In 2009, Anna Carroll, our founder, was working in Heredia, Costa Rica, collaborating with a local non-profit, aiding vulnerable children. On a rare day off, she ventured to a beach in a border town in northern Costa Rica. There, she discovered the distressing reality of child prostitution plaguing the Costa Rican-Nicaraguan border area. Confronted with the absence of aid for survivors, Anna and friends felt compelled to take action. In December of 2009, with the help of friends from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and the United States, an outreach project was launched in the border. With the support of her home church in Kentucky and a dear friend, she laid the foundation for LightForce International.

In its initial years, LFI concentrated on developing programs and establishing connections with various communities to raise awareness about human trafficking. The goal was to create a strong foothold in Costa Rica. By 2012, LFI transitioned from being a project to attaining the status of a 501(c)3 non-profit.

Over the years, LFI has worked with at-risk populations as well as with victims and survivors of trafficking in a variety of ways and in collaboration with many individuals, organizations and churches. As a result of our staff’s experiences and growing passions, LFI has targeted and refined its mission to focus primarily on working with vulnerable kids, youth and adults to prevent exploitation and victimization.

In 2023, LFI changed its name to Refuge City to better reflect its mission and vision of building an atmosphere where vulnerable communities are empowered, survivors find healing and restoration, and the cycle of trafficking is broken through prevention.

Today, Refuge City has offices in multiple countries (and continues to expand partnerships globally) to continue to execute and develop programs and to build resources to fulfill the vision.