Our Start
Radiant Hope began with a passion to address one of the world’s most devastating issues—human trafficking. Founded in 2016 by Courtney, our organization emerged from her deep commitment to take action after first learning about this injustice. Initially inspired to fight this specific crime, Courtney quickly got involved, co-leading campaigns in New York City and working alongside NGOs and businesses dedicated to raising awareness.
As her work expanded across the USA, India, Southeast Asia, and Europe, Courtney saw firsthand the vastness and complexity of the issue. While preventing human trafficking remained a critical focus, Courtney recognized that the programs Radiant Hope was establishing had the potential to do much more than prevent trafficking. They could offer healing and protection to children from a wide range of abuses, beyond the scope of trafficking alone.
Our Journey
In 2016, Radiant Hope was officially established as a 501(c)(3) public charity. We began forging critical partnerships in Romania and India, where we provided specialized training on trauma and child development. As we expanded, our focus sharpened on Romania, where Courtney moved in 2017 to start the first Flourish Group—a safe haven for young girls from government orphanages and impoverished communities. In these groups we provided psychosocial support, life skills training, and most importantly, friendship.
By 2018, our impact had grown significantly. The Flourish Groups expanded, reaching more at-risk girls, and new partnerships brought in vocational training, counseling, and job opportunities for youth. We started a specialized staff training program in Romania and continued to offer support to our partners in India. We eventually decided to focus our efforts solely on children in the Romanian child protective system and began to invest in our local community leaders even more.
In the years that have followed, our collaboration efforts led to new opportunities for local workers to receive certified education on trauma. This strengthened our belief and understanding in the need for more investment into caregivers. While we continued to operate small groups for adolescent girls and provided care for them, we knew that eventually our focus needed to shift towards strengthening caregivers and creating safe environments for children—a key factor in protecting children from abuse and exploitation
Our Future
As our understanding deepened, Radiant Hope recognized that true, long-lasting change happens when caregivers are empowered. While preventing trafficking remains a vital part of our mission, we’ve expanded our work to develop resources and build capacity in child protection on a much broader scale. By investing in caregiver training and creating trauma-informed programs, we are helping children heal from a wide array of vulnerabilities and traumas, not limited to trafficking alone.
Today, Radiant Hope is pivoting to focus on resource development and capacity building. Our goal is to impact thousands of children in the years to come, equipping caregivers with the knowledge and tools to protect children and foster healing in safe, nurturing environments.
Join us in our mission to create a brighter future for the next generation!
