Sues Hess
Executive Director
A full commitment to advance His Kingdom and equip the Body of Christ to help those who are hurting has shaped Sues’ life. She has worked with ministries in Illinois, Texas, Europe and Colorado, as a pastor/missionary wife, coordinating women’s ministries both in the US (including transitional housing) and abroad, globally coordinating emotional/spiritual care following disasters, relief and development, refugee and trauma issues, leadership development and teaching ESL and global sports initiatives.
Her first direct exposure to human trafficking was in 1977, when she worked at a Christian youth hostel in the Red Light district in Amsterdam. She has served as a Restore Innocence/Reclaiming Hope Board member since 2018, and has participated in the Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado off and on for 11 years. She has also shared her home with survivors.
Our loving Father comforted her through the abuse of an alcoholic husband and divorce. He provided for her as a single mother of three boys. And he again sustained her through breast cancer and chemotherapy. As an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs, she has served as a deacon and on church committees.
She married Tom in 2010. She enjoys a thriving marriage and good health.
Mandie Hoehne
Director of Survivor Care
Mandie first found Restore Innocence several years ago when she felt led to do volunteer work with anti-trafficking. The book that was later made into a movie [The Blind Side] opened her eyes to the needs of foster kids aging out of the system, which led to finding out more about how affected they are by trafficking. She has been volunteering with Reclaiming Hope, The Place, The Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado, and the Diversion program for several years. God led her to ask about a job with Reclaiming Hope and here she is!
She has a vision for housing and community mentorship including teaching life skills and offering opportunities for survivors. She wants to be a part of bringing Christ’s love, joy, and hope to mentees. She wishes people really understood that human trafficking is real. There is so much to learn about why people end up trafficked and how the community can get involved in eradicating trafficking altogether. This cause is so important to her because this is one of the most vulnerable populations among us.
Mandie has been married for over 20 years and has two sons. She is a Colorado Native and an avid outdoor fan.
Abby Leonard
Director of Hope Bag Program
Abby Leonard is passionate about supporting the exploited and hurting. She first became aware of trafficking here in the United States through the passion of a friend and her heart was broken by the trauma of its survivors. She felt called to respond and was trained to become a Mentor with Restore Innocence/Reclaiming Hope. She mentored two Survivors before filling the role of
Director of Survivor Care between 2017 and 2019. She is now excited to support Survivors by directing the Hope Bag program. She loves providing for the practical needs of Survivors. She feels that continuing to serve Survivors is a great honor and privilege.
Abby has a husband of over 20 years and 4 beautiful children. She has been mentoring a group of teens for years and is excited to journey alongside them through high school. Abby has regularly volunteered in her childrens’ schools, at church, and with her local quilt guild. She also has a background in tutoring as well as in the corporate world.
Allison Harshbarger
OFFICE Manager
Since childhood, Allison felt called to help people who were hurting, which led to her degree in Human Services and Substance Abuse Counseling. She has plans to continue to a degree in Social Work.
In 2022, Allison moved to Colorado Springs, a place she always dreamed of living, with her 2 young children and 2 rescue dogs, while going through a divorce she felt called to Colorado and Reclaiming Hope to grow in God, heal her own heart, and to help others. Reclaiming Hope is her first interaction with human trafficking. She believes that her experience with substance abuse
counseling, volunteering, and her eagerness to learn make her a strong contributor to the Reclaiming Hope team.
Aside from being a mother and providing administrative support to Reclaiming Hope, Allison loves to work with animals, read new books, and take her kids on adventures to see all the God-made wonders of Colorado.
Board of Directors
Chris Burns, Chair
Wendy Smith, Vice-Chair
Bob Dinolfo, Treasurer
Sues Hess, Executive Director
Cherise Selley
Chris Vuk
Founders
Jason and Michelle Korth