Today we’d like to introduce you to Harmony Dust.
Hi Harmony, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am firm believer that we are more than the trauma we have had to overcome. My past does not define me.
And yet, I acknowledge the profound impact that pervasive early childhood trauma has had on my life. I am keenly aware of how it ultimately made me susceptible to exploitation.
Like many who have experienced childhood s*xual abuse, I developed a deep sense of shame and a belief that I was somehow damaged. It taught me that I did not have agency over my body and that I was powerless to set boundaries. It also led me to believe that my worth was intricately tethered to my looks and s*xuality, a mindset that deeply impacted my sense of self.
My trauma was the generational kind. I truly believe my mother did the best she could, but her own unresolved history of chronic trauma and her history of commercial sexual exploitation as a teen left her riddled with addiction and ill-equipped to provide the stability and protection I needed as a child.
My father was simply absent.
As a child, one of my abusers was my mother’s boyfriend. Fed up, at thirteen, I finally ran away from to escape him. Realizing I was serious about wanting her boyfriend gone, my mother asked him to leave. When he decided to head back to Canada, she followed him there, leaving me at 13 alone with my 8-year-old brother for three months to fend for ourselves. She left us with $20 and a book of food stamps.
After the money and food stamps ran out, I started stealing from the liquor store to feed my brother and I.
The summer my mom left, I also began a friendship with a boy from my neighborhood. When he was around, I didn’t have to worry about stealing because he would buy us food. Wise to the streets with several older siblings in “the life”, he made me feel protected in our gang-ridden neighborhood. I became deeply attached to him in what I now know is a trauma bond.
By the time I was 19, this relationship led me to working in a strip club and giving him all of my money.
In essence, my boyfriend became my pimp.
The idea of having a normal life seemed further and further away. Gradually, I began to lose sight of who Harmony was, and became lost in make-up, stilettos, and the glare of stage lights. I felt fragmented and compartmentalized.
I did not think I would live to see 21. I was hopeless and suicidal. There was this tiny part of me that dreamed of a different life- one filled with joy and peace- but it felt unattainable.
My journey to freedom began with a friendship. A twenty-something college student who showed me unconditional love. I began a journey of faith and discovered the truths that I am loved, valued and purposed. One night, I was standing in the middle of the strip club when it really hit me. “If I have been created with a purpose, this can’t be it.”
The more I developed a sense of identity, value and purpose, the more impossible it became to live in a way that contradicted it. I discovered that the pain of staying the same is far greater than the pain of change.
In 2003, after several years of recovery, I founded Treasures, a survivor-led, trauma-informed organization providing outreach and care to women who have experienced exploitation and trafficking in the commercial s*x industry. Through our outreach, survivor-led support groups, mentorship program, and case management services, we empower women to live healthy, flourishing lives, and train others to do the same around the globe.
I have spent the last two decades providing others with the resources I wish I had when I left my exploiter.
My work has led to congressional recognition as well as opportunities to train the FBI, DOJ and law-enforcement on best practices for working with survivors.
After receiving my Master’s in Social Welfare from UCLA, I was awarded the honor of being named UCLA’s alumna of the year.
In 2009, I published my memoir, Scars and Stilettos in hopes of helping people understand the realities of sexual exploitation and inspiring them that freedom and healing are possible.
Here is what I know- Our past does not determine our future. More than survive, we can overcome and live the rich, beautiful life we have dared to dream of. The road to freedom and healing isn’t always easy, but it is worth it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The journey to recovering from trauma is not an easy one.
As I have engaged in the work of Treasurers, I have also had to continue to untangle my own past and the impact exploitation had on my mental and physical health. Engaging in my own recovery journey while simultaneously navigating the secondary trauma that occurs when we hold space for the stories of others is not easy.
NonProfit work is not for the faint of heart! I founded Treasures because I care about providing excellent trauma-informed care to survivors. My educational background is in psychology and social work, and yet I have found myself stretched to excel in organizational leadership, fundraising, strategic planning, managing staff, human relations, operations, and everything it takes to develop a strong and sustainable organization. And did I mention fundraising?
Without the support of individuals and foundations that invest their time, talent and treasure into our work, we would not exist.
In recent years, we have seen explosive growth, both in the criminal enterprise of trafficking and in demand for services from survivors.
Since 2019, we have seen a 400% increase in the number of women we serve. And yet giving to nonprofits is down by 30% across-the-board.
And yet we must persevere. We cannot afford to lose staff or programming because the women rely on us for these life-changing services.
The weight of all of these realities can feel crushing some days. But seeing women’s lives transformed, cycles of abuse and exploitation ended and watching the women and their children thrive and flourish is what sustains us.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a survivor-led, trauma-informed organization with a mission to equip and empower survivors of trafficking and exploitation in the commercial s*x industry to live healthy, flourishing lives and train others across the globe to do the same in their cities.
The women we serve are some of the most vulnerable in our society. Survivors of exploitation experience rates of post, traumatic stress disorder, equivalent to combat or veterans. Up to 90% of his histories of childhood sexual abuse. Many are faced with the harsh realities of poverty and homelessness.
Through our support groups, mentoring, case management and economic empowerment opportunities we help women heal from trauma, rebuild their lives and find permanent freedom from exploitation.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I grew up in Venice, California and my favorite memories were of spending time at the beach with my brother. The sound of seagulls and crashing ocean waves are soothing to my soul.
Pricing:
- $14.99 for my memoir, Scars and Stilettos
- $29.99 for our recovery curriculum, Free to Thrive: A curriculum empowering, you to live your best life
- 0-$597 for our digital trainings empowering allies, and service providers to provide care to survivors of exploitation in trafficking
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.iamatreasure.com
- Instagram: @TreasuresLA
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreasuresLA
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TreasuresLA
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/treasures-sherman-oaks?osq=treasures
- Other: TikTok- @TreasuresLA
