About us.
Our people. Our story.
Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our HOPE is in You alone.
Psalm 33:22
We are a small group of individuals, compelled by God’s command through the influence of Christ Jesus, to extend a helping hand to those defenseless, oppressed, poor, hungry, vulnerable, orphaned, and sick – those who’ve lost hope. This is who we are, His servants, His ambassadors, His voice, His hands, and His feet.
Our people.
Jill Kearney
Founder and Executive Director
Meet Jill Kearney!
Jill, the visionary behind Onehope Refuge, earned her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Originating her ministry journey at Bay Leaf Baptist Church as Children’s Ministry Director, she then relocated to Roswell, GA, homeschooling her two adopted children from Tula, Russia. Jill’s diverse experiences include roles in Human Resources at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, GA, and as Program Director for Prison Alliance in Raleigh, NC. Alongside her husband, she dedicated four years to fostering, and their commitment to missions has impacted vulnerable children and women. Jill, now residing in Wake Forest, NC, with her husband, has two children and a grandchild.
Rebecca Quick
Chief Operating Officer
Meet Rebecca Quick!
Rebecca’s journey began at age 17 when she had an encounter with Jesus and sensed a call to Christian ministry. She earned her degree Christian Outreach with a minor in Family Studies. She is passionate about walking with others through challenging circumstances encouraging them to understand God’s purpose for their lives. A verse that guides her life is Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Rebecca has served individuals and families in various settings from residential faith-based recovery ministry to group homes. Christian schools to a city-wide ministry who shares Christ with people who are experiencing homelessness and are under-resourced as well as directing a team at an emergency safe house for women exiting trafficking. Her experiences has been primarily in non-profits allowing her insight regarding complexities involved in such impactful organizations. She shares life with her husband and their three teenage children. Transplants from the midwest in 2019, they have been building their lives here in North Carolina enjoying the warm weather and easy access to the beach and mountains where they like to explore all the towns, history, and local favorites.
Get to know our board.
Meet Will!
Board Chair
Dr. Will Gatling, D.Min., from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, serves as the Associate Director of Grow in His Word Ministries, Inc. Recently retired as the Pastor for Missions at Bay Leaf Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC, he boasts a rich career, contributing as Minister of Education, Church Administrator, and Missions Pastor in Virginia, Texas, and North Carolina. With a global perspective, Dr. Gatling has traveled to over thirty countries, leading numerous mission trips and teaching in diverse cross-cultural settings. Residing in Northern Virginia with his wife, they share the joy of two sons and three grandchildren.
Meet Vince!
Board Treasurer
Vince graduated from the Catholic University of America with a BS in Architecture and after a stint with the Central Intelligence Agency, embarked on a 28 year career in retail where he discovered his passion for business, management, leadership, and mentoring. Holding every frontline management role prepared him to become Senior Vice President of Retail at Hugo Boss and then Giorgio Armani. Vince and his wife Joy moved to Raleigh in 2019 where he is an active member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, co-leading the Prison Pen Pal Ministry and supporting various other ministries. He has received his Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University and now advocates against human trafficking with NC Stop Human Trafficking and the NC Demand Reduction Task Force.
Meet Darlene!
Board Member
With over 35 years of mentoring women, Darlene passionately guides individuals toward realizing God’s fullest potential. As a former Women’s Ministry Director at a 1,000-member church, she served as a Biblical Counselor, pioneered mentoring programs, and led stress management and transformed thoughts workshops. As Regional Director for an International Bible study, Darlene managed 42 classes, trained leaders nationally, and spoke at conferences. Board Certified in Advanced Christian Life Coaching and Biblical Counseling, she excels in areas like Stress and Trauma Care, Anxiety, and Depression. Committed to sharing God’s love and helping others find healing, Darlene, married for 37 years, embraces His purpose for their lives. Explore her wealth of experience on her website.
Meet Joe!
Board Member
Joe, a Cartersville, GA native and Clemson University graduate, launched his finance career at Southern Bank, later joining First Union. With a Master’s in Business Administration added in 1990, he sensed a divine calling in the early ‘90s to utilize his business skills for ministry. In 1997, Joe became Finance Manager at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, where he dedicated 25 years, holding diverse roles, including Interim Executive Director, Operations. Beyond career achievements, Joe values family, cherishing 34 years of marriage and the journey of parenthood with four adult children. Guided by a Purpose Statement emphasizing relentless pursuit and enthusiastic service, Joe embraces opportunities to serve with integrity and thankfulness.
Meet Jasmine!
Survivor Leader and Advisory Board Member
As a survivor of sex trafficking and drug addiction, Jasmine is a powerful keynote speaker, panelist, and facilitator for training sessions, workshops, and support groups. She has shared her insights on panels at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in New Hampshire and at side events for the United Nations in New York. Additionally, Jasmine has been featured on The 700 Club and numerous online news platforms. Jasmine consults with healthcare professionals, law enforcement, educators, and nonprofit organizations, providing expert advice on safe housing, program development, curriculum creation, survivor support, and peer mentorship. She is the Founder and Director of Beauty from Ashes Ministry (BFAM), an organization that empowers women as they leave the commercial sex trade and recover from addiction. Jasmine developed Bags of Hope Outreach and the Restorative Home, Living Hope Farms, two key initiatives providing vital support for survivors of human trafficking and addiction. Through BOH the team facilitates specialized recovery groups and exit strategies. At LHF, it's about biblical, trauma-informed healing, safe housing, vocational training, therapeutic support, and life skills development to empower survivors to rebuild their lives.
Jasmine is also the author of The Diary of Jasmine Grace: Trafficked, Recovered, Redeemed. Her story of survival, faith, and victory resonates with silent survivors, justice advocates, and direct service providers alike. People who were once unaware of human trafficking are now supporting her efforts as a modern-day abolitionist, united in the belief that sex should never be considered work.
Our story.
Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
The call of Onehope Refuge.
In 2001, the seed of serving vulnerable children was planted in my heart when adopting my first child. After years of equipping, in 2020, God’s call became clear during a sermon on Nehemiah, inspiring me to pray about what truly broke my heart. In 2021, the desire to open a group home for children faced obstacles due to the Family First Act in NC. Undeterred, I sought God’s guidance, leading me to the overlooked needs of women with children rescued from sex trafficking.
Discovering a gap in services for these women and children, I realized this was God’s calling. My passion for preserving family bonds aligned with God’s design, recognizing the profound impact of trauma on children. Onehope Refuge was born, by the grace of God and guided by the belief in Jesus Christ’s power to bring hope and healing to break generational cycles of trauma.
As I revisit my prayer journals over many years, time after time I see where I wrote, “Here I am Lord, send me,” or prayed to show me what I could do for Him and to please use me. I can remember hearing amazing stories
of how God called this person into ministry or sent this person to go out into the mission field. I’d think to myself, here I am begging God to use me and nothing, so I thought.
I now see how God was preparing me all along to open Onehope Refuge, using all things in my life for such a time as this. He was teaching me to depend on Him through prayer, growing me in His Word, allowing me to experience the care needed in raising two adopted children, and serving families through foster care.
Most importantly though, God was waiting for me to understand it was all about Him and nothing about me. God truly calls all of us to serve Him, we are His hands and feet. We all have a calling to meet the needs of those who are hungry, defend the oppressed, the rights of the poor and needy, take up the cause of the fatherless and seek justice. I’m simply obeying the call He gives to each of us for His glory and His namesake. Onehope Refuge is God’s ministry, not mine, He’s just allowing me to steer for a time.