Our Organization
Elli's House is a 501(c)3 nonprofit serving homeless and runaway women involved in human trafficking in the city of Detroit. Our mission is to abolish sex trafficking in the city of Detroit through building relationships, offering safe shelter, and providing education.
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Elli's House was founded in 2017 by Deb Ellinger, a native Detroiter. While working with teen girls who were consistently running away from home, there was a clear need for a shelter in the city. Out of this need, Deb began Elli's House. What began as an attempt to fill a need, has grown into a full non-profit organization. Today, we have a two-year residential shelter program and a middle school mentoring program, and we provide food, hygiene, and clothing to survivors weekly through street outreach.
Our Board Members
Deb Ellinger​
Executive Director and Founder
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Deb is a graduate of Ferris State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice. Upon graduation, she began her career as a police officer. Some time ago, Deb became involved with a non-profit organization based in Detroit. Here she discovered the increasing number of girls running away from home who end up in forced prostitution or a life of human trafficking.
This led Deb to create Elli's House, a street outreach program and shelter for women who are homeless, addicted, and sex-trafficked on the streets of Detroit.
Deb loves spending time with her four kids and her husband in her spare time.
Kyle M. Seidel
President
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Mr. Seidel, a partner at Anderson, Eckstein, and Westrick, Inc., earned his Bachelor's in Science degree at Michigan Technological University in 1997 and is a licensed civil
engineer. Kyle grew up in a Christian family and has been a member of Faith Lutheran
Church since 2001, where he has been actively involved with the children’s ministry since 2006, and has been a high school small group leader since 2017. Since 2018, Kyle has had the privilege of participating in six mission trips to Mexico, along with several to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Kyle married his wonderful wife Carla Seidel in 1998 and has four children: Ethan, Sierra, Erica, and Sawyer. Kyle has enjoyed coaching basketball, soccer, and cheerleading for his children. Carla and Kyle have lived in Troy, MI for over 20 years and both have a God-given gift for serving. Being a board member for Elli’s House brings Kyle great joy and he is excited about the growth of Elli’s House and its continued development of the awareness of the sex trafficking industry in Metro Detroit.
Robert C. Weide
Treasurer
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Bob is a senior manager at the LBF Group, PLLC, an accounting firm in West Bloomfield, where he has been preparing tax returns, and financial statements and consulting on clients’ needs for nearly 20 years. His position allows him to work with non-profit organizations, get involved with their programs, and sit on
their boards.
Bob married Luminita in 2021, whom you may see helping with various events or cooking for outreach. Bob’s sons have Graduated from college and have started their adult lives. Bob and Lumi are members at Faith Lutheran Church in Troy, where Bob has participated in the high school ministry trips and mission trips for bible study and building homes.
Lynne Williams
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A survivor of sex trafficking, Lynne Williams has committed to being a part of the solution for the abolition of Human Trafficking in many ways. Lynne came out of the life in 2010 and has been clean and sober since that time. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Honors English at Wayne State University in 2013 and her master’s degree in Organizational Leadership in 2020 from Olivet Nazarene University.
Ms. Williams has worked at The Salvation Army SE Michigan Adult Rehabilitation Center, located on W. Fort Street in Detroit, since July 2013. She held the position of Program Director from 2017 until August 2022, when she and her husband, Johnnie Williams were appointed Chaplains at the Adult Rehabilitation Center.
Ms. Williams and her husband participate in weekly street outreach with Elli’s House. Lynne also serves on the board of the Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance, a Community Development Organization located on Detroit’s east side. She and her husband are east-side Detroit residents and avid supporters of the city in which they live. They have two German shepherd dogs, Grace and Mercy, to whom Lynne is grateful to go home each day.
Joe Casiglia
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Joe serves as the Senior Pastor of Faith Troy where he has been on staff since 1991 and has graduate degrees from Walsh College and Concordia Seminary. Joe and his wife Autumn met during their undergraduate studies at Tyndale College and have been married since 1994. They have two sons who each have families of their own: Joe and Chiara, Nathan and Bella.
Serving as a board member for Elli’s House is a great honor for Joe, and he is grateful to be part of an organization filled with so many people who are committed to seeing Jesus bring healing, redemption, and hope to every person in our community and especially those who have been exploited by human trafficking.
Laurie Guidry
Secretary
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As a member of Faith Troy for over 20 years, Laurie has been involved in the kid's ministry with Deb. For the past 13 years, she has served on staff as the NextGen Admin by helping the ministry leaders with all the behind-the-scenes work. Laurie also is the staff leader for the homeschool group at Faith Troy which hosts both a Family Co-op and a High School Program.
Laurie married Doug in 1988 and they have two adult daughters and two grandsons. Tonya owns and operates an at-home homeschool curriculum business and is married to James; they have two amazing boys. Hanna lives in Florida and works as a special needs teacher.
Sitting on the Elli's House Board, Laurie feels privileged to serve with others who have the heart to bring the love and hope of Jesus to those who may not feel loved.