Why Multiple Connection Points Matter
Hannah Swift, Director of Community Outreach and Training
On any given day across Ohio, you may find Gracehaven’s Community Outreach Team presenting to adults or students about human trafficking and youth. Thanks to ongoing partnerships with schools, youth shelters, community centers and detention facilities, many youth have the opportunity to participate in Gracehaven education more than once — learning about healthy relational boundaries, myths and realities pertaining to trafficking, risk and protective factors, and where to turn for help. Recently, our team has been able to interact with some of these youth at the end of a session.
At one school, a student shared that Gracehaven’s presentation at his school the previous year gave him the words to tell an adult about the exploitation he was experiencing online. He shared that in the past year, his exploitation was reported, he was able to receive services to help him cope with his experience, and his perpetrators were prosecuted. Our educator was so excited to celebrate this win with the student!
At another school, a student approached our educator with a friend and said, “I remember you! You came to the shelter where I was staying.” The student then proceeded to tell her friend about the resources offered by the runaway youth shelter and how the Gracehaven education she received helped her understand how risky “couch surfing” could be. Our team member was encouraged to hear what the student had learned and that she knew where to turn for help.
Sometimes our educators recognize a youth in a shelter who they had previously encountered at a group home, or a youth in a detention facility who they had previously encountered at a community center. Sometimes our team begins to wonder, “Did we fail? Did our students not get the message the first time?” But these stories are not over. Sometimes youth are not ready to hear the message the first time they encounter our team. Sometimes their life circumstances change and they suddenly find themselves needing to navigate life’s challenges using the few resources they have available. Sometimes they are still being groomed and believe their trafficker has their best interest at heart. And sometimes, they may be too afraid of their trafficker to come forward and ask for help. We often don’t get to hear the end of the story, but we are grateful for every opportunity to empower youth to thrive with dignity through our trafficking awareness and prevention education.
This is where you can come in! We are always looking for more opportunities to talk to young people in a context that is familiar to them – their school, youth group, after school club, etc. You can help by connecting us to the groups you are already involved in. We also need adults who are equipped with the knowledge of human trafficking to walk alongside these students when they are ready to seek help. Human Trafficking Prevention Month is a great opportunity to have conversations about human trafficking in your circles. Reach out to our team at info@gracehavenohio.org to schedule a presentation.