leaving the staff and operations displaced. Through a partnership with The WorkLodge in the Woodlands Texas, Hands of Justice was able to sustain operations and
continue meeting the needs of our clients.
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In August 2024, Hands of Justice partnered with 16 overcomers to write and publish When Silence Ends Volume 2. The book will be available on Amazon very soon.
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In August 2024 our founder decided to step back from Hands of Justice to focus on her health and her family. She asked Dawn Candy, the vice-president of the Board of Directors, to take the reigns and lead Hands of Justice into the next chapter of the organization's growth and expansion. Dawn took the lead October 28, 2024.
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