Cincinnati, OH (January 14, 2016) – The Salvation Army is encouraging those interested in addressing human trafficking to attend the Regional Human Trafficking Series conferences. For the ninth year, End Slavery Cincinnati and NKY PATHways have partnered to host a conference to educate, inform and encourage engagement in the arena of human trafficking, to lead to a coordinated and informed response.
The NKY PATHways conference on January 29th will have a series of presenters. The End Slavery Cincinnati Conference on February 5th offers a total of 12 workshops, running across four sessions. Presenters in both conferences will cover a wide range of topics, including an in-depth look at what is happening locally in the anti-trafficking movement; discussion of recent cases; discussion of best practices in social service delivery, legal practice and prosecution, education and other fields, and how to get involved.
“Our work in the area of human trafficking is foundational in our organizational identity,” stated Major Larry Ashcraft, Divisional Commander at The Salvation Army. “When The Salvation Army started more than 150 years ago in London, our work was often with women, men and children caught in various forms of slavery. Today, we have a renewed effort to combat modern-day slavery, but we need the support of others in the community to join the effort.”
“We’re excited for the opportunity to engage with other interested parties at this year’s conferences,” stated Erin Meyer, Program Manager for The Salvation Army’s Anti-Human Trafficking efforts. “Our work to reduce human trafficking and support survivors is progressing, and we need to continue to press forward and engage more individuals in our community to join us in this work. The conferences are a great forum for those who are interested to learn more, regardless of their current level of knowledge on the subject. This year we will be focusing on the practical application of our community’s understanding, and sharing best practices and strategies to enhance the work already being done in order to increase our impact.”
“Awareness of the issue of Human Trafficking is growing in Northern Kentucky and people are anxious to find out how to get involved” states Reegan Hill, co-director of PATHways and owner of It’s only Fair! in Covington. “A big focus of this year’s conference will be getting everyone at the table, finding out who is doing what locally in the anti-trafficking movement, and identifying current gaps. We hope to foster a greater sense of unity and collaboration in the area, and to help people find both where they fit and how they can become part of the work that’s currently being done.”
The NKY PATHways conference will be held on January 29th at the Fort Thomas Antiques and Design Center. The End Slavery Cincinnati conference will be held on February 5th at the local Red Cross offices located at 2111 Dana Ave, 45207. CEUs and CLEs are available for the conference -- details are provided on the registration web site, where interested parties can view the conference agenda and pre-register: (bit.ly/escconference2016). The events include lunch. Those interested in the conferences are encouraged to visit the registration link (above), or contact Bhumika Patel at The Salvation Army at escoutreach@gmail.com or 513-762-5690 or NKY PATHways at nkypathways@gmail.com.