Jessica Li, Executive Director

Toni Eby, Operations Manager  

San Francisco SafeHouse

San Francisco SafeHouse is a nurturing and empowering living community for homeless women escaping sexual exploitation, prostitution, and sex trafficking. Through transitional housing, direct services, aftercare, and outreach to women on the street, SafeHouse strives to serve its mission to help the most vulnerable members of our community. SafeHouse was founded in 1998 by Rev. Glenda Hope, a Presbyterian minister, known for decades of service to the poorest neighborhoods in the City. Rev. Hope began SafeHouse in response to a series of brutal murders and assaults upon prostituted women in the mid-1990s. She worked in collaboration with Sister Rosina Conrotto of the Sisters of the Presentation. Long before "trafficking" became a media issue, SafeHouse has reached out to marginalized women on the street. Since its founding, SafeHouse has served over 350 women and successfully created a healing space that addresses gender-specific trauma, homelessness and substance abuse. The women that SafeHouse has served and continues to serve are a testament to the possibility of overcoming obstacles and making major changes in their lives.

Jessica Li is the Executive Director of San Francisco SafeHouse. Jessica brings over  ten years of global experience working on  violence against women issues. She was most recently Executive Director of the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project in Washington, D.C., where she worked closely with law enforcement, service providers, government officials and community leaders to provide training, outreach, and technical assistance ensuring that the voices of domestic violence survivors are not silenced. She has also served as the Public Outreach Officer with  the United Nations Mission in Sudan and worked with the International Rescue Committee, advocating on behalf of internally displaced persons, refugees and asylum seekers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and international relations from Syracuse University in New York and a Master's of Public Administration degree with a concentration in human rights and social justice from Cornell University.

Toni Eby is the Operations Manager at San Francisco SafeHouse. She brings eight years experience with accounting, office planning, and administrative support as well as five years experience working with victims of sex trafficking and sexual violence. Prior to accepting the position as Operations Manager she handled the accounting, maintenance scheduling, inventory and event planning for Thornley & Pitt, Inc. She has also served as a Residential Counselor for SafeHouse as well as a Domestic Violence Counselor for St. Vincent de Paul's Riley Center where she worked to counsel, advocate for and empower survivors of violence against women. She is currently in her senior year at San Francisco State where she is seeking an under-graduate degree in Women's Studies. In addition, she is a graduate of San Francisco SafeHouse and uses her personal experience as motivation and inspiration to continue serving survivors of violence against women.

FAITH JOURNEY