Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Greve.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Erica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was getting my MSW at University of California, Berkeley and working at the Oakland Children’s Hospital Emergency Department when a mom came in with her 11-year-old mentally challenged daughter who was being trafficked by a 29-year-old man. During my intake interview, this little girl told me that she was walking home from school and saw a man in his car. The next time, he got out of his car. Soon, they were talking regularly and he became her boyfriend. He told her he loved her and she said it was the first time anyone had ever told her they loved her. The “boyfriend” told her that she needed to sell her body to make money for the family. He told her “we’re a family and this is what family does” and put her on the track (a term referring to the area where girls “work”). This little girl’s mother asked me if there was a place that we could take her daughter to help her heal from the trauma and keep her safe from her trafficker. I asked my supervisor if there was any place this little girl could go. She responded that there wasn’t a place that existed like in the US. Sadly, I had to send both mother and daughter home. That night, I left troubled. I knew I had to do something, and so I decided to start an organization that would provide homes for rescued kids. On 11/11/11, we rescued 20 girls in the Philippines and starting our first restoration home for child victims of slavery. Now, seven years later, we have rescued over 400 kids. Over 100 kids are living in our seven homes around the world, in the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, and the USA — here in DFW.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Bringing freedom to children trapped in slavery who are being sold for sex 30-40 times a night by a complex network of traffickers is never easy. Our team works day and night around the world developing relationships, providing emergency medical care, and restorative services to each child in our homes. But the true unlikely heroes are these kids who, after enduring the most traumatic pain possible, are able to heal and look ahead at the rest of their lives with hope. They often want to help as many trapped kids find freedom like they once desperately needed. Seeing them pursue big dreams and help others makes all the long days absolutely worth it.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Unlikely Heroes – what should we know?
Unlikely Heroes is a 501c(3) nonprofit that rescues and restores child victims of slavery worldwide. We operate restoration homes where each child receives medical care, trauma therapy, individualized education plans, life skills, and lots of love. We’ve rescued over 400 children since 2011 and now have over 100 kids living in one of our seven homes in the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, and right here in Dallas. We specialize in a reproducible therapeutic treatment model that truly brings the best healing and rehabilitation for these kids who have endured so much. We have seen kids graduate our program and pursue nursing degrees, computer engineering, and government work. In 2011, when we opened our first UH home in the Philippines, Princess was among the first group of girls we rescued out from a brothel. She began working in the brothel at age 12 in order to survive. She was staying in a small room, owning one set of clothes, and was being prostituted out to provide for her every meal. She describes this traumatic time as feeling like a stray animal. But shortly after being in our home, Princess gave the opening address on her high school graduation day and walked across the stage feeling confident in herself and her future. We are most proud of how well our kids are doing and I believe they truly are the unlikely heroes that will end human trafficking forever.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
The DFW community has been pivotal in supporting the opening of our 8-bed home in 2015 and the kids in our care. Just last year, the MAVS Foundation donated a brand new Ford Flex to our USA Home. Community groups such LOWES Cares, Urbanology Designs, Pro Players Foundation, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Stars, and Sterling Renovations & Design pulled their resources together to renovate our USA 8-bed restoration house, Goldies House, into a warm and beautiful home for our girls. Community volunteers provide home-cooked meals every week, donate their time and resources in helping the kids in our program thrive! It has been absolutely incredible to see this community come together and take a stand against sex trafficking not only in our city but worldwide.
Contact Info:
- Website: unlikelyheroes.com
- Phone: 818-255-5441
- Email: info@unlikelyheroes.com
- Instagram: uheroes
- Facebook: facebook.com/unlikelyheroes.loveisheroic
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
