Peace and Hope

I first met Frieda* when she came to our Emergency Suite after months of enduring homelessness. While living on the streets, she looked for a community that could provide safety, but instead, she was exploited by the very people she hoped would protect her. Frieda was eventually able to get away from her traffickers, but everywhere she sought refuge, she felt judgement…so she kept running.

That’s when she came to AncoraTN. Frieda was finally safe—able to take her first real steps out of “the life.”

In the safety of our Emergency Suite on the Survivor Restoration Campus, I’ve

heard countless survivors just like Frieda say, “It’s quiet here... I can finally think.”

I’ve seen so many survivors arrive broken down, not knowing what tomorrow will bring. Many are grateful just to be alone, to feel safe, and to have much-needed privacy. Survivors have time to think about what they want to do next—not what their trafficker wants them to do, not when someone will take advantage of them, not where their next meal is coming from.

We are often survivors’ last resort. I’m grateful we can open our doors and welcome them into safety—the foundation for peace and beginning of hope.

-Emily Guillen
Intervention Specialist

*Name and some details changed to protect confidentiality.