At Safe House Project, we believe that every number has a name, every name has a story, and every story matters.
At only 15 years old, Amy (name changed for safety) had been moving between her mom’s place and the streets for several years. She may have decided to stay longer if either of her parents had a more stable housing situation, but it had been a long time since either had cared much about making a home for Amy and her siblings.
It didn’t take long before Amy was approached by a woman on the street who offered her food and a place to stay if she did her a few favors. Amy didn’t know then that the favors would be having sex with strangers to bring money back each night, but she didn’t think she had any other options.
After a few months, the police found Amy on the streets and brought her to a local clinic for medical attention. Identifying her as a victim of trafficking, the hospital staff connected Amy to Safe House Project to help find her placement in a safe house program. Unfortunately, she didn’t stay long in the program — her grandmother picked her up only a week later, and soon, Amy was once again living with her trafficker.
The police found Amy after a few months and arranged for her to live with a foster family. No matter how she tried, Amy didn’t feel welcome in their home. She struggled to make friends, missed her family, and eventually decided to leave.
Homeless again at only 16 years old, Amy was afraid of being forced back into trafficking. She managed to find her way to the hospital once more and asked for help finding a place to live. The nurses recognized her and notified Safe House Project staff, who immediately began working to find a program that was a better fit for her.
Although she was surprised that we had been looking for her since she went missing months ago, Amy finally started hoping that her life could look different. When she got the call that she was accepted into a safe house program, the SHP team members who had walked with her through the whole journey celebrated with her. The past five months Amy has lived in the program have been some of the most stable and loved of her life, and she’s now looking forward to finishing school and her 18th birthday. As she looks back on her story, Amy is more grateful each day for the police officers, healthcare workers, and Safe House Project staff who saw her, believed her, and helped her get to safety.
Every day, the Safe House Project team receives calls from survivors who share parts of Amy’s story. We consider it a privilege to respond to these survivors and support their next steps on a path to healing. In partnership with our communities, we can restore hope, freedom, and a future to every survivor. Join us by donating today.
