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.
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Finding Survivor-Centered Support
When I first tried to find services, I couldn’t get help with something as simple as transitional housing. I had been entangled in the criminal justice system alongside my trafficker — and providers didn’t understand the nuances of forced criminality or the intersection between being a “criminal” and being a victim.
I remember getting out of prison and being barred from employment because of my criminal record. Even though the system claimed to have resources to rehabilitate me, I couldn’t get the help I needed through the police, courts, probation officers, or anyone else. I felt like I was walking on eggshells, terrified that one wrong step would send me back to prison.
What happened to me isn’t uncommon — it reflects a pattern that traps countless survivors of human trafficking. Polaris’s National Survivor Study found that 62% of survivor respondents were arrested, detained, or cited by law enforcement, largely during their trafficking experience. And 71% have a criminal record as a result, impacting housing, employment, education, and more.
These statistics are stark. When I found services through Polaris, I wasn’t just a number. They saw me as a whole person. They searched through their list of vetted resources — not just the ones that were available but the ones survivors trusted. They listened to what I needed and honored my preferences.
They didn’t pity me; they partnered with me. That sense of agency changed everything — it restored my confidence, dignity, and sense of purpose.
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Empowered by Resources
Getting survivor-centered resources didn’t just help me survive — they empowered me to thrive. As I took steps on my healing journey, connecting to services often meant being supported by people on the same path, survivors who had healed and could model what thriving looked like.
One of the most transformative connections for me was meeting fellow survivors who were entrepreneurs willing to share what they knew. Through the survivor community and Polaris’s referrals, I was able to earn a four-year bachelor’s degree, fully covered by scholarships and other resources — something I once thought was completely out of reach. I’ve since founded a nonprofit social enterprise that provides survivor entrepreneurs and artisans with free consignment in our boutique, along with coaching to generate other streams of supplemental income.
After being told how and where to work, many of us survivors feel like we don’t fit in traditional jobs. Entrepreneurship has been a safe haven for me — a place where I am empowered to make decisions, control my own income, and create spaces for other survivors to do the same. Passing that sense of independence to my survivor siblings is an incredible honor.
I’ve also found purpose in consulting. While the anti-trafficking movement has begun including more survivors in trainings and conferences, transportation can be a huge barrier. Thanks to Polaris and their corporate partners, I’ve been able to get transportation to events where my perspective matters, raising my voice in spaces where survivors are rarely heard.
Sustaining Opportunity
Healing and rebuilding take more than a moment of rescue — they take sustained opportunity. Early on, opportunity might look like a safe space to get away from danger. Later, it looks like reliable support systems that help survivors achieve stability and independence for the long term.
One of those supports has been the Polaris Resilience Fund, a program committed to affirming survivors’ financial autonomy. Having a wallet with cash and cards that belong to me, that I can choose to use as I see fit, has been transformative. I used to have to ask for something as small as a piece of gum. Being able to make my own financial decisions and having direct access to my money have been a key part of moving forward.
Beyond financial support, it takes a whole community willing to confront the tokenism, sensationalism, and re-exploitation still common in the anti-trafficking field. It has been powerful to see survivors and allies working together to create resources that are truly trauma-informed.
If you hold power, use it to empower. Survivors of human trafficking need allies beside us so we — and this movement — can thrive.
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