14 | JANUARY 26 • 2023
“Trafficking affects vulnerable populations
who may not see themselves as vulnerable.
Maybe somebody came to the United
States on a temporary work visa, but their
wages have been withheld. Or, they have
been moved to a different location than the
one they thought they were going to be in,
and they are living in a dormitory type of
housing and don’t have the ability to leave.
Basically, they are compelled to do certain
work against their will.
”
Robinson said his organization works to
build cases against the traffickers, striving
to sue them to pay fines to the government
or pay money owed to clients. He also
pointed to pending legislation that looks
to crack down on the illegal industry with
stiffer fines and criminal charges.
“There needs to be efforts to educate
law enforcement or others who have
first encounters with those caught in a
trafficking ring, to make victims aware of
their rights and opportunities. Victims who
have been apprehended by law enforcement
can either participate in an investigation of
a trafficking ring or apply to secure a valid
work visa. But overall, from those being
trafficked, it takes courage to come forward
and offer their help in our investigations.
It requires that person to put their trust in
a system or government when they may
have come from a place where there was
complete distrust in government.
”
SURVIVOR STORIES
Behind the statistics are stories of those
who survived and are regaining their
independence.
This year is shaping up to be a good
one for Samantha, 46. After a lifetime of
enduring trauma from being trafficked
between the ages of 4 and 8 by her
mother’s ex-boyfriend, Samantha will
soon graduate from an intensive two-year
rehabilitation program at Sanctum House
and mark that occasion by moving into a
transitional apartment, also located on the
organization’s campus.
Samantha grew up poor in Portage.
Sometimes trafficked to multiple men each
night, Samantha said having her body sold
for money, first by her mother’s boyfriend
and then by multiple men with whom she
had relationships from her teens and into
adulthood, seemed like a regular part of life.
“It felt normal, like, this is what I learned
love was, and I did what I was told,
”
said Samantha. “My mother’s boyfriend
trafficked my brother and me for sex from
the time I was 4 until I was 8. All the while,
we were told not to tell my mother, who
herself didn’t know what was happening.
Finally, my mother, brother and I left her
boyfriend when I was 8. I didn’t tell my
mother about this until I was 15, and all the
while I suffered from severe mental health
problems.
”
At her lowest point, she attempted to
commit suicide. She underwent a lengthy
hospitalization and rehabilitation program
that led her to Sanctum House’s two-year
program.
Located at an undisclosed location
in Oakland County, Sanctum House, a
nonprofit organization, is one of the only
organizations of its kind in the state to
provide a comprehensive long-term, two-
year rehabilitation program that guides
trafficking survivors back to a path of self-
sustainment. The organization’s partnering
professional service organizations provide
women in the program with medical
and mental health resources that include
therapies to recover from trauma, substance
abuse, loss of relationships and grief,
and restoring severed relationships. Life
skills learned include nutritious cooking,
housekeeping and personal finance.
The organization also helps women
advance their education by putting them in
touch with resources to gain literacy skills,
advance their GED, and find vocational
or higher education opportunities. For
example, the organization’s 2021 Annual
Report noted its vocational and educational
training includes work with University of
Michigan-Flint to help women identify
vocational interests.
Upon their arrival, residents like
Samantha who qualify for the two-year
program are welcomed into one of two
6,200-square-foot homes that can each
house 12 women. The ground floor features
a fully equipped kitchen (outfitted by
donations from NCJW) where residents
build community by cooking and sharing
continued from page 12
OUR COMMUNITY