Let's Join Together in the Fight Against Human Trafficking!
Los Angeles is doing an outstanding job to fight human trafficking with groups like CAST LA who is working with The Protect program to bring Human Trafficking awareness into schools. Dignity Health is one example of instituting a program to train health professionals how to recognize victims and how to talk to them. The LA Human Trafficking Task Force is running fake ads in places like Backpage. When buyers call in, they get a chat bot who texts them back and forth and at one point, the buyer is informed that what they are doing is illegal and their information has been passed onto the LA Human Trafficking Task Force. While these efforts are working to reduce human trafficking, unless we as the faith community get "up the river" to prevent human trafficking, it will never end.
So how do we get "up the river?" We come together as a coalition and empower our men to be leaders in raising awareness regarding the destructive nature of porn and how it creates demand for sex trafficking victims. We invite a representative from a local foster care organization to come speak at our services to recruit good foster parents, given that over 70% of victims are from the foster care system. We can work with the city to close down the illegal massage parlors. We can host a fair trade table at our church and school fairs to educate people that over 2/3 of all human trafficking in the world is labor trafficking and by being responsible for purchasing imported products that state "fair trade," we reduce demand.We can do a fundraiser for a local non-profit. These are just five examples of how we can prevent human trafficking. The book "How You Can Fight Human Trafficking, Over 100 Ways to Make a Difference" offers many more actions.
How We End It!
Social scientists tell us that once we reach a critical mass of awareness and people taking action, the social issue will be resolved. Until that critical mass of 10% is reached, it is like rolling a rock uphill and there isn't enough traction so groups often fall apart. Once critical mass is reached, there is velocity. If it took 10 years to reach 10%, it only takes 2 to 3 years to reach 20%. In Los Angeles, about 1.5% of faith communities are taking action in the fight against human trafficking. There is another 7% to 8% who are thinking of doing something, so they meet and think about it and it takes time. When they can come to a meeting to find out how to act and only have to simply duplicate what others are doing they quickly move into action. At these coalition meetings, faith communities inspire and encourage each other and report on what they are doing. Then during the second half of the meeting people meet with those groups they are interested in collaborating with. This model will have us quickly reach the 10%. You can find actions for faith communities as well as presentations you can use and resources like flyers by "clicking" on the resource button.
West L.A. City and County Faith Coalitions
So Cal Faith Coalitions Against Human Trafficking
Faith Leaders in West L.A. City and County are inviting churches, synagogues, etc. to come together to share resources and educate each other on how to take action in the fight against human trafficking as a faith community. This is not a public event. This is a networking event for the purpose of empowering people who are pastors or ministry/ committee leaders, staff, bible study teachers, youth pastors, etc. in their faith community or people who feel called to take a leadership role in the fight against human trafficking. Whether you are already taking action or want to take action in the fight against Human Trafficking, this meeting is for you. Please RSVP to ucanfightht@outlook.com for meeting locations.
South Bay/Long Beach/W.L.A Faith Coalition
September 21st 2019. 9:00 to 11:30 A.M. This Coalition includes all the cities in the South Bay as well as Long Beach, Cerritos, Artesia, Wilmington, Lakewood and Hawaiian Gardens. Our theme will be “Building Powerful Church Ministries.” We will also have two guest speakers. Sylvia will speak on her experience of being a mom of a child who has been trafficked. Ellie will speak on how God healed her from having been trafficked in Honduras.
San Gabriel/Pomona Valley, South East LA County Faith Coalition
October 5th 2019. 9 A.M. to 1130 A.M. This coalition includes churches, synagogues and temples, etc. in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valley and East LA and South East LA County. Our theme will be “Building Powerful Church Ministries.” We will also have two guest speakers. Sylvia will speak on her experience of being a mom of a child who has been trafficked. Ellie will speak on how God healed her from having been trafficked in Honduras.
San Fernando/Simi Valley Faith Coalition
September 28th, 2019. 9 to 11:30 A.M.- This coalition includes churches synagogues, temples, etc. in the Simi and San Fernando Valley as well as Glendale and North Hollywood. Our theme will be “Building Powerful Church Ministries.” Ray Bercini from the LA Regional Human Trafficking Task Force will give up updates on what the LA. Regional Human Trafficking Task Force is doing and how we can support the efforts of law enforcement.
Black Faith Coalition
October 26th - 9 A.M. to noon. This coalition is in collaboration with So Cal Faith Coalitions, several prominent churches and One LA.
Hispanic Faith Coalition
This coalition is a collaboration between So Cal Faith Coalitions and Churches in Action. A Conference in Spanish is being planned for October. Date and details to follow.
Task Forces and Meetings by Other Groups
L.A. Regional Human Trafficking Task Force
September 5th - 9:30 to 11:30 A.M. California Endowment:1000 Alameda St. Los Angeles
To find out more about L.A. Task Forces please go to http://lahumantrafficking.com/events
Compton Human Trafficking Task Force
Meets Every Other Month from 1 to 3 P.M. Upcoming dates for 2019 are 5/17, 7/19, 9/20. Meets at the at 600 E. Alameda Blvd. Compton. Sometimes meeting locations change so please email Ken Henry at Ken@tiktokservices.org to confirm.
Long Beach Human Trafficking Task Force
First Thursday of the Month
11:30- 1:00. Meets at the Salvation Army at 3092 Long Beach Blvd. Long Beach
Santa Clarita Human Trafficking Task Force
This task force meets the first Thursday of the month at 2 P.M. Please email pastor Dan Broyles for meeting locations at pastordan@valenciahills.com
San Gabriel Valley Human Trafficking Task Force
For monthly meeting dates, please email alma below. This task force meets at
The Salvation Army Pasadena, 960 W. Walnut St. Pasadena.
Questions? Please email alma.hirasuna@usw.salvationarmy.org
Men Standing Against Trafficking
Men Stand for 1.5 hours in the evening holding signs up on the corners where prostitution is the most prevalent. The efforts encourages victims to seek help and wakes up the community that human trafficking is happening where they live.
Long Beach - 3rd Friday of Every Month 7 P.M to 9 P.M. Please email msat.lbeach@gmail.com for locations.
Pomona - Please contact Jay at jayw@purposechurch.com for dates and locations.
Trainings
Journey Out Trainings
Journey Out offers case manager training for professionals. Please contact tay.neville@journeyout.org.
Journey Out also needs volunteers to help with their survivors. Please contact mary.david@journeyout.org Journey Out has taken over the Poster Outreach project for L.A. Please contact Mary David for details. For more information, please go to their site. For more information on their programs, please go to https://journeyout.org/
Treasures
Oct 4th -5th. THERE ARE WOMEN IN YOUR CITY WHO NEED YOU!
We believe that you have what it takes to make a difference in the lives of women who have been affected by sexual exploitation and trafficking. We want to empower and equip you to reach and care for them effectively! No need to reinvent the wheel, we will share 15-years of hard-learned lessons and resources with you! Please register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/treasures-outreach-care-training-oct-4-5-2019-registration-51793336263
Nola Brantley Speaks
Nola Brantley is a survivor of human trafficking who has trained thousands in law enforcement , service care providers. and the general public. Her trainings are geared towards those who want to be leaders in the fight like speakers, church staff etc. She offers 17 different trainings. You can find her trainings at http://www.nolabrantleyspeaks.org/