By: Kezia Royer-Burkett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Burlington Local-News.ca
Survivors, service providers, law enforcement, and community support agencies gathered at the Holiday Inn Burlington Conference Centre on Wednesday, February 18, for the official launch of the Empowered Caregiver Project, a survivor-led anti-trafficking toolkit developed by Restorations Second Stage Homes. The full-day event marked not only the release of a practical new resource but also a celebration of the lived experience and leadership of survivors who helped shape it.
Restorations exists to support survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation by providing long-term residential housing and survivor-led peer programming. The Empowered Caregivers Toolkit expands that mission beyond housing, equipping those who walk alongside survivors with trauma-informed, survivor-centred tools.
For the purpose of the toolkit, a caregiver is defined as “an individual in a position to provide direct support, guidance, and advocacy for individuals at risk of or experiencing human trafficking or sexual exploitation.” The definition goes beyond basic needs, emphasizing care that fosters safety, empowerment, self-determination, and healing. Caregivers may include parents, guardians, family members, and friends, as well as social workers, educators, healthcare providers, law enforcement, shelter staff, and other frontline professionals.
Executive Director Jennifer Lucking said the idea was to cast the net wide. “We really put the ask out far and wide,” she said, noting that Restorations is part of the Halton Collaborative Against Human Trafficking, a network of organizations serving trafficked and at-risk individuals. A show of hands earlier in the day revealed that for many attendees, this was their first anti-trafficking conference.
The toolkit was soft-launched at the end of January through Restorations’ networks, but the February event served as its official unveiling and a moment of recognition for the 17 survivors who contributed to its development. “I see it as a celebration of the survivors who were involved in the whole process and just really amplifying what their involvement has meant,” Lucking said.
One of those voices is Michelle Furgiuele, a peer advocate and survivor of domestic sexual violence who has been connected with Restorations since its early conceptual days in 2013. Initially engaging with the organization through services and mentorship, she later joined the team in 2021 as its second peer advocate, helping to build a virtual peer support program during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When COVID hit, we realized that isolation was real and that can be really dangerous, especially when people suffer from substance use disorder,” Furgiuele said. “Virtual companionship became a key force.”
From one-on-one support to group programming and annual retreats, she said peer-led spaces allowed survivors to “cut through red tape, to be a little inappropriate, to be messy,” creating room for authenticity and healing.
Furgiuele said her decision to step into advocacy work was deeply personal. “I put a high emphasis on my own trauma definitely — it’s not for nothing,” she said. “I knew I had a strong passion to get into the anti-human trafficking field. I don’t have an education for saying that, but I do have a whole bunch of lived experience.” For her, the work represents an opportunity to offer the kind of support she wishes had existed when she was exiting exploitation.
The toolkit reflects that survivor-centred approach. Lucking acknowledged that while the resource is intentionally broad, it is designed to be personalized by caregivers based on their local context. Each module includes worksheets prompting users to map out services in their area, from cultural and spiritual supports to legal aid and housing.
“That’s where it can become a lot more individualized and focused on the specific needs of people,” Lucking noted, encouraging caregivers to expand their networks to better serve Indigenous, Black, and 2SLGBTQ+ youth.
The term “caregiver” itself has prompted questions, Lucking admitted. Often associated with aging adults or children, the project intentionally reframes it.
“We use the word intentionally as anyone who is providing care to someone who is experiencing trafficking or at risk of it,” she explained. Drawing on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the toolkit explores the wide spectrum of support survivors may require, from housing and safety to socio-economic stability and community connection. Anyone helping to meet those needs, she said, is acting as a caregiver.
For those still entrenched in trafficking situations, Furgiuele offered a direct message. “First of all, we see you,” she said. “We honestly understand that readiness is a huge part of the method to healing.” She emphasized that reaching out does not require immediate disclosure or exit. “Those currently entrenched, you’re not invisible. We all see you, and we’re ready when you’re ready.”
At its core, Lucking said the Empowered Caregiver Project stands apart because it is survivor-led. “Survivors have been really passionate about what it is that they want to share,” she said. “We really just need to listen to them and what their needs are.”
As Halton Region and the Hamilton region continue to confront the realities of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, the launch of the Empowered Caregivers Toolkit signals a shift toward deeper collaboration where lived experience is not an afterthought, but the foundation.
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