By Caroline Favret, ’19
Survivor’s Ink
One organization that helps human trafficking victims is Survivor’s Ink. They offer scholarships to cover up brands, tattoos, or scars given by their captors. By covering up the ink, it can help to ease painful memories and instead leave a piece of art. Survivor’s Ink was founded in 2014 by human trafficking survivor Jennifer Kempton.
The foundation’s purpose is “to empower human trafficking survivors by breaking the psychological chains of enslavement through beautifying, removing, or covering their physical scars, markings, and brandings, which are constant reminders of a violent past.”
Kempton is also an inspirational speaker, educational instructor, abolitionist, and advocate.
S.O.A.P.
S.O.A.P. stands for “Save our adolescents from prostitution”, was founded 6 years ago by trafficking victim Theresa Flores. Every hotel stay for a victim requires a shower afterwards. Flores recognized this and saw the opportunity to help. Free soap is offered to hotels, and on the back is the toll-free trafficking hotline number. The program does more than simply placing soap in hotels — they distribute missing child posters to hotels, and encourage them to report suspicious activity.
Columbus Dream Center
The Columbus Dream Center is an organization designed to help low-income and homeless families in Columbus. They provide free healthcare and wellness services through Mount Carmel, in addition to providing food for families. Volunteers can help with the kid’s outreach, which helps kids to grow into strong individuals through forming relationships and doing recreational activities. There is also a religious aspect of the program, as it was founded by Steve and Wanda Campbell with Pastor Chad Fischer of Rock City Church. Homelessness and addiction are issues that can be completely life altering, so bible study is offered, where individuals have a support community to get themselves out of their former mindset while learning about God and Christianity.
Truthaboutporn.org
Truth about Porn is an organization that pushes research to the public about harmful effects of pornography to the brain and body, Their key points involve looking at the individual effects, effects on relationships and society as a whole. The individual research focuses on compulsion and addiction, while the relationship section focuses on expectations about sexuality. Over exposure to porn can cause lead to aggressive acts a normal person may not attempt, as well as promoting objectification and harming couples intimacy. On a larger scale, the porn industry often isn’t run humanely. Sexual violence and child pornography are huge issues that tie into trafficking.