Athens residents are working to form a coalition that will offer support to survivors of human trafficking in the region.
About 50 people gathered at the Appalachian Behavioral Wellness Center, 100 Hospital Drive, on Wednesday afternoon for a training session organized by members of the Athens County Child Advocacy Center, 444 W. Union St.
“Traffickers are here because we’re keeping them wealthy,” said Tabitha Woodruff, coordinator with the Central Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition. “I haven’t seen any traffickers stop because they run out of business.”
She said her group identifies individuals who could be victims of trafficking and connects them with medical services, addiction counseling and communities that can help them recover.
The Athens County Human Trafficking Coalition would be modeled after a dozen similar coalitions throughout the state.
Bryttani Barker, child and family advocate with the advocacy center, said representatives from the Ohio Governor John Kasich’s office and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services approached her office earlier this year about creating a coalition in Athens.
“As a child advocacy center, we service children who are affected by sexual abuse,” she said. “Human trafficking is starting at a young age. We all got together and decided we needed a coalition here in Athens.”
Currently, she said, the coalition and its organizers are trying to formulate goals and a mission statement, and will be trying to reach out to local health centers, student groups and religious organizations for support.
“We might be small, but we are going to be mighty,” she said.
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During Wednesday’s training session, Woodruff showed the attendees mug shots of two survivors of human trafficking that had been taken over a period of two years.
“You can see the black eye,” Woodruff said, pointing out the changes that had taken place between each of the pictures. “You can see the haziness in her eyes. ... In that last photo, she’s aged 30 years.”
She said that instead of receiving support, the women were penalized by the justice system.
“Every single charge is for prostitution,” she said.
Councilwoman Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward, said she works with many people who have been victims of sexual abuse or human trafficking through her work as a counselor at Hopewell Health Center, 7976 Dairy Lane.
“I think it’s just important to be aware of your surroundings and know how you can make an impact,” she said. “You, as one person, can make a difference.”
Barker said she was pleased by the way the event turned out.
“It was so successful,” she said. “I could have cried. We had great participation with the audience and (Woodruff) really connected to people.”
The training session concluded with a coalition meeting, which included about 20 people.
Woodruff said the creation of the Athens coalition is just one step in the fight against trafficking.
“You have to be happy about the small victories,” she said. “It’s like building a cathedral. The cathedrals in Europe took thousands of years to build. The original designers never got to see the finished product, but they knew the building better than anyone.”
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