From sex trafficking to a college scholarship – San Diego STARS program

Member Blog

We’d like to share a success story from one of our San Diego grant partners, STARS!

San Diego STARS Program for victims of sex trafficking

San Diego STARS Program for victims of sex trafficking

STARS (Surviving Together, Achieving and Reaching for Success), is a program for teen girls between the ages of 12-17 involved with commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking.  STARS provides support to empower the youth to escape sexual exploitation by developing their inner strengths, building a sense of community and supporting their reintegration into mainstream society. The following is an update we received from STARS about one of their clients:

“Hannah engaged in services in March 2015. At intake, Hannah had recently found out she was pregnant and had relocated to San Diego due to safety concerns with her trafficker. As a result, she had a very limited support system and access to few resources. With intensive case management provided by STARS, Hannah stabilized in housing provided by a transitional living program and enrolled in multiple programs for former foster youth, job readiness and independent living skills, and counseling. Hannah was highly motivated to engage in services and establish safety in her life. She immediately created a list of goals with her case manager. In less than a year in services Hannah has maintained safe and stable housing, delivered a healthy baby, completed an internship and found employment, attended counseling and weekly support groups through STARS, enrolled in our leadership program and became a STARS Youth Advocate, completed college classes, and was recently awarded a college scholarship. Hannah’s case manager has assisted her in these goals through advocacy, transportation, and emotional and moral support.”

Way to go, Hannah!