Shelly Stayer Shelter’s first human trafficking participant on the road to success

By Alina Donahue
Human Trafficking Specialist

I would like to share a story about Ava (not her real name), our first human trafficking resident in our new Human Trafficking (HT) Program at the Shelly Stayer Shelter. Ava has a long and extensive history of severe trauma and sexual HT so her first 3-4 days at The Shelter were challenging. She was excited and ready to begin the program, but the prospect of the “unknown” made her very nervous. She questioned everything and was very resistant to change. Throughout Ava’s life, the phrase “a fresh start” had always let her down.

Our HT program is structured and focuses on intensive therapeutic services individualized to meet each participant’s needs. Here are some of Ava’s accomplishments thus far:

She has slept through the entire night which is something she hasn’t been able to do in years due to medical reasons and anxiety.
She made medical appointments for care she hasn’t received in over 10 years. (dental, women’s care, annual physical and dermatologist).
She started services with The Shelter’s Clinical Services department.
She organized all of her important documents.
She has been focusing on eating 3 meals a day. Prior to coming to our program, she would only eat when she remembered that she had not eaten for days.
She is trying to quit smoking.
She has learned to prioritize needs versus wants when creating her grocery list and is learning how to utilize coupons to save money.

While these may seem like simple steps to some, they are major accomplishments for Ava and we are so proud of her! Something that has stuck with me was a question she asked at the beginning of her care: “Is this just a pretty jail?” It made me realize that no matter how good our program looks on paper, we must strive every day to be better.

Today, Ava no longer looks at our facility as a pretty jail, but as a safe shelter that is currently helping her. She no longer paces back and forth in the courtyard, concerned about how things have always gone wrong in her life. She is doing yoga, preparing healthy meals for herself, meeting with her case manager and enjoying art therapy. She is learning how to live and enjoy each day in a productive way.

I am grateful for the support I have received as we build our HT program. There is no doubt in my mind that we are about to raise the standards for human trafficking programs created prior to our opening.