BY MICHELLE KEY
PUBLISHER
OPELIKA — When Worthy2 founder Kathryn Guthrie was repeatedly told the organization needed to host a gala, her response was simple: absolutely not.
“I said, ‘Fine, we’ll have an Ungala,’ and there it was,” Guthrie said.
The result is Worthy2’s inaugural Ungala, “Boots, Buckles and Breaking Chains,” set for Friday, Oct. 23, at Lazenby Farms, 11546 Society Hill Road in Auburn. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with the event running from 6 to 10 p.m.
Rather than ball gowns and a formal program, Guthrie said guests can expect boots, good food, music, dancing and a relaxed evening with friends.
“It’s going to be more of a gathering than a gala,” Guthrie said.
The evening will include live entertainment, a silent auction and a roping contest. Tim Maggart will perform a keynote concert, including “Heart of a Gentle Man,” a song Guthrie said has special meaning to the organization. Law enforcement will also be recognized during the evening.
A band from Atlanta will provide music for dancing later in the night.
Guthrie said the event is intentionally designed to be fun rather than an evening filled with repeated fundraising appeals.
“Yes, we want to raise money to be able to keep doing what we’re doing, but we really want people to be able to come and have fun,” she said.
Tickets are $75 per person and include dinner. Tables for eight are available for $525. Sponsorship opportunities also remain available, with sponsors already committed to portions of the event including the dance floor and silent auction.
While the Ungala is designed to be lighthearted, the work it supports addresses much more serious circumstances.
Worthy2 advocates for adult and minor females who have been exploited through commercial sex or sex trafficking, helping survivors reclaim their dignity and self-worth. The organization works with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and other partners while providing advocacy and victim services.
Worthy2 currently operates a leased safe house in Lee County. Guthrie said the house stays full and the organization maintains an average caseload of approximately 28 to 32 women.
Money raised through the Ungala will immediately help support victim services and operation of the safe house while also moving Worthy2 toward a much larger goal.
“We are planning to open a restorative care facility,” Guthrie said. “That is our vision, and it’ll be called Garden of Grace.”
The organization is searching for property with an existing home large enough to accommodate at least three or four residents, along with enough land to develop a social enterprise.
Guthrie envisions Garden of Grace eventually including gardens where residents can grow flowers and herbs and create products such as essential oils. Revenue from those efforts could help offset some of the costs of operating the residential program.
For now, however, Guthrie said the immediate need is supporting the women already receiving services.
The organization’s relationship with survivors often extends well beyond the immediate crisis. Guthrie said some women remain connected to Worthy2 for years, while others who have successfully moved forward have returned to volunteer with the organization.
“We become their people, and we become family,” Guthrie said.
For Guthrie, the work traces back to the adoption of her daughter from Vietnam.
While waiting several weeks in Vietnam to secure the visa needed to bring her daughter home, Guthrie encountered children living on the streets and learned more about human trafficking. The experience stayed with her after she returned to the United States.
“I knew that’s what my daughter’s life would have been,” Guthrie said.
She began volunteering in anti-trafficking work in 2017 and later served as director of Redeem Alabama. When that organization’s Alabama operations changed, Guthrie knew she was not finished with the work.
She eventually founded Worthy2, with the organization’s name reflecting something Guthrie said is central to helping survivors rebuild their lives — restoring a sense of self-worth.
“That’s really what it boils down to,” Guthrie said. “It’s about their self-worth.”
Since then, Worthy2 has developed relationships with law enforcement agencies and advocates throughout Alabama. Guthrie said the organization identified nearly 400 potential trafficking victims from 2022 through 2025.
Worthy2 has also worked with girls at the Lee County Youth Development Center since December 2024 and continues efforts to educate adults and communities about grooming, online vulnerabilities and warning signs that young people may be at risk.
Guthrie said awareness has changed dramatically since she first became involved in the work. In the early years, she frequently heard people say human trafficking was something that happened somewhere else.
Today, she said, more people understand that exploitation can affect families in their own communities.
“People are having to realize it’s anybody’s daughter, anybody’s niece, anybody’s granddaughter, anybody’s sister,” Guthrie said.
The Ungala gives Guthrie and the Worthy2 team an opportunity to introduce more people to the organization without allowing the seriousness of its mission to consume the evening.
“When you do what we do in the darkness, we want to be able to shine a light and be able to have fun with something like this,” Guthrie said.
Those interested in attending can purchase tickets at www.worthy2.org. Tickets are $75 each, and tables for eight are $525. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, and those interested in sponsoring the event or learning more may email sara@worthy2.org.
Those who want to support Worthy2 beyond the Ungala can also learn about the organization, donate or inquire about getting involved through www.worthy2.org. Anyone who needs help or knows someone who may need assistance can contact Worthy2’s helpline at (334) 352-8280.
