Born in Connecticut and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, following her father’s job as an Episcopal priest. That same year, her father died in a car accident, hit by a drunk driver. Her mother worked at a daycare and had to depend on social security to support her five children. In the following years, Stevens was sexually abused by the man who replaced her father in the church.
She chose Math as her major at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. After graduation, she participated in an internship at Bread for the World and led the youth program at the Kanuga Conference Center of the Episcopal church. At 24, she began her path to become a reverend, enrolling in Vanderbilt Divinity School, where she met her husband, Marcus Hummon. During that time, she volunteered in non-profit organizations, helping homeless women and women who struggle with addictions. After her ordination, she continued to help those in need while working at the Church of the Resurrection in Franklin, Tennessee. At the age of 32, she was appointed as the Chaplain of St. Augustine’s Chapel.
In 1997, Stevens founded a residential program, originally called Magdalene, to provide two years of free housing to women survivors of prostitution, trafficking, and addiction, giving them a chance to rebuild and restart their lives in a community. In 2001, she added the social enterprise arm of the organization, now called Thistle Farms, to employ and provide income to residents and graduates of the program. The organization now includes Thistle Farms Global Shared Trade, which supports 1,400 artisan survivors in 20 countries, and a national network to provide young organizations with mentoring and resources.
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