Volume 12 | Issue 1
January 2021
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Human trafficking in the news
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TAT contributes to National Human Trafficking Awareness Month
by participation in multiple educational activities
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January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month (NHTAM), and this year, TAT staff will either participate in or support various activities to educate and raise awareness at associations, businesses and organizations, many of which are TAT partners. They will also use Facebook Live interviews to celebrate past winners of the Harriet Tubman Award for their actions which have saved lives and/or prevented human trafficking from taking place.
NHTAM is a specific time set aside by presidential proclamation for everyone to educate themselves about human trafficking and how to spot the signs of trafficking. It’s also a time to spread that education to workplaces, churches, schools, government leaders and elsewhere.
The American Trucking Associations will host TAT at driver and management-focused webinars, as well as at one directed to the moving industry. The American Public Transportation Association, the Alabama Trucking Association, Phillips 66, Great West Casualty Company, Junior League, Infinity and others have invited TAT staff to make presentations this month to spotlight the crime of human trafficking and the steps individuals and industries can take to fight it.
Uber renewed their Silver Level TAT sponsorship this year and on Jan. 11 will be sending an email to their US Freight drivers about NHTAM and encouraging them to TAT Train. On Feb. 22, they’ll send a similar email to Uber Freight Canada drivers in honor of Canadian National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
Every year, during NHTAM, law enforcement in four Midwestern states make a special education and awareness push with trucking and travel plazas, which they call the Quad State Initiative. This year, in addition to that activity, the Illinois State Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Indiana State Police and Michigan Police will join a number of other TAT law enforcement partners in January to fulfill or surpass one or more of “four TAT asks”:
- Visit five truck stops/travel plazas with TAT materials, encouraging them to train.
- Visit five trucking and/or bus companies with TAT or BOTL materials, encouraging them to train or offering to train them about human trafficking and conducting a brief training using our training video during January.
- Visit bus terminals with BOTL materials, encouraging them to post awareness posters and train their employees.
- In an area with a high concentration of oilfield or energy workers, share energy-specific resources as is fitting for those oilfield truckers or heavy equipment haulers.
These other partners include the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Minnesota State Police, Louisiana State Police, Colorado State Patrol, Kentucky State Police, North Dakota Highway Patrol, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Vermont DMV, New Jersey State Police, Wisconsin State Police, Public Service Commission of West Virginia, South Carolina Dept of Public Safety, Pennsylvania State Police and Michigan State Police.
“With the heightened awareness January provides around the issue of human trafficking, TAT maximizes its private and public partnerships by working together to reach even more individuals with counter-trafficking initiatives,” stated Kendis Paris, TAT executive director. “Whether we're offering additional training opportunities, seeing anti-trafficking-in-persons policies adopted, welcoming new partners to the fold, or supplying the materials for our state agency partners to systematically distribute them to our key market sectors, we want to take full advantage of the additional opportunities National Human Trafficking Awareness Month creates.”
For a complete list of activities TAT staff will be engaged in this month, with links to registration where appropriate, check the Upcoming Events calendar below.
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Dentons law firm gives back to communities
through pro bono service
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Like many non-profit organizations, Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) has a tight budget, used in the majority for the services it provides to advance its mission. Legal services are expensive, so when a law firm provides them pro bono, such as Dentons, it enables organizations like TAT to grow and flourish with the security of knowing its actions and communications are on firm legal footing.
With more people in more locations than any other firm in the world, Dentons is able to assist the communities it serves in pro bono matters, often providing in excess of 100,000 hours annually. TrustLaw, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s global pro bono legal program, named Dentons the “2019 International Law Firm of the Year.” They were selected for the award in recognition of the breadth of their pro bono service to individuals in need, nonprofits, NGOs and social enterprises.
"TAT is a wonderful client to work with," Gale Monahan, a partner at Dentons, remarked. "The organization is doing great things in our communities and improving the lives of so many people. I have really enjoyed getting to know the TAT team over the years, and I have learned a lot about human trafficking issues in the United States -- something I admittedly had never thought much about before I was introduced to TAT. While finding the time to do pro bono work can be challenging for attorneys, it is well worth it when you find the right client."
Kendis Paris, TAT executive director, responded with gratitude, "Dentons’ contribution to TAT is undeniable. Whenever a legal question arises, I know Gale and his wonderful team will be there to answer it. As a non-profit, this type of pro-bono service and dedication is remarkable, as we wouldn't be able to afford these resources on our own. It's incredibly helpful to know a top-notch firm 'has your back' ... we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude."
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Bridgestone’s Chris Ripani joins TAT Board of Directors
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Chris Ripani, president of Bridgestone’s Commercial Truck Division, including GCR Tires and Service, has been elected to serve on the Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) Board of Directors. He has been with Bridgestone for more than 20 years, serving in progressive leadership roles, including president of GCR, president of Speedco (formerly a Bridgestone company) and various roles in strategic sales, marketing and operations across the company’s commercial businesses.
“Truckers Against Trafficking is a fantastic organization with a laser-focused mission,” Ripani explained. “I’m excited to serve on the Board, as I’ve been working around the trucking industry for over 21 years and see a tremendous opportunity for deeper connections with suppliers, fleets and service providers in transportation.”
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TAT begins 2021 with renewed sense of passion and purpose …
and a huge gift from Prime, Inc.
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Following a review of 2020’s accomplishments, including new partners and surpassing a million drivers registered as TAT Trained, and then participating in a strategic goal-setting exercise for the new year, TAT staff begin 2021 and activities for National Human Trafficking Awareness Month with a renewed sense of purpose and passion.
The end-of-year fundraiser provided $276,778 toward this year’s industry and law enforcement training needs in addition to costs of other TAT programs. “One of the most generous contributions toward our end-of-year fundraiser came from Prime Inc. via their $100,000 gift,” exclaimed Kendis Paris, TAT executive director. “To say this gift blessed and amazed us is an understatement. In a year where funds were tight all the way around for most everyone, it is incredibly significant to have Prime leadership step up and prioritize charitable giving ... we can't thank them enough!”
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In a video, Prime Inc. announced their gift to TAT, as well as gifts to other charities, using funds they generally applied to employee celebrations. The video also emphasized the fact that they’ve TAT Trained all 15,000 of their drivers, and their employees love TAT. “The events that we host are not cheap, and the savings from not being able to provide these events to our associates are significant. It only made sense to evaluate the needs of the charities that we’ve worked with throughout the years and help on the behalf of our entire company,” said Robert Low, founder and CEO of Prime Inc.
The 2020 TAT annual report will be out soon, detailing, among other things, a number of incidents where trucker calls made the difference to victims and enabled law enforcement to apprehend perpetrators.
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January 2021 Calendar of Events
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Jan. 5 – ATA NHTAM Driver-Focused Webinar, 2 p.m. (ET), Elisabeth Barna, ATA COO; Annika Huff, TAT training specialist and survivor-leader; and Tim Taylor, FedEx Freight and ATA Road Team Captain, presenting
Jan. 7 – CMCA virtual presentation, 12:30 p.m. (MT), Kendis Paris, TAT executive director, presenting
Jan. 4-8 – FDP virtual tour for Swift employees
Jan. 8 – Swift TAT truck reveal, Don Blake and Karen Rasmussen, members of the TAT Board of Directors, presenting
Jan. 12 – ATA NHTAM Management-Focused Webinar, 2 p.m. (ET), Kendis Paris, TAT executive director; Rich McArdle, president of UPS Freight; and Sherri Brumbaugh Garner, president of Garner Trucking and ATA chair, presenting
Jan. 13 – Junior League National Human Trafficking Awareness Month Webinar, Lexi Higgins, BOTL program specialist; and Esther Goetsch, Coalition Build director, presenting
Jan. 13 – Alabama Trucking Association virtual presentation, Kylla Lanier, TAT deputy director, presenting
Jan. 13 – FB Live Interview with Kevin Kimmel – Harriet Tubman Success Stories, 3 p.m. (ET), Helen Hofer, FDP director; Susan Dold, TAT systems administrator; and Kevin Kimmel, retired truck driver and Harriet Tubman award winner
Jan. 14 – American Public Transportation Association Webinar, 2-4 p.m. (ET), Annie Sovcik, BOTL director; Liz Williamson, Annika Huff and Beth Jacobs, TAT training specialists and survivor-leaders; Dakisah Spratling, Federal Transportation Association acting division chief for Safety Assurance and Risk Management; and Jaye Bailey, Office of Civil Rights and Employee Relations with the Santa Clara Transit, presenting
Jan. 19 – Great West Casualty Company Webinar, 2 p.m. (CT), Esther Goetsch, Coalition Build director; and Liz Williamson, TAT training specialist and survivor-leader, presenting
Jan. 19 – Phillips 66 – Human Trafficking Awareness Virtual Presentation, Ashley Smith, TAT Energy Operations director, presenting
Jan. 19 – Justice Seekers Survivor Panel on Demand, Kylla Lanier, TAT deputy director; Annika Huff, TAT training specialist and survivor leader; and survivors Christine McDonald and Tanya Gould, presenting
Jan. 19 – Infinity, The League to Aid Abused Children and Adults virtual meeting, 12:15 p.m. (ET), Louie Greek, TAT training specialist, presenting
Jan. 20 – FB Live Interview with Debo Adepiti – Harriet Tubman Success Stories, 3 p.m. (ET), Helen Hofer, FDP director; Susan Dold, TAT systems administrator; and Debo Adepiti, TravelCenters of America field manager and Harriet Tubman winner
Jan. 22 – IWS Bootcamp virtual event, 11:30 a.m. (CT), Laura Cyrus, TAT Corporate Development director, presenting
Jan. 26 – Junior League Birmingham “Be a Changemaker”, Susan Dold, TAT systems administrator, presenting
Jan. 26 – Prince George’s County Human Trafficking Task Force Virtual Event, 10 a.m. (ET), Louie Greek, TAT training specialist, presenting
Jan. 26 – Nevada Bus/Casino Briefing (CB), Annie Sovcik, BOTL director; Liz Williamson, TAT training specialist and survivor-leader; others TBD, presenting
Jan. 27 – FB Live Interview with Arian Taylor – Harriet Tubman Success Stories, 3 p.m. (ET), Helen Hofer, FDP director; Susan Dold, TAT systems administrator; Arian Taylor, Ballard truck driver and Harriet Tubman winner
Jan. 27 – Vomela Transportation Group Training, Laura Cyrus, TAT Corporate Engagement director, presenting
Jan. 28 – “Unmasking Human Trafficking” virtual event by Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross in Green Bay, WI, 6-7 p.m. (CST), Susan Dold, TAT systems administrator, presenting
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Thank you to our copper level and above individual donors!
Diamond:
Anonymous
Platinum:
Douglas Kegler
Gold:
Michael Horton, Jonathan and Jill Lim, Bob Paris, Andy and Karin Larsen
Silver:
Lou and Ronda Leeburg, Scott and Terry Koch, Grinnell Family
Bronze:
Scott Perry, Mark and Julie Mihevc, Anna McCoy, Linda Burtwistle, Chris Ripani
Copper:
George Cravens, Patti Gillette, Craig Kaplan, John McKown, Mr and Mrs Matty Moroun, Kevin and Michele Kalczynski, Rich McArdle, Anne Moroun, Ken Johnson, Mike and Karen Kuykendall, Sarah Roark, Eric and Sarah Jorgensen, Matthew Bleach, Lindsey England, Don Blake
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TRUCKERS AGAINST TRAFFICKING | Website
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