“Local Group Helps Women Get Off The Streets”
A woman who runs an outreach program for prostitutes says she knew of Mendenhall’s suspected victims.

Tina Mitchell runs the New Day, New Life Recovery Program at Trevecca Community Church.

The program is aimed at serving women that have lived a hard life on Nashville’s streets.

Many of the members are former prostitutes who are now on the road to recovery. It’s easy to spot them because they all wear pearl necklaces given to them after one year of being clean and sober to celebrate their new lives.

Unfortunately, Symantha Winters, of Lebanon, was not able to receive her necklace.

Nashville police believe that Winters was one of suspected serial killer, Bruce Mendenhall’s, victims.

Winters’ body was found dumped in a garbage can near a truck stop in early June.

Symantha Winters participated in the program up until two months ago.

Tina Mitchell says it’s important that people understand what these women really are, she says, “They’re not just drug addicted prostitutes. They are a person. It was a great privilege of mine to know Symantha. I saw her many times in and out of jail and each time she told me she was going to get help, and we prayed that she would.”

Many of the formerprostitutes also knew Sarah Hulbert, another of Mendenhall’s alleged victims.

Once news of the truck driver’s arrest spread, tears flowed at the New Day, New Life gathering.

Jennifer Vogt never walked the streets but she did battle years of alcohol abuse, until she found the program. Vogt followed her cellmate to the New Day, New Life program.

Vogt says, “I was incarcerated with her at DCSO and she was warm and friendly. She was one of the first people I saw at Trevecca and I watched her from the beginning.”

Another of the program’s success stories, Minthia Spencer, who had a serious drug and alcoholproblem, says that the most important thing women will find when they come to the program, is hope, a lot of hope.