HELPING CAPTIVES
...is an anti-trafficking and support organization that exists to bring freedom and safety to those exploited by sex trafficking through prevention, intervention, and recovery services, because of Christ's love, through the power of the Gospel.
We work with our partners to help prevent trafficking before it starts through education and training, to intervene when a woman is caught in trafficking, and to help women heal from the impact of trafficking through our recovery services. Without our community, many women end up in lifelong abuse, addiction, and even die in the trafficking life. Our organization empowers people to fight trafficking and help survivors in our community, giving survivors a safe place to heal and breathe.
The Ministry
Helping Captives was founded in 2015 as a ministry partnering with churches and organizations to perform outreach to the community. Originally, Helping Captives was the initials of Harry, Randy, and Caleb Altmeyer. As the outreaches continued to grow, and they got more involved in their community, they began hearing stories of women and children being trafficked and knew they needed to act. Today Helping Captives ministers to survivors of trafficking through intervention, stabilization, and recovery services.
A family Journey
Harry Altmeyer was born September 7, 1920. While his father wanted nothing to do with God and would even burn his mother's bibles, at 12 years old Harry decided to follow Jesus and was baptized at Grace Baptist Church in Spokane.
At the age of 15, Harry started working in the Grocery Industry and would continue in that industry for most of his life. In 1948 while working at the B and K market in Spokane, he met a waitress that worked across the street named Earline. The two were married in 1949 and soon after had 5 sons.
In 1956 Harry and Earline decided to put their faith in action and started volunteering with their children at the Union Gospel Mission. Due to Harry’s commitment and consistency to helping the homeless in our community, he was asked to be a board member in the early 1960s. Then, in 1976 he was asked to step in as the Executive Director of Union Gospel Mission. That decision impacted their oldest son Randy so deeply that shortly after in 1977 he began feeling the call to ministry as well.
In 1978 Randy and his wife Shelley were married and excited to dive into ministry. Five months into their new marriage, however, Randy and Shelley were in a horrible car accident that left Shelley paralyzed. Due to their faith in Jesus, Randy and Shelley didn’t let that hold them back and continued into ministry. Eventually, in 1985 Randy would join his father Harry in ministering to the homeless and would continue his work at the Union Gospel Mission as the Men’s Director for 30 years.
Randy and Shelley wanted to be parents and eventually, they had two sons, Caleb and Jonathan. Caleb is the oldest son, he struggled with the concept of God because of his mother being paralyzed and ended up rebelling in his high school years. However, at the age of 18, God spoke to Caleb in a dream calling him into ministry and in 2012 Caleb started a charity to help youth in Spokane.
In 2014, A pastor friend of Randy’s called and told him that he had someone he needed to meet. Little did they know that meeting would change their family’s life forever. The person that Randy met was a dear family friend and she began to tell her story of how she was trafficked from a young age.
This story broke Randy’s heart and he shared it with his family. The next day Caleb brought up the story in his staff meeting and one of his co-workers began sharing her story of being trafficked as well. At this point, the family knew they needed to do something to help.
Caleb took a trip to Plymouth Rock to pray, and Randy went on a 40-day fast. As Caleb prayed he saw the names Harry, Randy, and Caleb and felt God tell him to go home and continue the legacy of his family and to work with his father to help reach hurting people in the Spokane area.
At the same time Randy was on the 40-day fast he felt God tell him that he was to retire from UGM after 30 years to go work with his son Caleb to fight human trafficking.
In 2015, Randy retired from Union Gospel Mission and joined Caleb in ministry. Today, Helping Captives focuses their efforts on the fight against human trafficking and welcome others to join them in the fight.