Born in Los Angeles, CA, Trish Steele did not have a normal upbringing. The loss of a father, her hearing, and a speech impediment all contributed to many years of bullying that Trish had to endure in her early life. What would usually devastate most turned Trish into a symbol of perseverance and a legend in her field of work.
Growing up in a small town called La Verne, Trish went to Bonita High School. She graduated from Elegante Beauty School, which she credits for helping her regain self-confidence and empowering her to launch her non-profit, Safe Passage.
“I remember when I was going through this hardship [bullying], my grandmother’s words to me were, ‘you are special’ And so I hold onto those three words, and that’s what drove me to become who I am today.”
Thirty-five years ago, Trish became another victim of domestic abuse. The abuser, who was her partner at the time, violently struck her on the head, shattering her forehead open. When Trish admitted herself to the emergency room, she received the most immeasurable medical attention from a compassionate doctor who treated her wound and did not charge her for it. Her life changed forever.
“He's never charged me a dime. I ran away from that situation with no debts, no bills. And that's when I knew one day, I'm going to pay it forward.”
Not without the support of her family and friends, experts and professionals did Trish find her purpose in life again. And after accomplishing many of her goals, including releasing her book “The Compelling Life-Changing Stories of 12 Women,” hosting several award-winning talk shows, and receiving the “President’s Volunteer Service Award” from President Obama, her mission is to pay it forward and help as many women and children as possible to do the same.
Safe Passage started with a shelter for physically abused and emotionally distraught women, for which Trish offered her own home. Through years of successful makeovers and fundraising efforts, Trish has established programs that's transformed thousands of lives and broke the cycle of abuse.
Safe Passage grew to become one of the nation’s most successful non-profits with a 95% proven track record of helping domestic violence survivors restart their life and put them on a path to success and happiness. The organization is supported by experts from every field, including doctors, dentists, plastic surgeons, counselors, life coaches, career mentors, self-defense instructors, and many more.
Trish Steele’s 27 years of commitment to improving the lives of women and children has garnered widespread attention in the media. Her most recent campaign, Time 2 Heal, continues to support victims of Covid-19, who suffered losses and depression caused by the pandemic.