Our Story

From humble beginnings to a thriving organization, our journey reflects a steadfast commitment to empowering survivors, bridging gaps in services, and building a community of hope and support.

WHO WE ARE

We practice the power of presence

RIA is a nonprofit organization that stands with and supports people with experience in the commercial sex trade and its associated exploitation, trafficking and prostitution.

Our Mission

Our mission is to stand with and support adults with experience in the commercial sex trade, and its associated exploitation, trafficking and prostitution, by providing a range of community-based services.

Our Vision

Our vision is a world where people's bodies are not victimized, exploited, bought or sold for sexual gratification of another person.

Who We Are and How We Serve

At RIA, Inc., our mission is guided by a set of values that reflect who we are and how we serve.
Each word below represents the heart of our commitment to survivors and the community we are building together.

Earnest

HONEST, REALISTIC, COMMITTED.

First and foremost, we want our participants to feel safe with us. We do our best to speak about the sex trade in honest terms, while still maintaining a kind and comforting tone.

Affirming

WELCOMING, NON-JUDGEMENTAL, EMPATHETIC.
We welcome participants in a variety of capacities at any point in their exit from the sex trade. We don’t have judgement around their progress; that’s not our job. We affirm their realities and support their process.

Egalitarian

JUST, ETHICAL, EQUITABLE.
We believe in an equitable world. Regardless of one’s history, we all deserve equal rights and opportunities. Our daily work is based on this belief. We stand side-by-side with our participants.

Resolute

PERSISTENT, UNWAVERING, STEADFAST.

We are a trustworthy resource for our participants, and a dependable cause for our donors. RIA, Inc. exists to contribute to a better world, and we don’t plan on quitting any time soon.

Encouraging

UPLIFTING, SUPPORTIVE, OPTIMISTIC

We are here to lift up participants. We not only provide resources that adults need to move forward, but we help folks uncover their own power and inner strength. We can be courageous together with the power of presence.

RIA Logo - Pumpkin

The Meaning Behind Our Logo

Our logo icon is a circle undergoing a transformation as it moves from left to right, and back again.

On the left, an open circle, ready. In the middle, gaining momentum, inspired. On the right, whole and full, taking action.

There is symbolism rooted in this icon:

• a sun’s path as it moves across the sky — a new day;
• a person undergoing a moment of transition;
• three entities side-by-side, a supportive unit;
• the three words that make our name: READY•INSPIRE•ACT

"I was finally able to pay off my debt and open up a bank account."
J.Rental Assistance has helped with budgeting. J. now works off a budget sheet and continues to save money as she works towards new goals. Having a new apartment also allows her to focus on therapy services with RIA.
"I finished my vocational training for the hospitality industry."
MaraFive months of rental assistance made that happen! Mara now has one full-time job and a part-time job, both in the hospitality industry. She is now in the beginning stages of looking for a new apartment, transitioning from a sober house.
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Our Story

It all started in December 2012 when a small group of local women attended a meeting to learn more about the buying and selling of people for sex and how we might organize to help. As a first step in understanding the experiences of adult women and the resources available to them, we conducted a community readiness assessment from January through May 2013 which identified the dramatic needs and gaps in services across the regions of MetroWest and Central Massachusetts. One year later, RIA House, Inc. -ready • inspire • act – was born as a 501(c)3 public charity organization. In August of that year, we invested our fundraising from local individuals, clubs and churches into hiring our first part-time staff person to lead women’s support groups in downtown Worcester and downtown Framingham. What a fantastic moment that was in the birth of an organization! We are eternally grateful to the women who attended those first groups, and to the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of MA, First Parish Church of Acton and Stow, The 200 Foundation, Pathways for Change, The United Way of TriCounty, Everyday Miracles, our Board, Advisory Team and so many other special individuals, survivors, and families that made our work possible back then. Since then, we have grown our fundraising and strengthened our service delivery model by launching our signature program, Sisters Leading Sisters the latter part of 2015. By mid-2016, we opened our first office space in MetroWest and then through a generous donor, our second office space in the Central region. Our work continues to be made possible through the awesome giving of individuals, families, churches, local and private foundations, and some federal funding as well. We are a passionate group of women with powerful lived experiences, clinical and other specialized training, and allies to the cause. We thank you for learning more about our work. In January 2021 and in honor of human trafficking awareness month, we launched a branding campaign to better tell the story of the work we do every day. RIA, Inc. emerged. We encourage feedback as RIA works towards building our areas of expertise in supporting survivors.

Our Journey

If you need immediate assistance, please dial 911 or call the National Human Trafficking Hotline 888-373-7888, or text 233733 (BeFree). 24 hour hotline, 7 days a week. www.humantraffickinghotline.org.
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