MY STORY
From Survivor to Prevention
My name is Sheri Lopez. I am a survivor of grooming and human trafficking—but what happened to me is only part of my story.
Today, I use what I lived through to help others recognize what can happen before exploitation begins.
I cannot change what happened to me as a child. But I can help parents, educators, professionals, and communities see what I couldn't see for myself, and recognize what others around me didn't know to look for.
My story is why Pearl at the Mailbox exists.
Because sometimes prevention begins with one person noticing that something isn't right—and choosing to act.
I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS BEING GROOMED
I was 15 years old when grooming entered my life. I still went to school, came home, spent time with my family, and looked like an ordinary teenager.
But something was happening that the people around me couldn't see—and I didn't fully understand it myself.
That is why I focus on a different question today:
What happened before the exploitation—and what could someone have recognized sooner?
That question is at the heart of my prevention work.
WHY PEARL AT THE MAILBOX?
I met a woman named Pearl at the community mailbox of the apartment complex where I was being held and trafficked. What began as an ordinary encounter became a moment that would change the direction of my life.
Pearl didn't know my whole story. She simply recognized that something wasn't right, and she chose to act. Through her kindness, courage, and willingness to step in, and by the grace of God, I found a way out.
Years later, when I created this organization, I knew exactly whose name it should carry.
By the grace of God, Pearl was there. She noticed. She acted. And my hope is that through this work, more people will become a Pearl for someone else.
Survivor Leadership Beyond Pearl at the Mailbox
Sheri Lopez is also Founder and President of the Arizona Human Trafficking Survivor Coalition, a survivor-led organization bringing lived experience to education, advocacy, collaboration, and legislative efforts across Arizona.
Through both organizations, Sheri works to ensure survivor voices are not simply included in conversations about human trafficking—they help shape the solutions.