Page 9 - 2016 The Shelter Impact Report

Driving through the front gates of The Shelter, Sandy, a
human trafficking victim, looked back through the window
of the squad car and watched the gates close. When they
closed and no one followed, relief blanketed the fear she
constantly felt.

At the age of 18, Sandy had already seen and been
forced to do things no one should ever experience.
Upon arrival at The Shelter, she was slow to unlatch her
own emotional gates and trust her advocate. When she
did, she spoke for a long time about the extreme sexual
and physical abuse that many people had inflicted upon
her. At the end of the conversation, Sandy’s flood gates
opened, releasing a wave of relief and gratitude. In that
moment, she asked her advocate, “May I hug you?”

Gates open and close. They can keep us safe and they
can keep us confined. Sandy is learning to make her own
choices, and she is choosing to fight for her life.

Gatekeepers like YOU are the key to her success!

that moment...

“I remember touring the first Shelter years ago. It was a four-plex in East Naples.
It was very run down, and it was not safe. The only secure thing about it was that
its location was secret and even that would not prevent an abuser from finding it.
I realized that our community needed a safe place for survivors to get shelter and help.”

Nancy White | Trustee

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