Escaping a trafficker is often seen as the finish line. In reality, it’s only the beginning.
According to the 2023 Polaris National Survivor Study, 43 percent of survivors earn less than $25,000 annually, compared to 26 percent of the general U.S. population. Survivors emerge from exploitation with no income, limited education, no savings, and often no safe place to live. They may be free, but without a path to stability, they remain vulnerable to being exploited again.
Why Economic Stability Matters
Most conversations about human trafficking focus on rescue. Rescue is critical, but it is not enough, especially as research from the National Institutes of Health shows that one in five child victims of trafficking experience revictimization, in large part due to poverty. Without economic empowerment, survivors remain trapped in cycles of dependence that leave them at risk of being re-trafficked.
The need for economic stability is urgent. In the Chicagoland area alone, an estimated 25,000 women are trafficked every year. Sixty percent are under the age of 18. While Illinois consistently ranks among the highest states for human trafficking cases, there is also the opportunity to lead in solutions.
This is where organizations like the Salt & Light Coalition step in to help. More than 90 percent of the women who join the Salt & Light Coalition programs live below the poverty line. Nearly all are unemployed. Many arrive directly from shelters, jails, or hospitals. They’ve endured abuse, coercion, and exploitation. Yet without a way to support themselves, freedom remains elusive.
Their mission goes beyond crisis response. They provide women with the tools to thrive: workforce development, professional coaching, and employment connections. Survivors are not defined by what they’ve endured. With the right resources, they become thrivers: women who move beyond surviving — they are equipped, financially empowered, and can support themselves, their families, and their futures.
The Salt & Light Coalition Model: Healing + Skills = Long-Term Freedom
The six-month, trauma-informed empowerment program at Salt & Light Coalition integrates healing with practical skills. Participants engage in mental and physical wellness practices while also learning workforce skills such as resume writing, computer literacy, and professional etiquette.
The organization partners with employers willing to hire survivors and provides stipends and internships so that women gain both confidence and experience. The results are measurable:
- 82 percent of graduates secure full-time jobs
- 90 percent report improved mental health
- 1 in 3 pursue additional education or training
Economic empowerment is more than financial stability. It restores dignity, builds confidence, and creates a foundation for generational change.
Stories of Transformation
The statistics tell one part of the story. The women themselves tell the rest.
When Christina Sansone first connected with Salt & Light in 2021, she was navigating her trafficker’s trial — alone. With no family to support her in court, our team stood by her side. That support opened the door for her to enter our program in 2022. Step by step, Sansone rebuilt her confidence.
Today, Sansone is not only thriving, she’s serving as our Program Assistant — leading nutrition classes, teaching workforce skills, and mentoring others. “Every graduation, you see joy radiating from women who once thought they had no future,” Sansone reflects.
Similarly, Taylor Holm entered our program after years of trauma and instability. She doubted whether a stable life was even possible. Today, Holm is pursuing her Master’s degree while serving as our Program Director. “This organization didn’t just help me heal,” Holm says. “They taught me how to work, how to plan, how to believe in myself again.”
Breaking the cycle of exploitation requires more than compassion — it requires investment. Workforce programs for survivors are resource-intensive, and they cannot exist without the commitment of businesses, philanthropists, and foundations.
Every time an employer hires directly from survivor-led organizations, every time a donor invests in job-readiness training, they are not just helping one woman — they are dismantling the system that allows trafficking to persist.
How to Help
The Salt & Light Coalition’s annual Radiate Gala is on September 27 at Chicago’s Drake Hotel. The gala is a place to gather and share stories, raise essential funds, and invite the community to be part of this work.
You can also donate or volunteer to support the mission. Learn more at saltandlightcoalition.com.
This post was submitted as part of our “You Said It” program.” Your voice, ideas, and engagement are important to help us accomplish our mission. We encourage you to share your ideas and efforts to make the world a better place by submitting a “You Said It.”
Dr. Izabel Olson is a woman of faith, vision, and purpose. Born in Brazil and shaped by both resilience and redemption, she has dedicated her life to empowering others and building spaces where hope can thrive. As the founder of Salt and Light Coalition, a nonprofit committed to helping women survivors of trafficking heal and step into leadership, she has turned pain into purpose and sparked a movement of restoration in Chicago and beyond.
Izabel believes deeply that transformation is possible — not just for individuals, but for entire communities. Under her leadership, Salt and Light has grown from a 1,000-square-foot operation to a 6,000-square-foot sanctuary of healing, powered by graduates who are now leading the work themselves. Her mission is clear: to elevate voices that have been silenced and to build them up through love, justice, and action.
A mother, wife, visionary, and advocate, Izabel lives at the intersection of faith, fitness, fashion, and philanthropy — all anchored by a calling to serve. Whether she’s hosting gatherings of powerful women, championing the next generation, or showing up in bold obedience, Izabel carries light wherever she goes — and invites others to do the same.
