Changing Lives.

Aaron and Lea Newcomb are the founders of Engedi Refuge.  They have career backgrounds in construction and office management, decades of ministry in the Christian church, they are the parents of four grown children, and have shared life together as a married couple since 1985.  They learned about the problems of sex trafficking in the United States in 2007, and decided to find a solution for victims.  After years of research and experience helping survivors of prostitution and homelessness, developing program components, and preparing housing and counseling facilities, they opened Engedi Refuge in Northwest Washington State in March of 2013.

They were immediately joined by an amazing group of volunteers and staff members that brought their own expertise, maturity, wisdom, passion and experience to the program.  Counselors, teachers, therapists, case managers and dedicated care-givers all joined Engedi’s mission, and together have formed one of the most effective, therapeutic, residential programs in the country for sex trafficking survivors.

Engedi Refuge has built a support base in the Bellingham, Washington area, and collaborates with anti-trafficking agencies across Washington. In addition, Engedi Refuge is a founding member that helped establish a national referral system connecting sex trafficking survivors across the United States with residential service providers.  

Engedi has grown to include three separate homes for program participants, a counseling center, and a learning center for educational and group activities.   Engedi has a staff of trained, professional care-givers, teachers and therapists and several key volunteers on hand to serve the women in this program.  They are dedicated to the safety, health and empowerment of each Engedi resident.