The Invisible Success of Prevention
A man once asked me how we measure the effectiveness of prevention. “How do you know it’s working?” he asked.
That’s part of the challenge—and beauty —of prevention: when it works, you rarely see the results. You don’t hear about the trafficking victim who never became one.
He thought for a moment, then said, “So it’s kind of like the polio vaccine. We don’t know how many people would have gotten sick—but we can vaccinate against it, so people don’t get sick in the first place.” Exactly.
When prevention is working, the world looks normal—children are in school, families stay together, and communities are safe. There are no headlines, no dramatic rescues—just quiet, faithful work that protects lives before they are ever in danger.
Hope That Leads to Justice
Our work is fueled by hope—the hope that every person is made in God’s image and deserves freedom, dignity, and love. Scripture reminds us of God’s heart for the vulnerable and our call to act:
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” — Isaiah 1:17 (NIV).
This is why we do what we do. Because when the church rises up to protect, empower, and care for the vulnerable, we reflect the heart of God himself. Prevention is not just about stopping evil—it’s about building good. It’s the church saying: “We see you. You matter. You are not forgotten.”
Every conversation, every training, every moment of awareness is a seed planted against injustice. When believers choose to notice what others overlook, to care when it would be easier to look away, and to act when the need feels overwhelming—that’s where transformation begins.
Prevention doesn’t often make headlines or produce quick results, but it reshapes lives and communities in ways that usually go unseen. It turns despair into protection and isolation into belonging.
At HOPE61, we believe this is what it means to live out the Gospel—to bring light to dark places, to strengthen what is broken, and to love others as Jesus loves us.
“We can’t do everything, but we must do something. Because nothing changes if no one acts.” — Christine Caine, A21 Campaign
Prevention may be quiet work—but it’s redemptive, lasting, and powerful. And in every life that remains free, every child who stays safe, and every community that learns to protect its own, the heart of God is made visible.
