God calls His followers to unexpected places through unexpected means. For Brittany Jacobson (B.S. ’16), God called her to minister in strip clubs, and His pathway for her was through baking.
During her time as a student at Cornerstone, Jacobson attended a conference on ending human trafficking. She heard a woman speak about strip club outreach and knew God was prompting her to serve in that capacity as well.
Bringing cupcakes to strip clubs was an avenue for Jacobson and her volunteers to share the gospel with women in the sex industry. Jacobson baked as many as 300 cupcakes at a time out of her small kitchen and founded New Creation Cupcakes which later became Created Free.
“We want to preach the gospel to women in the sex industry and solidify that we’re there for them in their lives,” Jacobson said. “They’re appreciative of it and often ask for prayer requests.”
Created Free provides spiritual guidance and whole-person care for women. In addition to an online storefront, Jacobson’s outreach includes backpacks filled with clothing, hygiene products and encouraging notes for women coming off the streets.
Jacobson plans to convert a vintage camper into a mobile outreach center. The center will have resources for homeless women or those working in the sex industry. What will always be available to women at this pop-up shelter is prayer.
Jacobson has seen nine women leave the sex industry since 2013. Every girl that Jacobson has encountered has needed something different, from dental work to pro bono lawyers. She and her volunteers always focus on safety first; they have had to call the human trafficking hotline several times in the past.
“This has changed all of me,” Jacobson said.
After finding out the strong ties between foster children and the sex industry, her and her husband Joel (B.A. ’16) became foster parents and are in the process of adopting their foster child. “I had to be willing to change how I live inside my home to reflect how I’m living outside my home. I’ve had to learn how to explain the gospel in five minutes. These girls ask tough questions—many of them have read the Bible.”
Jacobson answered God’s call in her life to be part of the solution to the problem of human trafficking and exploitation.
“My reliance on Him has had to grow,” Jacobson said. “I attribute our success to how God has changed their hearts.”
ABOUT BRITTANY
Brittany Jacobson (B.S. ’16) founded New Creation Cupcakes, now Created Free, in November 2013. She has also worked at Kids Food Basket and Women at Risk, International. Jacobson and her husband, Joel, live in Grand Rapids and are foster parents.
