When Claudia came to Polaris, she didn’t know where she was. Her traffickers had moved her around and she was unfamiliar with her surroundings. For all she knew, she could have been in New York, Miami, or any other place in the United States. She didn’t speak the language, and she was very afraid that something was going to happen to her if she were to try and leave the place where her traffickers were holding her.
At Polaris, Claudia was able to find health insurance and join one of our transitional housing units. The transitional housing played a fundamental role in Claudia’s recovery. She was able to focus on other needs without having to worry where she was going to live the next day. Claudia would constantly tell us that her apartment brought her the peace of mind that she needed after leaving her trafficking situation.
Polaris also began looking into different educational programs that would meet her needs. She hadn’t been able to go to school for years and she wanted to continue her education, so we connected her to a school. Claudia has enrolled in GED classes and will be taking her exam soon. She is determined to go to college next year and become a lawyer. It’s her deepest desire to be an advocate for victims who have gone through similar situations.
Names, identifying information, and case details may have been changed to respect confidentiality and protect the individuals we serve.
