A grant of $20,000 will assist the Center for Prevention of Abuse’s continued efforts against human trafficking, a problem CEO Carol Merna calls an urgent humanitarian issue and public health crisis.
“The definition of human trafficking is when someone is forced, frauded, or coerced into doing something that benefits someone else,” said Merna. “Typically, we see that through commercial sex or compelled labor.
“It could be in the construction industry. It could be panhandling, could be restaurants, could be hotels. It could be cleaning crews. We see a lot of children involved. It’s a number of different ways people are exploited or have their freedom stolen.”
Merna accepted the CFPA’s grant award from the Rotary Club of Peoria North during a presentation at the club’s weekly meeting Thursday at Barrack’s Cater Inn. The group also presented a $9,000 grant toward assisting the international efforts by the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS).
“We look for service opportunities, both locally and globally, and for the last two years our club has put on a Mardi Gras fundraiser with a specific topic of trying to help end human trafficking,” said club president Ashley Schreck, adding the grant for RAGAS basically doubles the program’s annual budget.
“It allows them to give out micro-grants of $1,000 for other human trafficking projects around the globe. So that’s nine other projects in this next year that are going to be funded globally to help combat human trafficking.”
Merna said the $20,000 for CFPA, which matches a Rotary grant amount from last year, covers about a month’s worth of victims’ services and raising awareness.
“We care for victims of human trafficking throughout Central Illinois, in 46 counties,” said Merna. “So far, we’ve cared for almost 300 clients, 87% of whom are from Central Illinois. That care includes emergency, safe shelter, food, personal items that they might need, safety planning, counseling, therapy.
“All the services that we provide to survivors are 100% free of charge and 100% confidential, but they come at a cost. The funds, $.94 cents of every dollar that we raise, regardless of where it comes from, goes directly to client care.”
Merna told the attendees at Thursday’s meeting that human traffickers exploit more than 30 million victims worldwide every year.
“Each of us in this room sees signs of the human trafficking-related manipulation and maltreatment just about every day,” she said. “No organization, not even high impact human service organizations like the Center for Prevention of Abuse or the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery, can confront this challenge on our own.
“Everyone has a responsibility. It’s a societal issue, and we should all come to the table.”
