The Arbor Charlottesville

The primary goal of The Arbor Charlottesville’s safe house is to provide adult, female human trafficking survivors in Virginia a safe place to live, thrive, and flourish following their trafficking experience. This primary goal ensures healing and stability for survivors, and ultimately creates a community environment where modern-day slavery may be eliminated. In addition to one year of free room and board, survivors have access to comprehensive case management so that they may be connected to existing resources in the Charlottesville community to meet their aftercare needs. These services include trauma-focused counseling, medical services, legal advocacy, education and job skills training. The approach to care is holistic and individualized, so that each woman entering the program will have access to free programs and services that will meet her basic needs and provide a safe space to recover and reintegrate into society.

The Arbor Charlottesville became a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in December 2013 with a mission to provide long-term housing and holistic aftercare services to victims of human trafficking in the state of Virginia. Prior to its official opening in January 2015, The Arbor board of directors conducted a thorough needs assessment in an effort to confirm the existence of trafficking in Virginia. Throughout Virginia, D.C., and North Carolina, The Arbor interviewed police officers, hospital social workers and medical staff, in addition to domestic violence and other crisis center staff. More than eighty percent of those interviewed confirmed that they had encountered trafficked individuals in their work within the past year, yet the lack of victim services across the state was apparent. Though the long-term nature of the safe house is a unique service in Charlottesville, the organization works collaboratively to connect clients with the services already present in the community.