As Seattle's first social realtor, every sale with Chapman Homes helps a person in need at no additional cost to you. See how it works HERE
A round of applause for my client Ammara! It was such a pleasure helping you find a home in West Seattle.
Thanks to your home purchase, you have become a HERO to a person in need by helping a woman and her child (see story below) find a sense of dignity through Chapman Homes Partnership with REST (which stands for Real Escape From The Sex Trade).
Amora's Story:
Amora was a teenager growing up in the Midwest when her father passed away. After his death, she went to live with her mother, who was mentally ill and abusive. Life became chaotic.
She moved to Washington in 2015, fleeing a domestic abuse situation, but the pattern continued. With no support in her new city, and having recently been unjustly kicked out of a shelter, she faced homelessness and being forced to place her son in foster care. At the same time, a smooth-talking friend of hers had been calling from jail, telling her how she could make some money to keep her son off the streets.
“Without many good options, I chose the one that kept my son with me, safe. Every choice I made after that was for survival—mine and his.”
By the winter of 2015, she was being exploited in the sex trade. Pimps would approach her, the new woman in town with no support, and tell her about the dreams that prostitution could fulfill—if she had the right “help.” They didn’t tell her about the dehumanizing stripping of her rights and autonomy, or the consequences if she failed to obey once she was under their control.
Amora knew what was happening wasn’t okay, and that both she and her son were not safe. She took the initiative to get in touch with REST’s Outreach Coordinator Jackie.
“Every time I called, she would answer, and would remind me that I started this for my son, and that this was not the life I wanted for him and that I deserved better.”
Even as the hope for herself and her son grew, she encountered countless barriers to leaving that life. She got a job but was quickly fired because her employer found the ads of her online that had been used to connect with sex buyers. She attempted to leave many times—but was caught by her pimp at a hotel or the airport. She even made it to safety a couple of times—but the trauma, abuse, and many barriers she encountered kept her returning to the life.
In January of 2018, Amora was ready to make significant changes in her life. She moved into the REST House. “By being in the REST House,” she said, “And knowing that I have a year of sleeps in a safe place, where I am supported, loved, encouraged, and allowed to heal, I’ve been able to accomplish so much.” Today, she has graduated from trauma therapy, is employed full time in an apprenticeship and pursuing a license in her field, has built a team of support both inside and outside of REST, and spent her first Christmas with her son in two years. Her journey to stability isn’t over yet, however—she’s still looking for safe, affordable housing for her and her son. The quest out of a life of exploitation is a long and arduous one that requires a great deal of strength, courage, and hard work—but it all starts with experiencing love and finding hope for the future.
“I couldn’t dream about loving myself the way I do now or believing in myself and how far I’ve come... I know now, more than I ever have in my life, that I am worthy of love. I know that all the things the men who exploited me told me were lies, lies they told me to keep me in a position of obedience. I know that I am a smart and capable woman, that I am a good mother and I can show my son a better life by example… I learned to love myself and dream about my future.”
Matthew Chapman works hard to make your home buying or selling experience enjoyable and gives part of every commission to help a person in need.