The Heart of Project Angel
Walking beside survivors as they reclaim their lives with dignity, healing, and hope.
Walking beside survivors of human trafficking as they reclaim their lives and begin the journey of healing after trafficking.
Through trauma-conscious restoration, compassionate guidance, and community, we help survivors move from survival toward stability, purpose, and independence — whether they are with us in person or connecting from across the world.
River’s Story
The journey that led to Project Angel
In 2018, River escaped human trafficking after more than 44 years.
It was the fifth attempt to get free.
The journey that followed began with a simple hope —
that this time freedom would last.
After escaping trafficking, River spent two years and nine months searching for real help.
Knocking on more than 300 doors.
Again and again the message was the same: healing was impossible.
Just as hope was fading, someone finally said the words that changed everything —
“Yes, I can help, and I will.”
On October 27, 2020, Chrissie from the Phoenix Humanity School said yes to helping me, and we began the journey together.
She walked beside me as a teacher, guide, and spirit mama while I discovered the path I needed to heal.
Slowly the fear and anxiety lifted, and I began to experience real love, care, joy, and happiness for the first time.
Project Angel began in 2020 with founder Chrissie.
In February 2023, River stepped into the role of director, continuing the vision of helping survivors rebuild their lives.
Today River lives free from flashbacks, night terrors, and panic attacks, and has lived medication-free for years.
By sharing this journey with others, River hopes to offer survivors hope and a beacon of light for those still searching for healing.
“What many believed was impossible
became the beginning of hope for others.”
The Missing Path to Healing
Many organizations work tirelessly to provide crisis response and short-term support for survivors of human trafficking. These efforts are critical and lifesaving.
But crisis response is only the beginning of the journey. Survivors often carry years of trauma, fear, and loss of identity that cannot be healed in a short-term program or temporary shelter.
True restoration requires safety, community, guidance, patience, and time. Healing cannot be forced into a single program or timeline. Each survivor must discover their own path forward, supported by compassionate guidance and trauma-conscious restoration.
Project Angel exists to help fill this missing path — creating space for survivors to heal deeply, rebuild their lives, and rediscover purpose. Whether in person or through remote support around the world, our work walks beside survivors for as long as healing takes. All services are provided freely, so that access to healing is never limited by cost.
The Path to Healing at Project Angel
Reaching Out
The journey begins when a survivor reaches out for help.
Whether through our website, social media, email, or text, we respond personally and begin a conversation to understand where they are in their journey and what support they need.
Survivors are also reassured that all support through Project Angel is provided free of charge, so that access to healing is never limited by cost.
The First Steps
The first steps focus on helping survivors find calm, stability, and safety.
Through private sessions and support groups — online or in person when possible — we begin building supportive routines that help regulate the nervous system and create a foundation for deeper healing.
Together, we establish patterns of support and connection that help survivors feel grounded as they begin moving forward.
Deep Healing
As trust grows, deeper healing begins to unfold.
Survivors work with us through personalized guidance, exploring practices such as art, writing, nature, breathwork, and trauma-conscious techniques to address fear, guilt, shame, and anxiety.
The process moves at each person’s pace — with encouragement but never pressure — creating space for joy, laughter, and rediscovering the true self beneath the layers of trauma.
As healing deepens, many survivors experience profound changes, including regulation of the nervous system and relief from long-standing trauma symptoms.
Rebuilding Life
From that place of healing, survivors begin rebuilding their
lives.
As healing deepens, survivors begin rediscovering who they are and what they truly want for their lives.
We support them in exploring their passions and reconnecting with their natural strengths.
Through this process, survivors learn how to come back into alignment with their true self — the person they were always meant to be beneath the layers of trauma.
From that place of alignment, they begin building lives that are not simply about surviving, but truly thriving.
Project Angel was born from the belief that survivors deserve more than escape.
They deserve the opportunity to heal deeply, rediscover who they truly are, and build lives rooted in dignity, purpose, and belonging.
This work continues because people choose to believe something powerful: that healing is real, that compassion matters, and that no survivor should have to walk this path alone.
If this story resonates with you, there are many ways to walk beside this work — whether by helping support survivors today or by bringing the long-term vision of Project Angel to life.
Because when even one life is restored, hope becomes possible for many more.