Our Story - Louisville Scarlet Hope

Louisville, KY

Our Mission

Scarlet Hope exists to share the hope and love of Jesus with women in the adult entertainment industry.

Our Vision

Our vision is to see women in the adult entertainment industry engaged with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, teaching them they are loved by the Creator of the universe and were made in His image while equipping and empowering them to change their lives through gospel-centered community and resources.

Our History

In 2007, our founder, Rachelle Starr, was called by the Lord to go to women in the adult entertainment industry of Louisville, KY and share the hope and love of Jesus. She and a friend began driving around the city and praying for the Lord to open doors to serve the women in strip clubs. A year later, God opened the doors for Rachelle and three friends to begin serving a home-cooked meal in one of the strip clubs and they began building relationships with the women working there.

Throughout the years, God has continued to grow the ministry, opening doors and providing a vision for the future. We have developed various programs over time that have allowed us to offer Bible studies, counseling, case management, and other life skills training. As women come to know the Lord through the work of Scarlet Hope Louisville, we are able to connect them to resources and build a gospel-centered, loving community.

In 2014, God laid it on Rachelle’s heart to begin dreaming about a social enterprise bakery that could provide transitional job opportunities for women who wanted to leave the industry. By God’s grace and the generosity of so many, we opened Scarlet’s Bakery in 2015 to employ women out of sexual exploitation and trafficking. We then developed a 12-month holistic program we call the Career Development Program which provides life and job skills classes, case management, counseling, and on-the-job experience at Scarlet’s Bakery. Through outreach, discipleship, and career development, we desire to see every woman we meet come to know Jesus and allow Him to transform her life.

Read our Statement of Beliefs

Read about Our Impact

About The
Executive Director

Ronelle Brumleve first heard about Scarlet Hope when Rachelle Starr came to speak at her church and share about what God was doing in Louisville’s adult entertainment industry. Hearing the stories, Ronelle felt compelled to talk to Rachelle and see how she could get involved. Soon after, Ronelle joined the outreach team in Louisville and began serving women in the adult entertainment industry. She became a member of Scarlet Hope’s executive board of directors and faithfully served as a volunteer with the ministry for many years. Meanwhile, Ronelle worked at Kindred Healthcare, where she worked as a nurse in health care operations and information technology for over twenty years. In February of 2018, Ronelle was both surprised and overjoyed when God called her to join the staff at Scarlet Hope as the Chief Operating Officer. In 2020, Rachelle transitioned into the role of president of the Scarlet Hope Network and Ronelle became the executive director of Scarlet Hope Louisville. When she’s not at Scarlet Hope, Ronelle enjoys bike riding, gardening, and being at the lake with her husband, Rick, and their two dogs.