Today we’d like to introduce you to Marjorie Saylor.
Marjorie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Coming out of a life of exploitation, I had no idea what to do with my life. I was a single mom on my own just trying to get back on my feet. I was free from my last abuser for almost a year now, after nearly escaping with my life on July, 18th 2013. Knowing I needed to end the cycle of abuse in my life to ensure my daughter had a chance at a life free from it, I dove headfirst into my recovery, I was looking for pathways to healing everywhere I could, and for me, what helped me the most early on was the church I was attending. I received spiritual healing and support which lead to therapy and other much needed avenues of healing. In 2014 I attended the Justice Matters Conference in Murrieta and heard a survivor of human trafficking share her story. I realized then that I was not alone in my experiences and that I could also be a voice of hope for others. I got involved right away attending conferences and training; one thing leads to another, and by the time I enrolled in college in 2014 I was a member of the Survivor Leader Network of San Diego, and working with a program called Runaway Girl Inc, learning how to train law enforcement in response and protocol of minors who had also been trafficked. By 2015 I was working directly with survivors of trafficking for Alabaster Jar Project (AJP), a long term shelter program and resource center. I graduated from college in 2017 and started The Well Path, a program for survivors that provides immediate emergency shelter services. Today I continue to provide direct services through The Well Path and AJP as well as travel the country working to affect greater change through the advocacy of policies that will not further help the population I serve.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The journey to where I’m at today has not been easy. I had to completely start my life over. I was on welfare and went to local food pantries and resource centers for additional food and clothing needs. I paid my way through college with financial aid and worked hard for scholarships every year. I spent many hours working on myself through therapy, counseling, and other forms of healing. Even still today I work hard to maintain a healthy life, physically, emotionally, and mentally, as I take on the vicarious trauma of those I help today, Balance is so important for me now. I truly am thriving today, and I love my life. I never would have dared to dream that where I am now was possible, and I hope to inspire the dreams of others still stuck in the cycle I was.
Please tell us about the organization.
The Well Path was incorporated in July 2017 and received 501c3 status Feb 2018. The Well Path’s primary purpose is to restore the lives of survivors of human trafficking by providing emergency shelter and resources to long term housing, holistic healing, and stability. The Well Path provides peer support and mentorship which continues after our initial emergent work is done with each client. We don’t just get someone off the streets with no to follow up support. We follow them through each healthy step as long as they need or want us for support. Our long term goal with our clients is to further prevent any recidivism back into the vulnerable broken life cycle they just came out of. As a survivor run program, we know what it takes to successfully exit exploitation and move into a life that we can thrive in.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I remember the times I got to go to winter camp with my friends from my childhood church. I fell in love with the mountains and all the fresh clean air. The time away with my friends was always very special to me.
Contact Info:
- Address: 500 LA Terraza Blvd, Suite 150, Escondido, CA 92025
- Website: www.thewellpath.org
- Phone: OFFICE: 442-777-2046
- Email: info@thewellpath.org
- Instagram: @the_well_path
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWellPath
Image Credit:
Vicente Guzman Cruz, Susie Fiebich, Donica Watson
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