Jane Doe Rising, Inc.

Jane Doe Rising began in 2018 with a simple but powerful truth: no survivor of human trafficking or sexual assault should ever have to rebuild their life alone. What started as one woman responding to crisis after crisis — showing up in the middle of the night, sitting beside survivors in hospital rooms, helping them gather belongings after fleeing danger — has grown into a lifeline for countless individuals across Texas.

In those early days, the work was raw and personal. Survivors arrived with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. Some carried fear. Some carried shame that was never theirs to hold. Many carried stories they had never spoken aloud. And yet, in every one of them, there was a spark — a quiet, stubborn strength that deserved to be met with compassion, dignity, and unwavering support.

In some areas, there are few Advocates. And of those who are available, many carry such overwhelming caseloads that it would be nearly impossible to serve even 25% of their clients on a weekly basis. This is what we call “the gap” — the space between what survivors need and what the system can provide. It’s in this gap that Jane Doe Rising was born. Founder Heidi Schmidt, a licensed private investigator with credentialed training in Investigations Management through the Texas Department of Public Safety, began stepping into these unmet moments: leading recovery teams, conducting trauma‑informed intake when survivors weren’t ready to report, and building a nonprofit that could respond with compassion, professionalism, and urgency.

Today, we stand as “last responders,” stepping into the moments most people never see — the moments after the police report is filed, after the hospital exam is over, after the world has moved on but the survivor is still standing in the wreckage, unsure of what comes next. And in the moments before any of that happens — when a survivor is still missing, still being held, or still too afraid to come forward — we step in there as well. With specialized investigative training and an active license, we help locate and safely recover survivors and provide trauma‑informed intake for those navigating their options outside of law enforcement. We meet survivors wherever they are, in that fragile space between trauma and hope, and we walk with them toward safety, stability, and healing.

Our work is deeply human. It is packing emergency bags for survivors escaping in the middle of the night. It is providing advocacy during forensic exams. It is helping a mother find shelter for her children after leaving an abusive situation. It is restoring dignity through clothing, essentials, and compassionate care. It is listening — truly listening — when someone shares their story for the first time. It is stepping into high‑risk situations with professionalism and care to ensure a survivor’s safe recovery when they have nowhere else to turn.

Victims often report feeling let down or failed by emergency services, hospital care, crisis intervention, or other systems that are supposed to be readily available. Across Texas, we’ve seen the same pattern: broken systems, brick walls, and survivors left to navigate trauma alone. But we’ve also seen something else — community. Volunteers. Independent Advocates. People who refuse to look away. And that’s you.

Every service we provide is rooted in the belief that survivors deserve more than survival. They deserve the chance to rise.

With the support of donors, volunteers, and community partners, Jane Doe Rising has grown from a grassroots effort into a trusted nonprofit serving survivors across Texas. But the need continues to outpace the resources. Every day, someone else reaches out. Every day, another life is waiting for a safe place to land.

Your support makes that possible.
Your generosity becomes the moment a survivor feels seen.
Your compassion becomes the bridge between crisis and healing.
Your partnership becomes the reason someone finds hope again.

Jane Doe Rising exists because survivors deserve a future that is bigger than their trauma. And with you beside us, that future becomes possible.