JoLisa Blossom, director of development for the anti-trafficking nonprofit Into the Light, will speak at the Baxter County Historical Society on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. The meeting, held at the Donald W. Reynolds Library in Mountain Home, is free and open to the public.
Blossom will recount how a Mountain Home church prayer group grew into a statewide organization dedicated to ending child sex trafficking and supporting survivors. Founded in 2012, Into the Light began with community awareness events before expanding to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The organization now focuses on direct victim outreach in juvenile detention centers, as well as training law enforcement to identify trafficking and aid survivors.
Into the Light currently operates offices in Mountain Home, Springdale, and Little Rock. Its work extends across north-central, northwest, and central Arkansas. According to the group, most victims it assists are between the ages of 12 and 17. In 2023, it formalized a partnership with the state of Arkansas, allowing the child welfare agency to refer young people to its support services. The organization reported serving more than 300 individuals across 31 counties last year.
Blossom, who has worked in nonprofit development for nearly two decades, joined Into the Light in 2020. Originally from the West Coast, she now resides in Baxter County and has authored the memoir “Pillar in the Temple,” available locally at the Reynolds Library and Barnes & Noble.
In addition to Blossom’s presentation, the Historical Society will propose a slate of officers and board members for 2027. Members will vote on the nominations in November.
The Society announced additional fall events, including a fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 4 to 9 p.m. at Colton’s Steakhouse in Mountain Home. Members will meet with diners during the event, and a portion of proceeds will support the Society. Guests may also enter to win a gift basket that features a Colton’s gift card.
On Saturday, Oct. 31, the Society hosts “Halloween at the Casey House” from 5 to 8 p.m. Visitors will receive an updated view of the restoration progress on the 1858 dog-trot cabin, the oldest standing structure in Mountain Home.
The busy season concludes with “Heritage Holiday at the Museum” on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Baxter County Historical Museum, 300 Bomber Blvd. The event will feature local crafters and KTLO’s Treasure Chest from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, contact Kevin Bodenhamer at 870-404-1182 or Sonny Sharp at 870-404-8516.