Freedom to Thrive

Invisibility Study Released

Please click on the links below for a PDF version of the study - Invisibility: A study of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Jefferson County, Alabama. For more information or to donate to FTT efforts to address human trafficking issues in the Greater Birmingham area, please visit: http://www.thewomensfundbham.org

YFSN and the Freedom to Thrive Coalition thanks The Women's Fund of Greater Birmingham for its generous donation of funding for this study.

Invisibility (Complete Study)

Invisibility (Executive Summary)

InVisibility Photo Competition Results

Freedom to Thrive, a Birmingham based anti-human trafficking coalition, recently hosted a photography competition as part of a campaign to bring awareness to human trafficking. The competition theme - InVisibility - was chosen to correspond to the April 29th release of the InVisibility study, a research project that investigates and delineates the problem of human trafficking in Jefferson County, Alabama. The dramatic weather in Alabama and subsequent delay in publication of the study contributed to the delay in the release of the photography competition results.

For the Invisibility competition, Freedom to Thrive asked local artists for submissions that depict the theme of InVisibility and posed the question, “What does the struggle to become Visible in a world filled with suffering look like?” Local photographers (recognized within the slide presentation) helped to selected the winners. Special thanks to these individuals for their contributions of time and expertise.

We hope that these images will give exposure to local artists as well as lend a voice to the voiceless. Please view the slide presentation as well as a link to view the InVisibility human trafficking study.

Congratulations to all of the artists and to the winners:

First Place – Ashley Gilbert
Second Place – Joesph De Sciose
Third Place – Deb Paradise
Fourth Place – Joanna Lynn Holloway

View the full slide presentation showcasing their work here. (Opens a Flash file. Click to move through it.)

The winners should contact Tammy Hopper (thopper@yfsn.org) to collect their gift certificates and certificates of achievement.

History

Freedom to Thrive was created as a response to the growing recognition of the prevalence of human trafficking in the southeast. The need for a collaborative effort to raise awareness for the purpose of victim identification and to advocate for needed policies and resources inspired volunteers to participate in forming a multidisciplinary coalition. coalition. Freedom to Thrive is a part of the Reaching Out program of Youth & Family Services Network (YFSN), a member driven organization of over 80 youth and family services programs throughout the country. Since 2006, Reaching Out has provided support for Rescue and Restore efforts; training for providers, law enforcement and other community partners; and, capacity building assistance for coalitions and grassroots movements as a federally funded grantee of The Office of Refugee Resettlement. In May, 2009, YFSN received funding to support Rescue and Restore Regional Coalition activities in the Greater Birmingham area and one outcome from that funding is the creation of Freedom to Thrive. Freedom to Thrive serves as a volunteer coalition made up of law enforcement, social service providers and other individuals committed to eliminating human trafficking in the Greater Birmingham area. The coalition is lead by a volunteer Steering Committee and a Program Director.

Mission

To eliminate human trafficking in the Greater Birmingham area. We engage in our mission through raising awareness, increasing collaborative service, and advocating for needed policies and resources.

Impact

To increase capacity current service provision resources to serve HT victims
To identify service gaps and strategies for filling them
To increase the capacity of community members to support anti-trafficking efforts and victims’ services
To promote passage of state laws analogous to TVPA and appropriations to implement
To support federal appropriation efforts to implement domestic aspects of TVPA

Work Groups

Policy - Advocating and creating formal protocols and policies in partnership

Youth Service Provision and Adult Service Provision – Identifying gaps in services and collaborating to expand and build capacity for organizations to serve victims of trafficking.

Education - Targeted trainings for Social Service; Faith; Law Enforcement; and, student communities

Community Outreach – Creating general awareness events and creative outreach materials for the purpose of victim identification and community mobilization.

Organizations Involved – Children’s Aid Society, Family Connection, JCCEO, Tennessee Valley Family Services, HICA (the

Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama); US Attorney’s Office; FBI; Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; Birmingham Police Department; Jefferson County Coordinated Response; JBS Mental Health Services; Tenth Judicial Court; Catholic Charities; Alabama Immigrant Justice Coalition; Cumberland Law School; Jefferson State Community College; Catholic Social Services; YWCA of Central Alabama; the Domestic Violence Clinic: Wellspring Counseling Center; US Postal Inspection; Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Family Court of Jefferson County; Global Women; Youth Serve; Catalyst Birmingham; Veronica's Voice; Alabama Policy Institute; Alabama Law School; Holy Family Cristo Rey; Samford University; Sojourns; Zonta; DHR Jefferson County; UAB Hospital; Emmet O'Neal Library; One Vision Birmingham; YWCA Central Alabama; IMPACT Family Counseling; Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama; Jefferson County Department of Health; The Safe Place; Meals on Wheels; Fox 6 WBRC; The Clay House Children's Center; Jefferson County Prescott House, Junior League of Birmingham; The Women's Fund of Greater Birmingham; AL Center for Law & Civic Ed. Teen Court; Birmingham Board of Education; Strong Girls Inc.; Salvation Army Youth Services; Creative Wellness; Birmingham News; Not For Sale; Just Us; and House of Ruth.

For more information...

Freedom to Thrive: FreedomtoThrive@senetwork.org

YFSN President/CEO: Tammy Hopper, thopper@yfsn.org

(239)949-4414

(865)521-5605 ext. 144

www.freedomtothrive.org

www.yfsn.org

National Trafficking Hotline

REPORT TRAFFICKING 1.888.3737.888

Click Here to Join Our Mailing List

InVisibility Photo Competition Results

Freedom to Thrive, a Birmingham based anti-human trafficking coalition, recently hosted a photography competition as part of a campaign to bring awareness to human trafficking. The competition theme - InVisibility - was chosen to correspond to the April 29th release of the InVisibility study, a research project that investigates and delineates the problem of human trafficking in Jefferson County, Alabama. The dramatic weather in Alabama and subsequent delay in publication of the study contributed to the delay in the release of the photography competition results.

For the Invisibility competition, Freedom to Thrive asked local artists for submissions that depict the theme of InVisibility and posed the question, “What does the struggle to become Visible in a world filled with suffering look like?” Local photographers (recognized within the slide presentation) selected the winners. Special thanks to these individuals for their contributions of time and expertise.

We hope that these images will give exposure to local artists as well as lend a voice to the voiceless. Please view the slide presentation as well as a link to view the InVisibility human trafficking study.

Congratulations to all of the artists and to the winners:

First Place – Ashley Gilbert
Second Place – Joesph De Sciose
Third Place – Deb Paradise
Fourth Place – Joanna Lynn Holloway

The winners should contact Tammy Hopper (thopper@yfsn.org) to collect their gift certificates and certificates of achievement.