{"id":148234,"date":"2026-03-18T23:49:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=148234"},"modified":"2026-03-18T23:49:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:49:52","slug":"bloom-for-women-relocates-offices-to-st-francis-retreat-center-in-easton-expanding-workforce-development-opportunities-for-trafficking-survivors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=148234","title":{"rendered":"Bloom for Women Relocates Offices to St. Francis Retreat Center in Easton, Expanding Workforce Development Opportunities for Trafficking Survivors"},"content":{"rendered":"

EASTON, PA \u2014 March 18, 2026<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Bloom<\/a><\/u><\/strong>, an organization dedicated to providing sanctuary and a continuum of care to heal, empower and employ survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, has relocated its offices from Bethlehem to Easton, PA, where the former St. Francis retreat center \u2014 set to reopen in fall 2026 under new ownership \u2014 is located. The move marks an important step in Bloom\u2019s continued growth and strengthens the organization\u2019s ability to expand workforce development opportunities for the women it serves.<\/p>\n

Located at 3918 Chipman Road, the former St. Francis Friary & Retreat House, situated on 22 acres in Easton, served the Diocese of Allentown as a beloved spiritual center for more than six decades under the stewardship of the Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe before closing in October 2024 after 65 years of operation. In an exciting development for the Easton community, the Monsignor Robert J. Coll Foundation, Inc. is preparing to reopen the facility in the fall of 2026 under a new name \u2014 the St. Francis Spirituality and Retreat Center of Easton \u2014 continuing its cherished tradition of offering a peaceful setting for reflection, gatherings, and spiritual growth. The imminent reopening of this landmark property under new ownership and a renewed mission creates a unique and timely opportunity for Bloom to be part of the site\u2019s vibrant next chapter.<\/p>\n

The reopening of the St. Francis Spirituality and Retreat Center of Easton provides Bloom with a centralized location where the majority of staff can work together, improving collaboration and coordination across the organization\u2019s residential, outreach, and workforce development programs. The new space also offers additional room to support Bloom\u2019s expanding programs to host additional community events, educational programs, and training sessions aimed at raising awareness of human trafficking and equipping the community to respond.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis move represents an exciting new chapter for Bloom,\u201d said Carol Andersen, CEO of Bloom. \u201cBringing our team together in one location strengthens communication and collaboration while creating opportunities to expand the workforce development programs that are essential to helping survivors rebuild independence and long-term stability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bloom\u2019s workforce development initiatives are designed to provide survivors with safe, meaningful employment and skill-building opportunities as they transition toward independence. One of these initiatives, the PA 211 Fellowship Program, currently employs program participants through a regional call center and continues to grow. Bloom\u2019s collaboration with St. Francis will create additional opportunities for hospitality and service-related training, allowing participants to develop valuable workplace skills in an industry that continues to grow throughout the Lehigh Valley.<\/p>\n

\u201cSt. Francis and Bloom share a common focus on healing, reflection, and personal transformation,\u201d Andersen said. \u201cThis partnership represents a natural alignment of mission\u2014creating pathways for women to gain confidence, develop job skills, and move forward with hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bloom currently provides residential services and support to 21 women and up to five children, along with outreach programs that support survivors still trapped in exploitation, educate youth, engage incarcerated women, and mobilize community members to recognize and respond to trafficking. The organization plans to expand its residential capacity in 2026, making workforce development opportunities an increasingly critical part of helping survivors rebuild stable and independent lives.<\/p>\n

While Bloom\u2019s offices have moved to Easton, its residential homes remain in undisclosed locations throughout the Lehigh Valley, and the organization continues to operate its social enterprises, My Sister\u2019s Closet and Bloom Creative Studio, which also provide employment and skill-building opportunities for participants.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Bloom continues to grow, partnerships like this help strengthen the support system surrounding survivors,\u201d Andersen said. \u201cTogether with our community, we are building pathways to healing, independence, and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

About Bloom<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bloom for Women, Inc.<\/a><\/u>\u00a0<\/strong>is a faith-based nonprofit providing sanctuary and a continuum of care to heal, empower, and employ survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. Based in Pennsylvania\u2019s Lehigh Valley, Bloom offers emergency response, residential programs, outreach services, and prevention education. Survivors also gain job training and employment through Bloom\u2019s workforce development initiatives, including the PA 211 Fellowship Program and social enterprises such as Bloom Creative Studio and My Sister\u2019s Closet. Bloom is a sister community of the nationally recognized Thistle Farms program in Nashville. Learn more at\u00a0www.bloomforwomen.org<\/a><\/u>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Information provided to TVL by:
\nKaren Higgins<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EASTON, PA \u2014 March 18, 2026\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Bloom, an organization dedicated to providing sanctuary and a continuum of care to heal, empower and employ survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, has … Continue reading Bloom for Women Relocates Offices to St. Francis Retreat Center in Easton, Expanding Workforce Development Opportunities for Trafficking Survivors<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":111560,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-148234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/bloom.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148234"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=148234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/111560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=148234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=148234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=148234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}