You Are My Light Foundation

You Are My Light Foundation Building healing and educational centers for rescued victims of Trafficking.

We are building healing centers for rescued victims of Human Trafficking, S*x and Labor Slavery to give them back their God-Given right to Life, Freedom, Education and Autonomy.

Meet our Advisory Council Member Tara CatoggeLeadership shaped by lived responsibility brings depth and accountability t...
04/21/2026

Meet our Advisory Council Member Tara Catogge

Leadership shaped by lived responsibility brings depth and accountability to restoration work.

Tara serves on the You Are My Light Advisory Council with a perspective informed by having taken action to protect a vulnerable family member at a critical moment. That experience gives her a clear understanding of what it means to step in when harm is present, and how much care, discretion, and integrity are required when lives are at stake.

As an executive leader and human rights advocate, Tara helps ensure decisions are grounded in dignity, ethical accountability, and respect for what safety and healing truly require. Her voice strengthens policies and practices so they are built with seriousness, compassion, and long-term responsibility.

Leadership informed by lived responsibility is not symbolic.
It is essential.

Learn more about You Are My Light Foundation at https://www.youaremylight.org/

Redefining Success in Survivor RecoveryAt You Are My Light, we define success differently.For survivors of human traffic...
04/01/2026

Redefining Success in Survivor Recovery

At You Are My Light, we define success differently.

For survivors of human trafficking and trauma, success is not measured by how quickly someone moves through a program. Real healing cannot be rushed—and it should not be.

Instead, success looks like:
• Survivors feeling safe enough to exhale after trauma
• Individualized, trauma-informed healing plans based on readiness
• Stable routines that rebuild trust, consistency, and emotional safety
• Access to education and workforce opportunities that restore independence
• Transitions into independent living that are supported, not rushed

Healing is not linear.
And restoration requires time, structure, and care.

True success is when survivors leave with stability, dignity, and the long-term support they need to build a life of freedom.

Why Hope in Healing Cannot Be RushedFor survivors of trauma and human trafficking, healing does not follow a timeline.Tr...
03/20/2026

Why Hope in Healing Cannot Be Rushed
For survivors of trauma and human trafficking, healing does not follow a timeline.
True hope in recovery does not pressure progress or expect immediate outcomes. Instead, it creates space—for setbacks, for grief, and for the slow, steady work of rebuilding trust, safety, and stability.
Trauma-informed care recognizes that every survivor’s journey is different. Healing happens over time, at a pace that protects dignity and supports lasting restoration.
Real hope meets survivors where they are and walks alongside them—without urgency, without expectation, and without conditions.
This is the kind of hope we are committed to holding.

Meet our Advisory Council Member :Janelle AndersonJanelle’s presence on the You Are My Light Advisory Council reflects a...
03/20/2026

Meet our Advisory Council Member :Janelle Anderson

Janelle’s presence on the You Are My Light Advisory Council reflects a critical truth:
healing-centered spaces must be designed with intention, humility, and respect for lived experience.

As a survivor, Janelle brings insight that cannot be replicated through theory or policy alone. Her voice helps ensure survivor wellbeing, agency, and long-term stability remain central to every decision we make.

Janelle reminds us that restoration is not a programmatic outcome.
It is a relationship, built through trust, consistency, and inclusion over time.

Care must be designed with survivors, not just for them.

Compassion alone is not enough when supporting survivors of trauma and human trafficking. Without strong systems, struct...
03/13/2026

Compassion alone is not enough when supporting survivors of trauma and human trafficking. Without strong systems, structure, and ethical oversight, even well-intentioned programs can place vulnerable people at risk.

That’s why experienced leadership matters.

Shelly brings more than 30 years of nonprofit leadership experience in early childhood development and mental health systems to the You Are My Light Advisory Council. Throughout her career, she has led complex, trauma-informed programs where sustainability, accountability, and operational discipline were essential to protecting vulnerable lives.

Her guidance helps ensure that what we build at You Are My Light Foundation is ethical, well-governed, and capable of supporting survivors of trafficking for the long term, not just in moments of crisis.

Shelly reinforces an important truth in survivor care:

Strong operations are not separate from compassion.
They are part of protecting it.

Sustainability is stewardship.
And responsible stewardship protects lives.

Human Trafficking Survivors Need More Than Rescue — They Need Long-Term RestorationEvery day, survivors of human traffic...
03/12/2026

Human Trafficking Survivors Need More Than Rescue — They Need Long-Term Restoration

Every day, survivors of human trafficking are identified by law enforcement, nonprofits, and community organizations. While emergency response systems exist to remove individuals from immediate danger, many survivors still face a critical gap after rescue: long-term pathways for healing and restoration.

Short-term intervention can save lives. But true recovery requires stable housing, trauma-informed care, and long-term support systems that help survivors rebuild trust, independence, and dignity.

Across the country, funders, community leaders, and nonprofit partners are recognizing the need for solutions that go beyond crisis response. There is a growing demand for sustainable, ethical models of survivor care that support healing over time.

The need is urgent.
The conditions are aligned.

This is the moment to build solutions that last — not quickly, but responsibly.

Because while rescue saves lives,
restoration builds futures.

Yesterday, a federal jury in Manhattan convicted the 3 Alexander brothers on all 10 counts of s*x trafficking, r**e, and...
03/10/2026

Yesterday, a federal jury in Manhattan convicted the 3 Alexander brothers on all 10 counts of s*x trafficking, r**e, and s*xual exploitation. Eleven women took the stand. Their courage changed everything.

This verdict is a landmark moment and a reminder of how much work remains.

For every case that reaches a courtroom, countless others never do. For every survivor who testifies, thousands more are still waiting for safety, healing, and a path forward.

A guilty verdict is not the finish line. Restoration is.

You Are My Light Foundation exists for what happens after the rescue. The safe housing, the healing, the dignity, and the freedom that every survivor has a God-given right to reclaim.

We stand with the brave women who testified in that courtroom. We stand with every survivor still finding their voice.

Join us in building what comes next.

Ethical governance is an essential form of protection in survivor-serving organizations.Frances is a New York-based atto...
03/06/2026

Ethical governance is an essential form of protection in survivor-serving organizations.

Frances is a New York-based attorney with extensive experience in civil litigation, trusts, and estates, and the owner of her own law firm. Earlier in her career, she served as a Brooklyn prosecutor and as a Law Guardian for the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, advocating for the safety and rights of vulnerable children.

That experience gives Frances a deep, practical understanding of how systems can either safeguard dignity or fail those they are meant to protect.

Frances serves on the You Are My Light Advisory Council to help anchor this work in integrity, accountability, and ethical stewardship, ensuring decisions are made with long-term responsibility to both survivors and the mission.

Good intentions are not enough.
Governance matters.

The You Are My Light Pilot Center is a long-term, trauma-informed residential environment designed for adult survivors o...
03/03/2026

The You Are My Light Pilot Center is a long-term, trauma-informed residential environment designed for adult survivors of trafficking.

It is built for:
• Safety and dignity
• Stability over time
• Healing without arbitrary timelines

Length of stay is based on readiness, not urgency.
Transition planning begins on day one.
Care is structured, supportive, and grounded in trust.

Rescue is a moment.
Restoration is a journey.

This is where restoration becomes tangible.

𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁Dr. Adrienne Fletcher, Psy.D., M.A.Trauma-informed restoration is not theoretical for Adrienne...
02/27/2026

𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁
Dr. Adrienne Fletcher, Psy.D., M.A.

Trauma-informed restoration is not theoretical for Adrienne.
It is personal.

Growing up as the daughter of a father involved in the mob, Adrienne learned early how power, control, fear, and unspoken rules shape behavior long before they are ever named. That lived experience, paired with her work as a psychologist and survivor, gives her rare insight into how trauma continues to influence choices long after danger has passed.

Adrienne serves on the You Are My Light Advisory Council to help ensure our restorative model is grounded in clinical integrity, survivor safety, and evidence-based care. Her guidance helps us build healing environments that restore agency and dignity, rather than replicating harm.

Trauma-informed leadership is not optional.
It is foundational.

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9322 3rd Avenue 460
Brooklyn, NY
11209

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