Our Mission
We promote peace and healing for youth survivors of violence, sexual exploitation, and sex trafficking by offering specialized programs, trauma-informed care, and unconditional support. Each year, we serve hundreds of youth with services that meet urgent and complex needs.
Our Story
The Embracing Project (TEP) was founded in 2007 with a simple but powerful mission: to help young people in our community recognize their own strength and imagine a different future. What began with one woman’s determination has grown into a trusted source of hope, healing, and advocacy for youth who have too often been overlooked.
TEP started with Esther Rodriguez Brown, who brought compassion and consistent support to young people in detention centers—youth who had largely been forgotten by the systems meant to protect them. From those early days of outreach, the organization continued to grow. In 2013, TEP reached a major milestone by opening Las Vegas’s first drop-in center for sexually exploited youth. Today, that work continues to expand, grounded in the vision and dedication of TEP’s original advocate.
At its core, TEP has always been about hope rising from struggle. Every young person who walks through our doors carries challenges no child should have to face, yet within each story is resilience, strength, and the desire for a better path forward. While healing and growth happen every day at TEP, the need for this work remains urgent. Exploitation and trafficking persist in Las Vegas, leaving too many young people still searching for safety and stability.
TEP exists to meet those needs—and to evolve as they change. Each of our services was created in response to what our youth needed most. When they weren’t attending school, we created one onsite. When they weren’t going to the doctor, we brought services directly to them. When they needed someone in their corner, we stood beside them in court as advocates and supporters. We continue this work because the young people we serve deserve safety, opportunity, and the chance to thrive.
Each year, we serve hundreds of youth with services that meet urgent and complex needs, including:
Intensive case management
Crisis intervention
and advocacy
Behavioral health services
Onsite high school education
Independent living support
The Director
Makaya Swain is the welcoming face of unconditional support at The Embracing Project, and more formally our Program Director. With a Master of Science in Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, and more than 15 years of experience in trauma-informed care, Makaya is deeply committed to creating a compassionate, safe space where young people can heal, grow, and rediscover their strengths.
Makaya began her journey with TEP as an intern, working closely alongside the organization’s founder. Through that experience, she gained firsthand insight into what it takes to create meaningful change. Over the years, she has played an instrumental role in shaping TEP’s programs and expanding services to better meet the evolving needs of the youth who walk through our doors.
A fierce advocate and leader in anti-trafficking work, Makaya leads with empathy, purpose, and unwavering dedication. She embodies TEP’s mission by ensuring every young person feels seen, supported, and empowered to move toward a healthier, more hopeful future.
