Our Story

Where It Began

Value Unconditional was founded on February 22, 2016—because survivors need healing that honors both their pain and their faith.

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Founder and Executive Director Geony Rucker began her career serving victims of violent crime. But healing, she believed, had to include the spiritual dimension too. That belief came from her own story. At 18, Geony survived a rape. In the search for support, she encountered a painful disconnect—those who understood her trauma often didn’t understand her faith, and those who shared her faith didn’t always know how to respond to her trauma. The support she needed simply didn’t exist.
 

She longed for a space where she was safe to share the reality of her trauma without having to filter out her faith—a place where survivors could be met with compassion, empathy, and spiritual truth.

The First Step Forward

Education | On February 22, 2016, Geony shared her story publicly for the first time at the inaugural Value Unconditional event. It was quickly apparent that her pain was echoed by others experiences. Value Unconditional's response was an Education program focused on equipping faith communities with the tools necessary to respond wisely and compassionately when someone shares that they're hurting.

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Restoration | By 2018, victims and survivors were consistently reaching out to the team at Value Unconditional. They'd heard about the training Value Unconditional had been providing, and it made them feel safe sharing their experience. They didn't want to hold their stories alone anymore--many had waited years looking for a place to share what they'd lived through. By the fall of 2018, Value Unconditional was providing both individual and group support for victims and survivors of sexual violence and childhood trauma.

 

Advocacy | Partnerships advanced, client testimonies were shared, and relationships expanded. By April 2021, Value Unconditional advocates were asked to support victims of sex trafficking at a local sting operation. Victims were more comfortable asking for help, communicating their needs, and receiving resources when working with victim advocates. That year, VU advocates partnered with local, state and federal law enforcement on 3 sting operations, supporting several dozen victims.

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Today, Value Unconditional continues providing education, restoration, and advocacy services. VU exists to offer trauma-informed, faith-based resources to survivors of sexual violence and childhood trauma, because survivors need healing that honors both their pain and their faith.

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