Living alone on the streets for as long as he can remember, Emilio, just 11 years old, has had to fend for himself in a way no child ever should. He was fighting for meals, fighting to survive, and being abused by men who preyed on his vulnerability night after night. After years of abuse, Emilio was truly terrified that he would always be alone in this world.

Our home director met Emilio while doing outreach with our team. What they saw was a scared little boy who clearly he had nowhere else to go. Emilio desperately needed freedom and a safe place to rest his head, so our team immediately took him to our restoration home. Emilio arrived in our home, thankful to finally be safe from exploitation, and was given his own bed and a warm meal to begin his journey to healing.

A few weeks have passed and although Emilio loves playing soccer with the other boys in the home and riding his bicycle, he still struggles with believing that “nobody loves me” 💔 He’s now in a home where people care about him and want the best for him but it takes time for his mind to heal before accepting that he is truly loved and taken care of. You will be there every step of the way.

Emilio may have had a traumatic past, but he is choosing to look forward. He’s even asking for lessons to learn how to fix things so that one day, he can get a job that helps support him and his future family. He’s a quick learner and we believe he will be on his way to his goals in no time.

This Christmas, we want to thank you for fighting to end human trafficking alongside us. Thank you for being part of our family and for being the reason so many precious kids are opening up presents in our homes today.. From the Unlikely Heroes family to you and yours, we truly want to say thank you!