This is Elina's Story: Winter Appeal 2021
I have a difficult story to share with you. Envision this––
A 15-year-old girl, Elina, is smuggled out of an impoverished, conflict-ridden country in Central America by her uncles. She is seeking asylum, freedom, and employment to support her sick father.
However, as soon as she is stateside, Elina’s uncles trap her in a brutal sex trafficking ring that operates throughout the Northeastern coast.
Three years later, a pregnant, beaten, traumatized, undocumented young woman walks through the door of Women’s Lunch Place. She has been referred by a local hospital’s Victim Services unit.
Our work begins.
At the onset of her relationship with WLP, Elina’s Advocate, Doris Romero, observes that she is nervous and soft-spoken. Her abuser, who is also her trafficker and the father of her unborn child, has beaten her so severely that the medics do not believe their son will survive.
Elina sends most of the money she earns through sex work back home, and now that she cannot work, she worries about what will happen to her ailing father.
As the trust between her and Elina grows, Doris reaches out to WLP’s extensive network of service partners, coordinates prenatal care, and secures a spot in a shelter for survivors of exploitation. Thanks to the care she receives, and against all odds, Elina has a healthy childbirth.
Once Elina and her son are safely settled in their new shelter, Doris researches the possibility of applying for a T visa, which allows victims of trafficking in the U.S. a temporary stay and the right to work.
Without going through this process, it is nearly impossible for an undocumented woman to find stable housing, consistent health care, and a viable career.
Around this time, Elina begins to experience intense, postpartum depression. When she is at her most vulnerable, a new trafficker grooms her and offers an avenue to support her struggling family––one that will have her earning money much faster than if she works through the bureaucracy of attaining a visa.
Horrifically, the cycle repeats itself.
Elina’s trafficker becomes her abuser. After two years of sexual exploitation, she becomes pregnant by him.
Remembering the care and compassion that she received at Women’s Lunch Place, Elina again flees to our safe community. Relieved that her client is still alive, Doris immediately takes action to connect Elina to the therapeutic and medical services that she desperately needs.
Once Elina has her child, Doris will compassionately restate the case for Elina to apply for a T visa. Together, they will continue to explore housing and employment opportunities. There is a long road ahead.
For every 10 trafficking victims detected globally, seven are female and two of those seven are young girls. In a world where they are consistently denied the dignity and agency that they deserve, WLP does not turn them away. Our trained staff use a unique model of care that is tailored to each woman’s individual situation.
WLP will always be unwavering in our mission to serve any guest who turns to us for help, even when that relationship extends into a difficult, multi-year journey toward strength and stability. We know that breakthroughs do happen.
To ensure that women like Elina can continue to receive our critical services at the most vulnerable stages of their lives, we ask that you consider supporting Women’s Lunch Place today.
With gratitude,
Jennifer Hanlon Wigon
Executive Director
Women’s Lunch Place