In 2007, our founder, Cynthia Terlouw Kvistad (Cece), received a vision from God to create a place of refuge for women who had been harmed by sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. In this vision, God would be an intricate part of the healing process, tending to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of survivors, restoring hope amid suffering, and paving the way to freedom – freedom from exploitation, and freedom to thrive.
Upon moving to the St. Cloud area, Cece learned of the serious lack of resources for adult victims. Inspired by her work at Heartland Girls’ Ranch, a long-term care facility for girls who have experienced trauma from commercial sexual exploitation/trafficking, Cece began the process of building partnerships and support within the community for a new resource: Terebinth Refuge. In 2018, with help from a grant from Minnesota’s Safe Harbor program and generous community donations, Terebinth Refuge was established.
Today, Terebinth Refuge provides shelter, transitional housing, and supportive services to women 18+ who have been harmed by sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. Since its founding, Terebinth Refuge has served 157 women from Minnesota and beyond.
In recognition of her foundational role and enduring legacy, the Board of Directors has established the Cynthia “CeCe” Terlouw-Kvistad Endowment Fund to ensure that the mission she launched will continue to flourish for generations to come.
Your tax-deductible donations make a real difference to those harmed by sex trafficking and sexual exploitation
The terebinth tree is a type of pistachio tree that grows out of desolate areas and provides shade and refuge. We see mention of this tree in 1 Samuel, in the story about David defeating Goliath in the Valley of Elah (“Valley of the Terebinth”). During that time, Israel was experiencing a period of moral chaos and tragedy – embodied by the figure, Goliath, who was bent on oppressing other people. God’s choice of David as the person who would defeat the oppressor was not based on his name or status, but simply on his radical and humble trust in God. This tree reminds us that our work to end trafficking is not ours, but God’s. Despite human evil, God is working out His purposes, rescuing His people from slavery and oppression, using the humble and the faithful to carry out.
A licensed attorney, Noelle began her career at St. Paul, MN-based nonprofit, Breaking Free, providing legal advocacy to victims of sex trafficking, training community stakeholders and criminal justice system professionals at the statewide and national level, supporting the implementation of diversionary programs for women involved in prostitution, co-facilitating the Offenders Prostitution Program, advising on state and federal legislative policy, and serving as co-chair of the Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force Policy Committee.
After Breaking Free, Noelle served as Staff Attorney and Trafficking Policy Coordinator at the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault. In that role, Noelle provided state and national technical assistance to community-based advocates and criminal justice system professionals responding to sexual assault and sex trafficking cases, and coordinated the Safe Harbor Protocol Development program, which supported the development of community-specific multidisciplinary responses to trafficking.
In 2018, Noelle joined Men As Peacemakers (MAP) to lead a statewide initiative to end the demand for sex trafficking (Don’t Buy It Project), later overseeing MAP’s local, statewide, and national prevention and restorative programs as Director of Programs. At MAP, Noelle worked with Native, Hmong, and Latino partner programs to co-create community-specific tools and resources to address sex trafficking and other forms of sexual violence. Noelle is also a national Training and Technical Assistance Provider for the Restorative Practices Pilot Program through the Office of Violence Against Women.
Noelle and her husband served as missionaries for over 5 years in Tokyo, Japan, where Noelle also obtained her Master of Public Administration with Certificate in International Peace and Conflict Studies from the International Christian University and completed an applied field study at the United Nations Institute of Training and Research in Hiroshima, Japan. She also holds a Bachelor of Science (double major) in Mathematics and Biblical Studies from Evangel University in Springfield, MO.
Your support through grants empowers Terebinth Refuge to continue providing life-changing resources and care. Together, we’re making a lasting impact on lives and building a stronger future.
