Human Trafficking. There is help.
This is a service project of the Zonta Club of
Tallahassee. The goal of this project is to promote
awareness of human trafficking in our community
and to give information to the public about where
they can call for help.
Human trafficking is a hidden crime. Victims of
human trafficking are forced to work in a variety of
jobs in sectors such as: restaurants, bars, hotels
and motels, agriculture, landscaping, hair and nail salons, construction, as nannies / housekeepers, in the sex industry (prostitution, strip clubs and pornography) and many other low-wage and mostly unregulated businesses.
Many victims do not know they are victims of trafficking or what is happening to them is a crime and that there is help. Many in the community who could help them, including neigh-bors and the faith community, service providers, health care professionals, teachers and people in the justice system do not know how to recognize human trafficking and where they can call to help someone.
THE FIRST NUMBER TO CALL,
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, IS 911
To get more information, call the
National Trafficking Awareness Hotline
1-888-3737-888
√ Put a sticky note in public places such
as rest rooms, hotels, movie theatres, nail
salons, restaurants, highway rest stops and
any place where there may be trafficked
persons.
√ Put the poster up in your workplace,
place of worship or other venue and ask
your colleagues, friends and others to help
spread the word by taking a sticky note
pack and distributing them.
√ There is help!
People who are trafficked may be eligible
for help including social services and immigration
relief so that they can stay and work
in the U.S.
Questions?
Contact Zonta member Robin Thompson at
ijc@comcast.net or 850-907-0693
There are five areas of Zonta's anti-trafficking work
Training and Education
We are conducting ongoing training sessions for members so that they can be informed about human trafficking including human trafficking laws, resources, how to identify a human trafficking cases and how to respond. This effort also includes equipping members with information so they can conduct mini-human trafficking training and awareness sessions in the community, such as in our workplaces, faith communities, etc.)
Outreach Materials
This effort involves the assembling of packets of relevant local, national and international information. These packets will be available for the community at large and for members use when they conduct mini-human trafficking awareness programs.
Calendar
We are creating a new 2010 local anti-human trafficking calendar. The calendar will feature photographs of women and children and contain cogent and important human trafficking information such as definitions, local resources, who to call if you suspect human trafficking, and other key contacts.
Victim Support
Zonta members mobilize to provide a range of assistance from housing, clothing and transportation to baby clothes, gift cards and long distance calling cards to trafficking survivors in our area. This is on an “as needed” basis when local human trafficking cases arise.
Legal Assistance
We will start this service effort by collaborating and coordinating on human trafficking cases, as needed, with local attorneys at the Florida State University Center of the Advancement of Human Rights, currently one of the lead legal service providers for human trafficking survivors in Florida.
For information, contact committee chair, Robin Thompson – 850-907-0693 or email Robin Thompson.