We spoke with Ashleigh Gonzales, Chief Development and Marketing Officer at AncoraTN, about the organization’s work to nurture survivor healing and combat human trafficking throughout Middle Tennessee. AncoraTN provides survivors with long-term, trauma-informed support through residential and community-based services, while also working to prevent exploitation through education, advocacy and training for professionals and community members. 

During our conversation, Ashleigh helped dispel common misconceptions surrounding human trafficking and explained how exploitation can involve force, fraud or coercion—not only kidnapping or physical restraint. We discussed some of the vulnerabilities and warning signs community members should recognize, how to respond safely when something does not seem right and the importance of reporting concerns rather than attempting to intervene alone. Ashleigh also previewed Flourish: A Gathering of Hope, AncoraTN’s upcoming women’s luncheon supporting survivor healing and human- trafficking prevention across Tennessee.