Stuck. Trapped. Forced into a hotel room existence. And then the police come.
But instead of handcuffs, you are greeted with help. Rescued. And you come into freedom with nothing.
The setting of this scene isn’t a distant slum across the sea. It’s right here, in our towns. And the victims? Some are new to this country. Some are the girls next door. The average age when they are enslaved? 13 years old.
You know you’re doing something right when you make someone mad. End Slavery Tennessee is getting noticed — not just by news outlets recognizing their work, but by the traffickers whose businesses they are disrupting. Safe house locations are carefully guarded secrets. The office address is no longer posted on the website. End Slavery workers received a TBI escort after one particularly successfully sting.
I recently visited the offices of End Slavery Tennessee. On the wall is a sketch of their dream — a Survivor Care Center with room for all. The current space is crowded, but the staff make it work as they conduct their life-changing duties, rotating rooms, making space for meetings and counseling sessions. The office is filled with fierce, loving warriors.
After-care for victims of trafficking is the bedrock of End Slavery Tennessee’s work. Survivors are provided with the tools to recover their lives, including safe housing, therapy, and the ability to remove the tattoos with which many of them were branded.
Training and prevention, the other pillars of ESTN’s anti-trafficking work, involve sharing the signs of trafficking and dispelling the cultural stereotypes that drive the demand for the slavery industry. Trained volunteers speak at community organizations and groups, seeking to promote awareness of the issue and alerting at-risk youth to tactics used by traffickers.
You Can Help
Donate — End Slavery Tennessee needs donations of money and supplies to support their life-saving work. Current needs include funds for the Survivor Care Center and women’s toiletry items. Consider hosting a gift card drive to help survivors with daily needs.
Volunteer — Do you have a skill or passion that could help the fight against human trafficking? End Slavery Tennessee needs volunteers in several areas, including mentors, pro bono lawyers, and small group leaders. An especially pressing need is male volunteers willing to work with and educate small groups of middle and high school boys.
Shop — Branded Collective teams up with survivors at the End Slavery Tennessee offices to craft and stamp cuff bracelets to promote trafficking awareness. The company employs survivors in the jewelry-making process and gives 25% of their profits back to End Slavery Tennessee.
The statistics and stories of human trafficking can be overwhelming, but End Slavery Tennessee is offering hope. Their graduates are returning home, finding jobs, and restoring families. Thanks to the brave warriors fighting against human trafficking, they are entering new lives of abundance.
