What country is number one in buying sex and human trafficking?
The United States of America.
What is the number one desirable target of sex trafficking?
11-year-old boys who can earn $250,000 a year for their trafficker.
I learned these facts at a meeting last night with guest speaker Joanna Shipe who is a long-time volunteer with The Dream Center (for woman ages 18 and older) and StreetLightUSA (ages 13 to 17.) I belong to the Creative Women of Pinnacle Peak which fundraises and supports Where Hope Lives and hosted the event.
Where Hope Lives is home to the largest human trafficking rescue and recovery operation in North America. We are located at the Phoenix Dream Center (ages 18+), StreetLightUSA (ages 13-17), and Colorado City Dream Center (familial trafficking survivors). Our quality assurance report boasts a 94% success rate, one year after graduating from our program.
Why Give To Where Hope Lives? Where Hope Lives Provides
Onsite medical center to address survivor needs
Onsite chapel is offered for spiritual nurture
Onsite behavioral health care healing services
Onsite trauma informed high school
Onsite physical wellness and wholeness center
Onsite eye care and dental care clinics
Onsite career training and job placement program
30,000 square feet of space for healing care
12 safe beds for boys and young men
41 safe beds for girls and young women
200 sex trafficking survivors served each year
$46K per year per survivor in healing costs
10 Years passing legislation to help victims
But even with all this…Only 1 out of every 100 individuals trafficked will be rescued.
The facility needs 2,000 beds. Shipe said the former administration came to observe The Dream Center for six weeks. They decided it was a premier program for helping victims of human trafficking and allotted $13 million to the program after going through everything with a fine-tooth comb. That would have provided funds for a new 2,000-bed facility on land that has already been purchased. The current administration cancelled the funds because the center won’t allow men or transgenders into the residential facility with women or children — who were raped up to 15 to 20 times per day and are traumatized.
A question was asked on how long victims stay in the residential facility. Shipe said it’s all individual on what each woman or child needs. She said they have one resident who has been there seven or eight years and may never leave. She was from Ukraine and bought by Epstein at age 10. She’s now in her late 20s and is so damaged she may never be able to lead a normal life. Others are able to continue on with their education or begin careers in a year or two.
Another fact I learned was human trafficking is organized crime. It’s not a one-off kidnapping with a child being thrown into a van. Kids are targeted who are vulnerable. The groomers are not covered in tattoos and don’t look like thugs. They are extremely good looking and clean cut. If your daughter were to bring one of these groomers home, you’d be pleased. Shipe said to not let your children or grandchildren alone with their phones at night. Grooming often starts on apps.
Do these facts change how you view human trafficking? What organizations in your area provide services for human trafficking?
