A cafeteria mural by Leslie Greenetz adds color to one of the spaces being prepared for the upcoming REV17 conference at Peace of Heaven on May 14.

LIVE OAK, CA (MPG) - When the former Leo Chesney Correctional Facility went up for sale near Live Oak, Pastor Dave Bryan saw more than an empty women’s prison sitting on 10 acres. He saw the possibility of turning a place once built for incarceration into a place of refuge.

In February 2025, Glad Tidings Church was raising funds to purchase the former correctional facility at 2800 Apricot St., with plans to transform the property into Peace of Heaven Children’s Paradise, a residential sanctuary for children rescued from sex trafficking.

More than a year later, the vision has moved from fundraising to physical progress. Alex Anaya, executive director of Peace of Heaven, said the organization officially became owner of the property in December 2025 after last year’s REV17 conference helped raise millions of dollars toward the purchase.

Alex Anaya, executive director of Peace of Heaven, stands inside a recreation space at the former Leo Chesney Correctional Facility during a May 14 tour of the property near Live Oak.

“We raised enough to get the building, the whole property,” Anaya said. “All six buildings plus the shed and the mobile home in the back. It’s about 10 acres.”

The former facility is now in its first major phase of renovation, described by Anaya as a “facelift phase” focused on making the site feel less institutional and more welcoming. Exterior painting, paving, cleanup, repairs and landscaping are already underway while the organization continues working through planning, licensing and permitting questions that will shape future phases.

Rick Griffon, a project supervisor helping oversee renovation work at Peace of Heaven, said crews have completed blacktop and concrete work, added handicap-accessible concrete, painted buildings, removed razor wire and begun repairing gutters, trim and doors.

“We’re making it feel more welcoming,” Griffon said. “We’re keeping the fence up for security, but we’re going to camouflage it with a lot of landscaping.”

A former prison dormitory space at Peace of Heaven is shown May 14 as the organization continues planning future renovations for the campus.

Plans include landscaping near the entry, a Peace of Heaven sign, awnings over windows and continued work inside the buildings, including the kitchen and cafeteria areas.

“There’s a lot of work still left to do,” Griffon said, “but it’s going to be very pretty when it’s all done.”

The cafeteria is one of the spaces receiving immediate attention because it will be used during the upcoming REV17 conference, scheduled for May 29-31 and hosted by Glad Tidings Church. Anaya said REV17 serves as both a fundraiser and an awareness event, bringing in speakers from across the nation focused on child sex trafficking and related issues.

“Part of what we do at Peace of Heaven is create a refuge for trafficked children,” Anaya said. “The other part is raising awareness and combating the issue through activism, prayer and getting the word out.”

Workers continue renovations to the siding, roof and trim at Peace of Heaven on May 14 as part of the project’s first phase of improvements.

In a previous interview, Bryan said the church’s long-standing ministry motto helped inspire the project.

“Child trafficking is so horrendous that a lot of people don’t like to even think about it and the problem seems too big to solve,” Bryan said. “But our ministry motto, the one that’s guided us for the past 38 years, is ‘find a need and meet it, find a hurt and heal it.’”

That philosophy continues guiding the project as it develops through multiple phases involving construction, fundraising, legal guidance, consulting teams and coordination with city and state officials.

“How we set this up is going to impact not just the city, but also the state in terms of licensing,” Anaya said. “We have consulting teams, legal teams and others helping us navigate.”

Anaya declined to provide a projected capacity for the facility, saying Peace of Heaven is still working with the city on details related to that portion of the plan. He said the full project is expected to include at least three phases, with future phases requiring additional permitting and regulatory review.

Programs serving children rescued from trafficking remain limited and require extensive licensing, staffing and trauma-informed care.

Rick Griffon, left, and Roy work on the grounds at Peace of Heaven on May 14 as renovations continue at the former correctional facility near Live Oak.

Peace of Heaven’s website states its initial focus will prioritize girls, including young mothers, while the broader vision includes expanding care to all survivors seeking refuge and restoration. The organization describes its approach as trauma-informed, relational and restorative, focusing on physical safety as well as emotional, spiritual and practical support.

“We don’t want kids coming here to feel institutionalized,” Anaya said. “We very much want to create a home here.”

Human trafficking remains a global and national concern. The International Labour Organization estimated in 2024 that forced labor generates $236 billion in illegal profits annually worldwide, while the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported detected trafficking victims increased 25% in 2022 compared with pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

“We have to activate, lean in and raise our voices,” Anaya said. “We’re trying to do our part.”

More information about Peace of Heaven is available at http://peaceofheaven.life. Information about the REV17 conference, including registration for the May 29-31 event, is available at http://churchofgladtidings.com/rev17