Journey Out (formerly The Mary Magdalene Project) was created by a grant from the Presbyterian Women of America (PWA) in June 1980 at the prompting of West Hollywood Presbyterian Reverend Ross Greek. The Sunset Boulevard location put him in contact with prostituted women working the streets right outside his church.
At his prompting, PWA granted $30,000 to rent a residential house in the San Fernando Valley. The residence provided women with a safe haven for up to six months where they were hidden from pimps and predators.
Early leaders including Jerri Rodewald and Ann Hayman formed the basis for our rich history of providing a variety of critical non-faith based services to trafficked individuals in the Los Angeles area.
Programming ultimately expanded beyond the original intervention to include youth prevention and intervention programs, emergency support and crisis counseling services, street outreach and harm reduction programs. Our programs continue to evolve over time to meet the needs of the population we serve.