04 Feb A Season of Safety
A Season of Safety for Survivors
As winter settles in, the colder months bring unique challenges for people experiencing exploitation. But because of your support, survivors across Washington are finding warmth, safety, and a clear path forward.
Today we’re sharing a story of courage — and the impact you make when you invest in coordinated, statewide solutions to end sexual exploitation.
Savannah’s Story
Photo Credit: Nick Wagner, Seattle Times. Shared with permission.
Savannah’s name has been changed to honor her privacy.
Finding Warmth After a Cold Season of Exploitation
Savannah remembers the holidays during the years she was being exploited.
As she walked the streets in the freezing rain, heels soaked, clothes clinging to her skin, she would catch glimpses of Christmas trees glowing through frosted windows. For a moment, the lights made her feel warm. She longed to be inside, unwrapping gifts, safe with people who cared for her.
Instead, she was opening car doors and hotel doors, meeting men who used her and discarded her. Each night, she wished someone would cherish her instead of demand something from her.
Savannah also remembers the first holiday season after she escaped.
She sat inside a shelter, dry, warm, and surrounded by paper snowflakes she had cut herself. She drank hot chocolate and decorated a small tree.
For the first time in years, Savannah felt a sense of belonging.
Her healing journey became possible because SAFE’s partners walked with her through every step: leaving her trafficker, exiting the sex trade, finding shelter, receiving advocacy, and eventually moving into a home of her own.
Today, Savannah says the holidays no longer bring fear or loneliness — they bring peace.
Your support makes stories like Savannah’s possible. Because of donors like you, survivors experience safety, dignity, and a season filled with peace.
Your Year-End Gift Creates:
- Communities trained to recognize and respond to signs of exploitation.
- School-based prevention that empowers youth with knowledge and safety.
- Practical support for survivors, from transportation, to clothing, to housing, and everyday essentials.
Although Savannah is no longer trapped in exploitation, many women like her still are. A year-end gift helps make it possible for them to experience safety, stability, hope, and peace — just as Savannah has. Please consider a year-end gift today.