{"id":3665,"date":"2022-01-13T18:21:34","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T18:21:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=3665"},"modified":"2022-01-13T18:21:34","modified_gmt":"2022-01-13T18:21:34","slug":"tarta-and-utoledo-team-to-raise-awareness-on-human-trafficking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2022\/01\/13\/tarta-and-utoledo-team-to-raise-awareness-on-human-trafficking\/","title":{"rendered":"TARTA and UToledo Team to Raise Awareness on Human Trafficking"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Celia Williamson, PhD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sojourner\u2019s Truth Staff<\/em><\/p>\n

During a webinar on Thursday, January 6, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) and the University of Toledo announced a joint initiative to call attention to the ongoing issue of human trafficking and to help survivors.<\/p>\n

A program, funded by a Federal Transit Administration grant to TARTA and UToledo, has been organized, including several events in January, which is Human Trafficking Awareness Month.<\/p>\n

A veritable who\u2019s who of local experts combating human trafficking took part of last week\u2019s webinar, including Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, representatives from the offices of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Ohio Senator Teresa Fedoras well as Celia Williamson, executive director of UToledo\u2019s Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute and Amy LaGesse, co-chairman of the Lucas Cunty Human Trafficking Coalition.<\/p>\n

TARTA CEO Laura Koprowski facilitated the discussion.<\/p>\n

Kaptur spoke of the urgancy to impress upon the public the need to be \u201ceyes and ears\u201d to help those who may be victimized by traffickers and learn \u201chow to inform others if we see\u201d instances of possible trafficking.<\/p>\n

Erica Krause, from Senator Brown\u2019s office, read a statement from the senator that pointed out that \u201cthere is a need to ensure victims have the resources to rebuild their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chelsea Golterman, from Sen. Fedor\u2019s office, read a statement from the senator speaking of what she has tried to do legislatively to protect victims during her time in the General Assembly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe now hold traffickers accountable,\u201d said Fedor. \u201cWe must support survivors without using the punitive criminal justice system [against them.<\/p>\n

Along with\u00a0Ohio Attorney General<\/a>\u00a0Mike DeWine<\/a>, Fedor has introduced the safe harbor bill, which would prevent young persons with being charged with\u00a0prostitution<\/a>\u00a0if they were victims of\u00a0human trafficking<\/a>. She has stated it is a critical portion of tackling the problem.[12]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

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Amy LaGesse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cProstitution is the oldest oppression in the world,\u201d said Fedor.\u201d Who could be against stopping human trafficking?\u201d<\/p>\n

Williamson is the founder of the Second Chance program (now called RISE) and the Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition; chairs the Research and Analysis State Trafficking Commission, and is a founding member and president of the Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars. She has been named one of the most influential social workers in the nation.<\/p>\n

During her time addressing the issue, Williamson pointed out the numbers of those affected \u2013 about one thousand human trafficking victim in Ohio at any given time and about 70 in Lucas County at any given time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are hundreds of kids in our own Toledo area who have traded sex to meet their daily needs,\u201d she observed.<\/p>\n

Williamson stressed the need for communities to adopt a village approach \u201cwhere we care not only about our children but others\u2019 children and see who is manipulating them and who is coercing them.\u201d<\/p>\n

LaGesse, of the LCHTC and the FOCUS Runaway Project, spoke of improving the red flags that warn of trafficking; educating oneself on those red flags and establishing an emergency fund for survivors. The current initiative, she noted, has such instructional capability to help with such goals.<\/p>\n

Through several events in the month of the January, TARTA and the Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute seek to raise the awareness of human trafficking with TARTA passengers and the general public. In addition to information posted on vehicles as well as TARTA\u2019s website and social media channels, events in this collaboration will include:<\/p>\n