“Let us declare as one that slavery has no place in our world, and let us finally restore to all people the most basic rights of freedom, dignity, and justice.”
–Barack Obama
[Presidential Proclamation — National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, 2014]
Today, on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, we recognize the tragedy of human trafficking that takes place in our own community. Colorado is working hard to combat the human trafficking that exists in our state and Shiloh House is proud to be a part of the network of service agencies creating safe and healing environments for youth and families who have been trafficked. In honor of this day, we sat down with Shiloh House CEO, Steven Ramirez, to learn more about the role Shiloh House plays in the battle against human trafficking, and how we can all be a part of it.
What role does Shiloh House play in combating Human Trafficking?
Our existing programs are finding that many youth coming through our doors have been trafficked before, or are coming directly from a trafficking circle of some kind. Our first priority is to keep these youth safe in our care and help them to heal from the trauma they have faced. As we learn more about this issue as an organization, our staff is taking steps to identify youth who have been trafficked in the past, report their case, and provide proper treatment.
You’re a part of the Colorado Human Trafficking Council: Can you tell us about this group and its role in combating human trafficking in Colorado?
One of the central tasks of the Human Trafficking Council is to make the public more aware of human trafficking. A lot of people do not realize how big of a problem both labor and sex trafficking are in Colorado.
We’re also working to improve comprehensive services for victims and survivors, and creating a standard of how to address trafficking for juveniles and adults. The group is made up of leaders throughout our community who work in various areas relevant to the human trafficking issue and are passionate about preventing human trafficking in Colorado.
How does the work you do on the board tie into the mission of Shiloh House?
Shiloh House has always worked to meet the community where they need support most. Every service we have offered has been established based on a visible need in our community. We’re dedicated to being an active force that works to offer residential, educational, therapeutic, and community outreach services to youth and families throughout Colorado; and that includes those who have been trafficked.
After we identify youth in our programs who have been trafficked, we specialize our treatment for them in order to help them heal and remain safe in our care. We want to do everything we can treat the trauma that they’ve been exposed to and get them back on their feet as they approach adulthood.
What is the biggest challenge for Shiloh House in combating Human Trafficking?
The biggest challenge for us is safety. These kids come from dangerous environments, and there is always a risk of the procurer they have left taking force to get the child back. On our end, we keep our youth’s identity and location confidential so they’re not able to be found and taken again by force.
Sometimes, returning to a trafficking ring is by choice of the youth. They run away from our services and return to their procurer—so we also have to take preventative steps to keep them safe and with us.
What do you find rewarding in this line of work?
It is amazing when you see a kid’s life change, and have them realize that they can get out of their circumstance. They can have a life, a job where they are paid, and are able to care for themselves with the right guidance and care.
When someone has been trafficked, they are in a cycle of depending on their procurer for everything they need. They often feel stuck, so seeing that cycle break is monumental.
Do you have a story or example you can share?
We had one young lady in our care that ran away from a trafficking group. She was able to talk to the police and give enough information to disrupt this group. Now she has the freedom to start her life again off of the streets. She feels liberated and is getting the chance to lead a normal, healthy life and be a kid again.
Is there anything else readers should know about this issue?
There are things we can all do to identify the human trafficking happening in our communities. The more people who are trained to see these things and report them, the faster we can shut this system down. Some things to keep an eye out for include unattended children selling items on the street, people begging for money, and unattended youth in trucking areas.
A step has been taken in this direction as Colorado truck drivers are being trained to identify and report trafficking. They have stickers on their trucks that say, “Safe to talk to me about trafficking,” so that if a child or adult sees this they know they can safely report what has happened to them. There are a lot of different movements working to expose this line of business, and the committee I’m a part of is one of them.
To report a human trafficking tip in Colorado, contact the Colorado Network to End Human Trafficking: 1-866-455-5075
To report a human trafficking tip nationally, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888