ORLANDO, Fla. — Karli Hendrix-Schekotun says it was a revelation during a trip to church that helped her realize something was very wrong in her life.

She says her mother started grooming her at a young age to be a drug dealer — and after the deliveries were made, she realized her job was not quite done.

“My mother began training me as a drug dealer, began taking me to men’s houses selling them drugs, and then leaving me there, and the expectation was that I give them sex,” Hendrix-Schekotun said.

And experts say it is not uncommon for human trafficking victims to be unaware of their situation — information from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families says that "many victims do not self-identify as victims."

According to the latest data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 7% of human trafficking cases identified nationwide came from Florida. 

“Most people consider human trafficking (when a) white van that pulls up and takes woman or takes little girls,” said Danielle Pierson, executive director for Samaritan Village, an Orlando nonprofit that heps victims of sexual exploitation. “And that’s not true. We heard in the story of Karli (Hendrix-Schekotun) where familial trafficking is a thing. Some of these women didn’t even know they were experiencing human trafficking and so we help uncover that veil for them.”

Hendrix-Schekotun says that she had a revelation one day at church, which helped her realized she was being trafficked.

“The Lord gave me a word," she said. "He’s like: ‘He who knows the truth and the truth shall set you free.'"

Hendrix-Schekotun says it’s crucial for every survivor to be honest with themselves about what they’ve gone through.

“Until women actually know this about themselves and they put it on the table, they talk about it, they process it, they deal with it, they’re not going to get that freedom that they really need,” she said.

After years of healing and recovery with the help of different organizations, including Samaritan Village, Hendrix-Schekotun said she has found a way out. 

“I had a safe place to live, I had constant support and care all around me,” she said.

Similar to Samaritan Village, there are other organizations that help people like Hendrix-Schekotun.

A nonprofit in Ocala has repurposed more than 250,000 untraceable phones to give survivors a safe way to communicate. 

“There is a feeling of safety and security and a certain amount of freedom, too," said 911 Cellphone Bank director James Mosieur. "When survivors get these devices, it’s very helpful for them to rebuild their lives."

The emergency phones go to the hands of thousands of human trafficking and domestic violence survivors nationwide.

Teams work to reset the anonymous devices, so they are untraceable.

“When someone leaves an abusive relationship, typically it’s with just the clothes on their back," Mosieur said. "So we provide a method of communication with them."

The 911 Cellphone Bank obtains the phones from casinos and amusement parks with lost and founds, to companies trading out older devices and people donating via the organization's website. 

For Hendrix-Schekotun, she has dedicated herself to help people and works full time in a homeless ministry.

“I’ve been on the streets, had no nowhere to go,” she said.

Hendrix-Schekotun started as a volunteer for SALT Outreach, but now she is a full-time employee. 

“Had I not asked that pastor to pray for me that day, I don’t think I’d ever made it out,” said Hendrix-Schekotun.

Boxing up hairbrushes and bar soap, she says God held her hand through her long healing journey.

“Take away your shame, take away your fear,” she said.

For anyone who identifies with Hendrix-Schekotun’s story and has questions about human trafficking, the National Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached at 888-373-7888.