Nancy was rescued by law-enforcement and referred to Garden of Hope to seek shelter and services. Our crisis response team received her in the middle of the night. She was a woman in her late 50’s and looked weary and beat, with teary eyes. Nancy arrived from China to the US alone a few years ago and has been living her life like a migrant worker traveling from state to state in different restaurants and nail salons where it doesn’t require her to use too much English. The last place she worked was a massage parlor where she was discovered by local law enforcement. She never met her employer who only communicated with her by phone and knew her whereabouts through cameras inside and outside of the business establishment.
Nancy wouldn’t want to risk losing her job. After all, it was good enough for a person like her with such limited English, so “old”, and so “uncultured” to be given a job, a place to stay, and food to eat. She still needed to pay “rent” and pay for food, with the only income she received being the tips from clients with a percentage of which are given up as part of the business’ earning. Once a day, usually at night, someone would come by to collect money paid by customers. Sometimes she would need to get up from sleep to serve customers who decided to visit the massage parlor in the middle of the night. She did not know better or may have forgotten throughout the years in how to live a normal life. She was shocked when the police showed up to shut the business down.
She was unable to stop her tears each time she visited her counselor when she stepped into our agency where all staff spoke her language and provided her not only with food, clothing, cash assistance, and daily necessities but also gentleness, warmth, and kind gestures.
Gradually, Nancy made progress Her physical health improved by resting in our shelter and by seeking medical attention. She used her counseling sessions to process many of her past traumas incurred by a history of poverty, unhappy marriage, and hardships during her immigration experience. She gradually shifted her attention to seeking job opportunities and stable housing. Before she exited our shelter, Nancy was assisted in securing a safe job. She was provided with rental assistance giving her a jump start to get back on her feet. It’s a comfort to be aware that Nancy has a bond with the agency through which she can always reach out for support and resources so that she no longer has to be helpless and alone in a country far away from home.
