Re-fined and Striving

In this episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Jessi Burge, the Founder and Executive Director of Re-fined, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of sexual exploitation. Jessi’s life has been a testament to the idea of the conscious strive.

Jessi’s story begins with unexpected challenges, including an unplanned pregnancy in 1995. Later, significant financial troubles threatened her marriage and family. Along the way, she noticed physical symptoms, like a small tremor in her hand, which later turned into a more pronounced issue. Initially diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease, Jessi embarked on a challenging medical journey. After extensive testing, a new doctor discovered she had multiple types of dystonia. Eventually, Jessi’s determination to take ownership of her health led her to treatments outside of the pharmaceuticals doctors suggested. By including therapeutic diet changes and alternative methods like electromagnetic stimulation, Jessi began to notice a significant reduction in her tremors.

While navigating her physical symptoms and recent diagnosis, Jessi began attending meetings called “Standing Against Trafficking.” This ignited a passion within her to take action against sexual exploitation. She started by giving haircuts to individuals in safe homes who had been victims of sexual exploitation. Re-fined, initially under another non-profit umbrella, evolved as Jessi worked to establish Re-fined’s mission.

Today, Re-fined serves not only trafficked victims but anyone affected by sexual exploitation. Jessi and her team have become advocates, prepping women for court and providing continued care programs to help survivors transition to life outside stabilization homes. Join us as Jessi describes her own strive, and explains the stark statistics of sex trafficking and exploitation. She urges us to take ownership of any skills we have to help others and empowers us to make a positive impact.

Click here to learn more about Jessi’s story, her work with Re-fined, and how to show your support.

[00:00] Show intro
[00:51] Jessi’s health struggles and how she has overcome [13:52] How Jessi got involved in her non-profit
[21:49] Statistics on sex trafficking and exploitation
[31:34] If you want to get involved with Re-fined
[34:53] Wrapping it up