Jessica’s Story: Finding Safety and a Way Forward
When Jessica* escaped her trafficker with her young son, she believed she was finally free. After years of living under constant control, she thought freedom would mean peace, stability, and the chance to rebuild. However, for survivors like Jessica, the journey does not end with escape. It often begins a new chapter of challenges that include poverty, unstable housing, stigma, and the lasting effects of trauma.
Starting Over
Jessica wanted what any mother wants: safety and stability for her child. She worked tirelessly to build a new life, applying for jobs, searching for housing, and trying to find programs that could help. At every turn, she faced rejection. Landlords dismissed her because of her lack of rental history. Employers overlooked her because of gaps in her résumé. Social service systems were overwhelmed, and she often felt invisible.
“Every time I thought I was getting ahead,” she said, “something would happen to push me back. It felt like I was running in place.”
A Sudden Crisis
Her determination carried her through countless setbacks, but the hardest moment came without warning. Jessica was forced to move suddenly and had nowhere to go. She did not have enough savings for even a few nights in a hotel. With her young son by her side, she was left staring at an impossible question: where could they sleep that night?
The weight of that uncertainty was crushing. After everything she had already survived, Jessica found herself on the brink once again.
Reaching Out for Help
With nowhere else to turn, Jessica reached out to Disruptors Org. Within hours, she had a safe place to stay. It was more than just a roof over their heads. It was a pause in the chaos, a chance to rest, and a reminder that she and her son were not alone.
“Being able to get a good night’s sleep and have what we needed allowed me to finally take a deep breath and think about our next steps,” Jessica shared.
For the first time in weeks, she could close her eyes knowing her son was safe.
Building Toward Stability
That small window of stability gave Jessica the clarity she needed to plan. She began taking the next steps toward permanent housing, applying for resources she had not been able to focus on before. The sense of safety allowed her to think about the future rather than only surviving the present.
Today, Jessica and her son are continuing on that path. The road ahead is not easy, but they are moving forward together with resilience and courage.
Why Stories Like Jessica’s Matter
Jessica’s journey shows how complex healing and recovery can be after trafficking. Leaving a trafficker does not erase years of trauma, nor does it instantly solve the barriers survivors face in housing, employment, or childcare. What it does mean is that survivors are free to start again, and they need support and community to succeed.
At Disruptors Org, we believe every survivor deserves the chance Jessica found: a safe place in a crisis, people who will stand alongside them, and the time to rebuild.
*Certain details of this survivor’s story have been altered to protect her anonymity, privacy, and confidentiality.
