Meet Nancy Hernandez, a 60 year old survivor of human trafficking in Tampa, who has transformed her trauma into a mission to help survivors of abuse create a better life for themselves and their families.
Born in Puerto Rico to a poor and dysfunctional family, Nancy was 18 when she visited New York and met an older man who promised her the American Dream. Her dream spiralled into a nightmare when Nancy’s new husband pimped her out to drug dealers and forced her to traffic drugs inside her body around the world. For 27 years Nancy endured daily abuse without any hope of release.
Her escape came by chance when her husband was killed in a car accident on New Year’s Eve in 2006. Nancy was 45 years old and finally in control of her life, “it was a new beginning, at a time when I thought I couldn’t change anything.” But she was dealt another blow, a cancer diagnosis attributed to the harsh chemicals her body had endured. Not one to throw away her second chance, Nancy survived her cancer battle, found God and returned to the streets of Tampa with a single purpose - to give other survivors the help that she spent years searching for.
Nancy’s mission started small, collecting donations to buy food. Every day she walked down Nebraska Avenue, handing out sandwiches and water to survivors of abuse and listening to their stories. Driven by faith and grit, Nancy created a network of support and helped women find homes, food and health assistance. In 2014 Nancy formalized her charitable acts into a non-profit Mujeres Restauradas por Dios, ‘Women Restored by God’.
The organisation opened its first brick-and-mortar location last month, on Nebraska Avenue, not far from where Nancy started handing out sandwiches 14 years ago. Her network includes 43 organizations that help survivors navigate everything from insurance and mental health to financial assistance. Mujeres Restauradas por Dios also played a key role in finding services for people evacuated from Puerto Rico after the devastation of hurricanes Irma and Maria, and hasprovided 1.5 million pounds of food to over 7,000 families during the pandemic. There's always food and a toiletries pantry on site.
Today she's heralded as a local hero in Tampa, but she’s never forgotten what it feels like to be powerless. Her message to survivors is clear and powered by hope and solidarity - “You can get out of there. You are not alone. This woman is here for you. This woman is here to help you.”
