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Human Trafficking in the News
The dangers of rebranding prostitution as 'sex work'
In an extract from her new book, Pimp State, activist Kat Banyard argues that prostitution is sexual exploitation. Decriminalizing this industry only legitimizes the abuse of women. 
 
More than soap - it's a lifeline
Worldwide, an estimated 2 million trafficked children are forced into prostitution, including up to 300,000 of whom are spread throughout every state in the United States. Tragically, reputable hotels often serve as the setting for their exploitation.
 
FACT: Decriminalizing prostitution increases human trafficking
Researchers from the LSE did a study of 150 countries and found that there's more human trafficking where prostitution is legal/decriminalized. A study for the European Parliament came to the same conclusion, and so does economic theory. 

Kendis Paris receives Presidential Award 
in White House ceremony

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo presented Paris the award.
TAT Executive Director Kendis Paris was one of two recipients of this year's Pres idential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo presented the award to Paris, and to the Responsible Business Alliance, at a ceremony Oct. 29 during a cabinet-level meeting of the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF) in the historic Indian Treaty Room at the White House . Ivanka Trump pro vided opening remarks at the presentation.
 
Nominated by the USDOT, Paris received this award "for her leadership of Truckers Against Trafficking and her sustained efforts to transform the Nation's transportation sector by inspiring professionals in the trucking, busing and energy industries to combat human trafficking."   

The award presentation was made during a cabinet-level meeting of the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF).
"On behalf of all professional drivers, truck stop and bus terminal employees, I gratefully accept this award," Paris said. "It is their daily efforts to recognize and report potential trafficking cases that are making a difference in the lives of victims across our nation. I'd also like to thank the diligent and passionate members of the TAT team for their tireless work in moving our mission forward, as well as the USDOT for the nomination and their efforts around the advisory council this year, whose report recommendations we hope become widely implemented."
 
Following t he award ceremony, Paris and her guest Nikki Clifton, UPS vice president of global public affairs, remained for the meeting to hear what the various agencies have accomplished this year and plans they've made for the coming year to eliminate modern-day slavery through meaningful action.

American Trucking Associations honored 
with TAT Champion Award

Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) presented the 
Chris Spear, ATA CEO, received the TAT Champion Award from Kendis Paris, TAT executive director, on behalf of the ATA.
third of  its inaugural-year TAT Champion Awards, this one in the association category,  to the American Trucking Associations (ATA). Kendis Paris, TAT executive director, made the presentation at the American Trucking Association's annual Management  Conference and Exhibition in San Diego before an audience numbering over 1000. Chris Spear, ATA CEO, received the award on ATA's behalf.
As the first national association to partner with TAT in October 2012, ATA's name recognition lent credence to TAT's cause and encouraged other early adopters to follow suit. In addition:
  • The ATA opened numerous doors for TAT's message by allowing TAT to speak at their conferences; they also assisted with media promotion, made key introductions to industry leaders and openly encouraged their members to become TAT trained.
  • In 2016, they donated space so the Freedom Drivers Project could be open for tours at the National Truck Driving Championship, and the following year, they helped launch TAT's Man-to-Man campaign focused on demand reduction.
  • The ATA brought together critical stakeholders from a variety of sectors with their law enforcement summit, greatly strengthening TAT's relationship with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.
  • Their own Elisabeth Barna has served on TAT's board of directors since December 2015.
  • Most recently, they co-served with TAT on the USDOT's Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking that created best practices for state agencies in combating this crime.
  • Their Trucking Cares Foundation supported TAT's mission through a donation last year.
  • The ATA is the bedrock of TAT's Ambassador Program ... turning Road Team captains into TAT ambassadors, who are training audiences across the nation how to recognize and report human trafficking.
"TAT created the TAT Champion Awards to recognize and honor the innovative, dedicated and generous efforts of specific TAT partners in the categories of state agency, organization and association," explained Paris. "All award winners' actions have significantly furthered our mission by engaging the key market sectors we work with in the fight to end this crime. The ATA is an excellent example of how network leadership can affect social change, and we are thrilled to have them as our partner!"

Earlier this year Ryder accepted the TAT Champion Award in the organization category, and Iowa Motor Vehicle Enforcement won in the state agency category.
Help TAT fill the tank in its End-of-Year Giving Campaign which starts NOW!

Without fuel, even the highest powered, most finely tuned vehicles won't move. The same is true of organizations. Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) committed from its inception to provide training and training materials free of charge to the industries it works with.
 
"In the beginning, we financed our work from our own pockets," stated Kendis Paris, TAT executive director. "But the work has grown exponentially since then, both across the nation and now into Canada and Mexico, and we need additional support to continue having adequate funding."
 
Three unique features of this year's campaign include:
  • TAT's end-of-year giving campaign is two months long, beginning Nov. 1 and ending Dec. 31, 2019.
  • TAT-trained companies and sponsors are being asked to hold employee fundraiser events to help engage their people at even deeper levels and enable TAT to continue providing our life-saving training.
  • A campaign match of $75,000 is being given from TAT's partners at N2GIVES. TAT's portion of the match can include private donations, new or renewed corporate sponsorships and all money raised through corporate fundraisers.
On TAT's website page discussing the campaign, there are multiple ideas for employee fundraisers, as well as examples of what some companies have done in the past. TAT will even help design custom digital graphics to aid in internal communications and marketing.
 
Corporate engagement and the support of industry partners and individual donors is essential for our support.  When an opportunity arises to reach more people or expand programs in a way that makes sense, TAT needs to be able to take it. TAT has the staff, the skills and network to make this happen. But, while the team has the knowledge base, abilities and contacts -- just like a high-powered, finely tuned vehicle -- there must be fuel, or, in TAT's case, funding.   

Please take time to carefully consider your end-of-year giving and fill up TAT's tank for the promise of an exceptional 2020!!
Freedom Drivers Project does double duty 
in New Hampshire

Susan Dold, TAT systems administrator, presented on TAT at the New Hampshire community event.
After being open for tours at the New Hampshire Coalition Build on Oct. 16 in Concord, the Freedom Drivers Project (FDP) attended a second event, "A Community Response to Human Trafficking," hosted by the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force and the United Way of Greater Nashua.
 
At the event, Susan Dold, TAT systems administrator, presented on the role of the trucking, bus and energy industries in combating human trafficking. She also provided suggestions for ways citizens can help fight human trafficking in their communities. Quality Carriers hauled the FDP to the event, and Josh Mason, a Quality Carriers driver, and Jon Brockway, a Walmart driver, volunteered at the FDP while it was available for tours.
 
"We are very grateful to TAT for bringing their 
Left to right: Drivers Jon Brockway, Walmart, and Josh Mason, Quality Carriers, volunteered at the FDP in New Hampshire.
mobile  human  trafficking exhibit to our community summit," said Mike Apfelberg, president of   the  United Way of Greater Nashua. "Susan spoke eloquently and passionately about  this important subject, and our participants all appreciated being able to walk through the exhibit. It puts a very human face on both the problem as well as the solutions. Thank you so much to TAT for supporting this important work."
 
Earlier in the day, the New Hampshire Coalition Build achieved the following results:
  • Vermont is now seeking to have a Coalition Build in 2020 as well as an in-depth law enforcement training.
  • The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration will be asking the New Hampshire DMV and DOT to use TAT's state agency webinar to train all employees on recognizing the signs of human trafficking.
  • Law enforcement attendees included local, state and federal agencies, and there was significant interest in using TAT's law enforcement training video to train additional officers.
  • At their school bus driver in-service following the Coalition Build, the New Hampshire School Transportation Association featured Busing On The Lookout (BOTL), showing the training video to over 150 drivers in the state.
Upcoming Events

Oct. 30-Nov. 1 - Georgia Department of Public Safety MCCD law enforcement trainings, Forsyth, GA, Kylla Lanier, TAT deputy director, and Annika Huff, TAT field trainer and survivor-advocate, presenting

Nov. 4 - Ontario Motorcoach Association Annual Meeting/Marketplace, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Heather Fry, TAT Canada director, presenting

Nov. 4 - Tennessee Department of Transportation Highway Safety and Operations Conference, Franklin, TN, Louie Greek, TAT training specialist, presenting

Nov. 6 - Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators Fall Committee Meetings, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Heather Fry, TAT Canada director, presenting

Nov. 6  - Florida Coalition Build, Orlando, FL, FDP and Esther Goetsch, TAT Coalition Build director, Annie Sovcik, BOTL director, Susan Dold, TAT systems administrator, and Beth Jacobs, TAT field trainer and survivor-advocate, presenting

Nov. 13 - Bus/Casino Coalition Build, Golden, CO, Annie Sovcik, BOTL director, and Annika Huff, TAT field trainer and survivor-advocate, presenting 

Nov. 15 - Breaking through the Concrete Barrier Speaker Series, Vancouver, Canada, Kylla Lanier, TAT deputy director, presenting

Nov. 19 - Commercial Vehicle Safety Summit Eastern Region Massachusetts, Northampton, MA, Kylla Lanier, TAT deputy director, presenting

Nov. 19 - Spokane Coalition Build, Spokane, WA, FDP attending and Esther Goetsch, CB director, Annie Sovcik, BOTL director, and Beth Jacobs, TAT field trainer and survivor-advocate, presenting
TAT's work is made possible through the generous support of our corporate sponsors, foundation partners and individual donors. Our education, training, legislative engagement, and advocacy efforts would not exist without those who invest in the change that we work towards each day. If you are interested in learning more about how you can provide financial support, please visit our corporate engagement webpage 
or contact Laura Cyrus at 612-888-4828 or lcyrus@truckersagainsttrafficking.org to explore our giving opportunities.
Thank you to our copper level and above individual donors!
Diamond:
Douglas Kegler
Platinum:
Anonymous
Gold:
Andy and Karin Larsen
Silver: 
Lou and Ronda Leeburg, Anna McCoy, Scott and Terry Koch
Bronze: 
Scott Perry,  Mark and Julie Mihevc,  Dan and Emily Dykstra, Michael Mowat and Janet Runbeck
Copper:
Grayling Klunker,  George Cravens,   Wayne Watkins,  Lindsey England,  Karen Rasmussen,  Patti Gillette,  Courtney Hill,  John McKown,  Don Blake, George Bunker, Todd Miller
Truckers Against Trafficking 
PO Box 816 | Englewood, CO 80151
tat.truckers@gmail.com

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