our story

Finding that San Diego is the 8th largest city in the U.S. with the issue of Human Trafficking and that there were limited resources for survivors, co-founders Susan Johnson, Nate Alcorn and Kyle Moss incorporated the Alabaster Jar Project. The mission was to provide housing and resources for survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The Alabaster Jar Project began as a ministry of The Church at Rancho Bernardo and incorporated as a standalone nonprofit 501(c)3 in 2013, receiving tax exempt status in July of 2014.  It is now comprised of Grace House, a long-term residential program; a Resource Center, a drop-in center that provides clothing, toiletries, programming and Peer Support Group.

Meet the team

staff members

Susan Johnson, Co-Founder & Director

Susan Johnson, Executive Director & Co-Founder. She has worked in a variety of programs to empower women and girls for over 15 years. She has organized, helped raise awareness and advocated for survivors of trafficking. She is an Oceanside native whose passion for the trafficked and exploited stems from her own vulnerabilities as a youth and life experiences.

Amanda moon ellevis, Grants and Media Manager

Amanda Moon Ellevis manages grant campaigns, coordinates social media marketing and public relations, and assists with fundraising at Alabaster Jar Project. She is a California Board Certified Human Trafficking Counselor and is a bachelor's in social work student at California State University, Chico. A local author and former Grace House Resident, her book Rebuild and Thrive helps survivors of trafficking and exploitation like herself on their road to recovery and is actively used at Alabaster Jar Project’s Grace House and The Resource Center. 

Board of directors

nate Alcorn, Board President

Nate Alcorn, is a pastor at North Coast Calvary Church. He is the Board President & Co-founder of Alabaster Jar Project (AJP). After hearing the need from law enforcement for residential programs for survivors of sex trafficking, Susan and Nate founded AJP. He has received a BA in Psychology and MA in Secondary Education. Since AJP’s formation, Nate has helped build the board, the organizational structure, and network with community partnerships. His hope is for survivors to experience healing and wholeness.

rick paul, Board secretary

Rick Paul joined the AJP Board in August of 2022. He retired from a distinguished career in Wire & Cable Manufacturing, where he was regarded as an expert in Design, Operations, and Quality Assurance. Rick also participated in many side gigs, some of which continue to this day: Escondido Planning Commissioner, Clean Energy Alliance Community Advisory Committee Member. Escondido Community Foundation Founding Member and Grants Chair, Friends of Daley Ranch Treasurer, El Caballo Park Conservancy Founding Board Member. Encuentros Leadership Board Member. Rick lives in Escondido with his amazing wife Mercedes.

Brenda Navarrete, Program Director

Dr. Brenda Navarrete serves as the Program Director at Alabaster Jar Project. She is a faculty member at the Global Center for Women and Justice at Vanguard University and teaches in their Anti-Human Trafficking Certificate program. She earned her master’s and PhD in Clinical Psychology at Loma Linda University. She has provided anti-human trafficking awareness training and has developed human trafficking aftercare programming in her local community and internationally in Africa, Central America and Europe. She is the former president of the Inland Empire chapter for the California Psychological Association and has taught graduate psychology at several universities in Southern California. 

Kelly Lyles, Program Manager

Kelly Lyles is holds a Masters of Social Work and has over 15 years of experience in the social services field. She is experienced in working with individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including adults and children with intellectual disabilities, foster youth, the  LGBTQ+ community, and single mothers.  She has experience with Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, facilitating vocational assessments, psychosocial evaluations, program development and large caseloads of individuals with diverse backgrounds.  

Andie Goode, Board Member

Andie Goode is an associate counsel for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), providing legal support to assist those impacted by disaster, including through aid for immediate needs, individual assistance, and rebuilding public facilities and infrastructure.  Prior to FEMA, Andie served in the Marine Corps as a judge advocate for 20 years, where she spent much of her career as a special victim advocate, working with victims of sexual and domestic violence.  She spent her last four years in the Marine Corps as a Military Judge, presiding over a wide-range of criminal cases, to include, attempted murder, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, illegal transportation of aliens, and kidnapping.  Andie joined the Board of Directors for the Alabaster Jar Project in January 2024 and is honored to have the opportunity to continue to support survivors of exploitation. 

sunny montas, board member

Sunny Montas is a Biopharmaceutical Operations Counsel at Amgen (whose mission is to serve patients) advising business functions regarding FDA regulations, policies and procedures relating to all phases of medical device development and commercialization. Before Amgen, Sunny served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 22 years and has a BS in Law & Justice from The College of New Jersey, Doctor of Law (J.D.) from UNC-Chapel Hill, a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Military Law from The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School at the University of Virginia, and an MBA from Florida A&M University, where she taught as an Associate Professor of Naval Science. Sunny joined the Board of Directors for the Alabaster Jar Project in July 2022 and looks forward to continuing her passion for service.