Human trafficking is sometimes hard to spot.
"Sometimes it's a boyfriend who has a gambling addiction, or a drug addiction, it's a neighbor that's tasked with babysitting that has a little too much time on his hands, or an older man befriends a group of young girls, " said Corrine, human trafficking survivor.
A victim herself when she was in her teens, Corrine shares her own story of abuse and abandonment.
"My dad died when I was 11. My mom was a police officer and was injured on the job. I went from having this perfect childhood to the opposite extreme. I then found myself on my own. There was a guy I met who was 24 and I was 15. I found myself in situation that was very traumatizing and it altered the trajectory of my life." she recalled. "I ended up quitting school, having a baby very young, 16. The abuse was pretty incredible."
Sex trafficked and missing for a month, she had no education and no real work history. In her 20's, she was hit by a car and lost her leg. She was living in a shelter when she made a life saving choice.
"I heard about Salt & Light when I was in the shelter. I realized that many women living with me had been trafficked too. All we wanted was a job and a chance to get our lives back," she said.
CEO and founder of the Salt & Light Coalition, Izabel Olson, was a teen mom herself. Her father had spent time in prison. Born in Brazil, she started teaching yoga at the Cook County Jail soon after she moved to Chicago.
"I learned that 70% of the women in jail were trafficked at some point in their lives. I thought to myself: there is a huge correlation here. How can we help these women? I just knew I needed to find a way to serve that population."
That's when The Salt & Light Coalition began in a church basement 8 years ago. "We were sending out flyers from the basement. I had a couple of my friends as volunteers."
She started out with just a few women who were looking for some help out of their trafficking situation.
"First responders rescue women out of their trafficking all the time and put them into a shelter or to rehab but there is nothing after that. 80% of these women end up going back, not because they choose to, but because they don't have any other opportunities and then they are victimized again. So we come in at a very pivotal moment when they are starting to stabilize themselves and if they don't get connected to the right resources, they will likely go back and be trafficked again." said Olson.
Now, Salt & Light is a space designed to heal, educate and empower survivors.
16,000 to 25,000 women and girls are trafficked annually in Chicago. One-third of victims are first trafficked before the age of 15
"It's a program that will equip, empower and help women thrive. Women who are trafficked are told how to dress, what to say, what to do, how to behave, what to think, so they don't have a voice. We try to help them regain their voices. We have yoga classes, cooking classes, we believe in a holistic wellness program."
The non profit, which was founded in 2017, provides care for women overcoming trafficking, through emotional wellness, stipends, real world skills and job training.
"We give them financial literacy, economic stability. They are also getting stipends. We remove transportation barriers, we give them CTA cards. We then focus on them being empowered to be in the workplace. We teach them about brands, how to interview, how to behave in the workplace." said Olson.
Women graduate from a six month program with opportunities for jobs and scholarships.
"We give them 'start of life' grants. Some are granted $5,000 so they can move, buy equipment, they have access to two scholarships as well. "
For Corrine, Salt and Light literally changed her life, so much so, she is now a full time employee and counselor there.
"I learned how to take better care of myself. I got my self esteem back. I learned about spreadsheets, the importance of savings in emergencies, I learned about nutrition. I graduated and got a job that knew where I was coming from and that I needed a little extra help, but I had an insane work ethic. All I needed was an opportunity." she smiled.
9 years later, Corrine owns her own home and her son is thriving.
"I'm a Christian, so I believe God pulled me out of that situation for a greater purpose and that gives me meaning every day and maybe that purpose is that I'm using my story for women who are just starting their journey. It feels really good," she smiled.
And the program is working. Over the years, Salt and Light has supported nearly 300 women, with a wait list of 80. Most are living better lives with full time jobs.
"Women come here with nothing, below the poverty line, making zero dollars and they leave with an average salary of $50,000 and 82% of our graduates are currently employed. We have a very high success rate." said Olson.
She says it's not just about helping women--it's about breaking a generational pattern and the domino affect on the family is monumental.
"These kids are going to private school, they are thriving. When we invest in women, your outcome is higher, because women are moms. What's happening here is bigger. We have these kids that are being raised by women who are now fully focused, healthy, their minds are healthy and for me, that's the most incredible thing." said Olson.
Corrine is now the Director of Survivor Stewardship. She says she sees women at the beginning of the program when. at times, they are at their worst. She says sharing her story helps them believe there is hope.
"I want people who listen to my story. to walk away feeling the hope, the encouragement and the positivity. If your goal here is to become self sufficient and to build a better life, you're in the right place. It's a big battle to believe in yourself. It's about getting to a place where you're just receptive. Getting us to believe that we are worth it and have potentional is half the battle." said Corrine.
This past July, Salt & Light Coalition was recognized and awarded a $20,000 grant from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation.
About The Salt & Light Coalition:
Salt & Light Coalition is a Chicago-based nonprofit on a mission to empower survivors of sex trafficking to heal and thrive. Since 2017, the volunteer-run organization has provided a transformative, six-month trauma-informed program that goes beyond recovery and offers survivors the tools to reclaim their lives and build sustainable futures. The program combines holistic health and wellness support with job training, professional development and ongoing community connection. By addressing both the emotional and economic needs of survivors, Salt & Light helps them move from surviving to thriving. Learn more here.