It can seem like all the stars have to align perfectly for survivors to exit trafficking situations and pursue lasting freedom. Along the way, they navigate countless roadblocks that keep them from getting housing, health care, legal assistance, and other services they need to heal and thrive.
From more than two decades of working with and for survivors, Polaris knows that those moments of alignment don’t have to depend on chance. When communities build strong referral pathways and share responsibility for walking alongside survivors, the constellation of support grows stronger and brighter for everyone.
Through this blog series, survivors share how connection transforms possibility into freedom. Their stories illuminate the pathways of support that help survivors move from crisis to stability — and show where we still need to build together.
**********
Getting Help
When I first tried to reach out for help, I was scared and confused. I didn’t fully understand what was happening to me — and neither did the people and organizations I contacted. I told them everything, and all they did in response was give me a list of phone numbers. One even told me, “We’re afraid that if we get you a room, you’ll just call your pimp again.”
It wasn’t until my trafficker abandoned me on the street — eight and half months pregnant — that I finally found the connection that saved my life and transformed my future. After I called 911, the paramedics stabilized me and my unborn baby, and the hospital social worker found a bed for me at a local maternity home for homeless expectant mothers.
That home was life-changing in so many ways. After years of exploitation and being kept in a truck, I was given my own key to my own room where I felt safe. Instead of waiting to be fed scraps, I could use the kitchen to cook my own meals. Before, I felt like I was in prison, disconnected from the world and from other people. But this home gave me a sense of dignity and normalcy — and reminded me what it felt like to be human again.
And through weekly trauma counseling at the home, I came to understand that what had happened to me was sex trafficking. For the first time, I began releasing the shame I carried. The women who worked there and the others who lived alongside me truly cared, understood, and helped me start to heal.
That process was huge — and at the same time, it was just the beginning of the journey from survival to purpose.
Sign up to learn more about human trafficking and how you can help
Taking My Next Steps
As I continued healing, I had to find permanent housing. It took me two years of throwing seeds everywhere — local county housing programs, assistance from a housing navigator, and finally a supportive housing program that turned out to be the best fit for me. It gave me the chance to continue to heal and work on myself and my life plan.
That plan also involved employment, so I could give my child a better life. But I already knew I didn’t want a standard 9-5 job — many of us survivors have learned that not all employers are trauma-informed. I couldn’t imagine sitting down and having someone look at me and conduct a review, leaving me feeling again like I couldn’t say or do anything in response.
But thanks to the staff who listened to me, gave me information, allowed me to make decisions, and then walked with me as I moved forward, I was able to choose a different path. I discovered entrepreneurship and began taking online courses and joining in-person cohorts to learn and grow. I knew this could be the opportunity to pull myself and my family out of poverty — and give back to women who were in my same situation.
Today, I am the Founding Executive Director of Connect 2 Change, an organization that helps other women escape and rebuild after being trafficked. Through it, my team and I walk with women for whom jobs are out of reach or don’t pay enough, enabling them to build microbusinesses so that they can choose their own life paths. It’s a beautiful community of women working together.
Being a Bridge for Others
Would I have gotten out sooner if those first contacts had walked with me, instead of walking away? I don’t know. But because of what I went through, I do know that it’s not enough to just give people numbers to call, even if they’re for great organizations.
What made the biggest difference wasn’t just the services — it was the people and the sense of safety, belonging, and belief that I could have a new life. I had given up hope. I didn’t think change was possible. But those who supported me knew there wasn’t one solution that fit every survivor, and they believed in me before I believed in myself.
Access to trusted resources is the bridge between despair and possibility. Without them, survivors would remain stuck in cycles of trauma and survival. But when we give them not only shelter and essentials, but also information, opportunities, and choices — they rise.
I know, because I did. And now I dedicate my life to helping others — survivors and service providers alike — understand it as well.
Stop human trafficking today
Help fix the broken systems that make trafficking possible so we can prevent it from happening in the first place.
