FREEFREE ISANTI-CHISAGOISANTI-CHISAGO WWW.BANKEASY.COM THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020 VOL. 114 NO. 30 COUNTYSTAR.COM BOYS OF SUMMER: Neighbor town baseball teams clash in double-header. PAGE 12 Safe house for sex-traffi c victims to open in North Branch BY LORI ZABEL “So as we were walking back,” Hop- knew it was happening right in Brain-
[email protected] man recalled, “I said to her, ‘Are you erd.” okay?’ She looked at me, and the look The disturbing encounter started a There was one memorable moment on her face was like, ‘Oh my goodness, journey that has brought Hopman to to- when Terri Hopman knew she had to somebody sees something wrong here.’ day where she is the executive director do whatever she could to help women But she said, ‘Yes, I’m okay.’ I said, ‘Are of Renew Hope MN, a local nonprofi t illegally traffi cked for sex in Minneso- you sure you don’t need some help? that will open a safe house in the North ta. Do you need me to call someone?’ She Branch area in mid-August for women About eight years ago, Hopman, of said, ‘No, don’t do that.’ I knew she was rescued from sex traffi cking. The home Wyoming, was founder and director of afraid.” will provide transitional housing, ther- a pregnancy resource center in Brain- When Hopman tried to make conver- apy, education and compassionate care erd when a young Asian woman came sation by asking how the two had met, with a goal of getting the women safely in for an ultrasound with a man about she was chilled to the bone when the back out into life and freedom.