u003cpu003eu003ca href=u0022https://pcaaz.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Chita-shot-2.jpgu0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022size-medium wp-image-9841 alignleftu0022 src=u0022https://pcaaz.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Chita-shot-2.jpgu0022 alt=u0022u0022 width=u0022300u0022 height=u0022300u0022 /u003eu003c/au003e Streetlight USA is a Phoenix-based nonprofit that serves teenage girls suffering trauma due to sexual exploitation, abuse, and trafficking. When Yavapai Family Advocacy Center Victim Advocate Chita Olson first heard about Streetlight USA, she thought, “That’s nice – another home for girls.” But after visiting the organization in Phoenix, she realized that Streetlight USA is much more than just a shelter. It’s a collection of programs that truly helps victims of sex trafficking find the emotional, spiritual, and physical support they need to heal and feel safe. “I was so impressed by the lengths that are taken to assure a nurturing yet structured environment, attending to even the smallest of details,” Chita shared.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eLast year, Chita partnered with Streetlight USA to help a young girl who needed the support of both organizations. Together, they helped this young girl who had concealed years of abuse in order to keep her family together. As the sexual exploitation became too much to bear, she bravely disclosed the horror of events that led the arrest of both her stepfather and mother. Althoughu003ca href=u0022https://pcaaz.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Chita-shot.jpgu0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022size-medium wp-image-9842 alignrightu0022 src=u0022https://pcaaz.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Chita-shot.jpgu0022 alt=u0022u0022 width=u0022273u0022 height=u0022183u0022 /u003eu003c/au003e the sexual abuse stopped, her greatest fears also came true: Her family was gone, and so was the place she called home. When she was relocated to the safety of Streetlight USA’s programs and housing, Chita was a constant, bridging the gap between the girl's life in Yavapai County and her new home at Streetlight USA in Phoenix.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eThroughout her recovery, Chita cheered her on, reminding that only incredibly strong young women can go through what she went through and still be so kind and considerate of others. “She’s not a number or a statistic. She’s a beautiful girl who has gifts, talents, and strengths to offer the world around her,u0022 Chita said. u0022I am confident that she will contribute greatly to her community and beyond.”u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eSkye Steele, chief executive officer of Streetlight USA, explained that collaboration with community providers are essential to their work. “Collaboration expands and enhances the services available to help survivors. Best practices like trauma-informed care, family systems models, survivor-led input, and Right to Self-Determination were all born out of service providers collaborating.”u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eVictim advocates like Chita are critical players in those collaborations. “Often, a victim advocate is the first person to provide a positive influence to the victim outside of the care facility. This provides the first step of trust and empowerment as the advocate helps survivors find their voice. Then, victim advocates can help build a bridge back to the community after they have received the therapeutic healing that they needed,” Skye said.u003c/pu003ernu003cpu003eBy highlighting the powerful work of Chita Olson, one of our very own victim advocates, we hope to highlight the work of victim advocates everywhere. Thank you for the strength that you provide to victims and the system that serves them. u003c/pu003e
