Content warning: This article discusses domestic violence and human trafficking. If you or someone you know needs help please call the national human trafficking hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).
Leaving an abusive situation can mean escaping danger. It can also mean starting over with little more than the clothes on your back.
Atlanta-based nonprofit Tapestri launched its yearlong More Than Safe: Because Safety Is Only the Beginning campaign Oct. 7, alongside the release of its 2025 Impact Report, which documents services provided to 429 survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. The campaign seeks unrestricted funding to help survivors move beyond immediate safety toward stability, independence and opportunity.
Domestic violence is a widespread public health issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 3 women in the United States (nearly 43.5 million) and more than 1 in 6 men (20.7 million) have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetimes. The figures underscore the need for services that help survivors reach safety and rebuild their lives.
“For survivors, reaching safety is only the beginning,” said Vanisa Tabakovic, Tapestri’s executive director. “The fear of how they will survive, rebuild, and create a new life can be just as powerful as the fear that kept them trapped.”
Founded in 2005, Tapestri provides direct services to immigrants and refugees affected by domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault. Its 2025 report documents survivors from 52 countries who spoke 23 languages, highlighting the need for culturally competent and linguistically appropriate support.
The organization’s domestic violence program served 267 survivors, while its human trafficking program served 162 individuals. Nearly eight in 10 trafficking survivors served experienced labor trafficking, accounting for 76.1 percent of cases. Another 18.2 percent experienced sex trafficking, while 5.7 percent experienced both.
Tabakovic said the number of survivors seeking help increased from the previous year. She said Tapestri continues working to keep its services available despite challenges securing sufficient funding.
“We continue to keep our doors open and continue to serve them in whichever capacity we could,” she said. “We’ll try not to turn anyone away when those calls come through or referrals when they come through.”
For Tabakovic, helping survivors means addressing the needs that remain after someone leaves an abusive or exploitative situation. Those needs include emergency housing, food, clothing, medical care, counseling, legal assistance, transportation and help navigating immigration processes.
Finding stable housing alone can take time. Tabakovic said locating a place to stay may take up to 30 days, particularly when shelters are full. Survivors may begin reaching a more stable situation within a few months, but longer-term stability can take a year or two, depending on their circumstances.
“It’s a long process,” she said during the interview. “It’s not a quick fix.”
Tabakovic said the transition to independence can be especially significant for people who have spent years under another person’s control.
“Many of our survivors, when we place them into the apartment, this is their first apartment in their life that they have in their name,” she said.
Some survivors arrive with only a backpack or a small bag of personal belongings. Tapestri works with community members who donate furniture, mattresses, dishes and clothing to help survivors establish a home.
Tabakovic said she has seen survivors progress from being afraid to leave their homes to having their own apartment keys and working toward milestones such as obtaining a driver’s license.
The report also highlights Tapestri’s work beyond direct services. Its human trafficking program served survivors across 37 Georgia counties, while its domestic violence program served survivors across 30 counties. The organization reached more than 2,500 people through outreach and education in 2025.
Tabakovic said public awareness is essential to recognizing exploitation, particularly labor trafficking, which can involve workers being exploited or denied fair compensation. She encouraged people to learn the warning signs and connect concerned individuals with qualified organizations rather than attempting to investigate suspected trafficking themselves.
For people who know someone experiencing abuse, Tabakovic emphasized the importance of offering support without judgment.
“Just knowing that it’s not their fault, that there’s help available,” she said, can make a difference.
The campaign will run through October 2027. Community members can support it by donating, sharing campaign information or connecting Tapestri with potential corporate partners.
For Tabakovic, the goal is to ensure that survivors have more than a way out of danger. They also need the resources, support and opportunity to build a life on their own terms.
