5/28/25
Today, our guest speaker was Brandi Schori on behalf of Naomi's House.
Women who have been exploited rarely self-identify as victims. It isn’t until the abuse has stopped and they enter a new environment that they are able to understand the severity of their situations. Naomi House exists to be that place, where women feel safe to work through the trauma of the past and build a healthy future on their own terms.
The need /The human trafficking crisis:
- 24,000+: the estimated annual number of individuals in Illinois who are victims of trafficking.
- 1,600: the estimated number of beds in the U.S. available for women victims of trafficking.
- 70% of female trafficking victims are involved with the sex industry including prostitution, porn, and stripping.
- 100% of Naomi House residents experience addiction and other mental health disorders associated with abuse.
- 85% of of women helped are victims of child abuse.
Naomi House (https://www.naomishouse.org/)
- Mission: To help every woman who has suffered from commercial sexual exploitation
- Impact: Since 2016 Naomi House has grown from serving five women through the Reside residential program to serving hundreds of women across the Chicagoland area. In 2024 over 250 women received services from Naomi House.
- Programs
- Reset outreach drop-in centers: victims are welcomed to “come as they are”. The Naomi House team offers immediate support, a listening ear, and even a care plan outlining steps to a different life to every woman who walks through the door.
- Reside is the long-term, 24-hour residential program for women who are ready to build a life free from sexual exploitation . Here, they find the safety and comfort they need to exit survival mode and face the trauma of their pasts.
- Rise: This day program is for survivors who have already done extensive work to heal from sexual exploitation and seek continued growth. Accountability, continued education, job-skills training/placement, and counseling are provided as they begin to live independently, pursue healthy community and relationships, and rebuild connections with family.