A grant of almost $2 million will help the Center for Prevention of Abuse [CFPA] enhance its services for victims of human trafficking.
The funding through a three-year partnership with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation allows the organization to add additional staff members and strengthen community training on identifying and preventing human trafficking.
Carol Merna, the Center’s CEO, said it’s “a powerful investment in safety, dignity and prevention.”
“We’re going to be able to continue to provide hope and healing, but on a grander level because we’re going to have more staff able to help the victims that come to us for care,” she said.
Merna said raising awareness of human trafficking, how to spot it and respond to it are vital steps for them to take.
“Everybody needs those tools in their toolbox when fighting human trafficking. They need a really good understanding of what it is, and then what they can do to safely help combat it,” said Merna. “So these funds are going to help us fight something that thrives in silence and misinformation.”
Merna said the CFPA has been working to curb human trafficking throughout the seven years since the Peoria-based prevention and advocacy organization was established. She said it’s a major area of interest for Howard Buffett, the former Macon County sheriff and philanthropist brother of billionaire Warren Buffett.
“We reached out to them to just let them know the work that we were doing, and they knew at some point that victim services needed to be shored up,” said Merna, noting the money will cover costs of a department director, a labor trafficking specialist and data analysis of where trafficking happens.
“So, they’ve enabled us to really take advantage and be a good investment of the of the funds that they’ve given,” she said.
Merna noted the CFPA has been a primary partner with the Illinois State Police in addressing human trafficking throughout the U.S. Attorney’s Central District. She said their operational territory covers 46 counties, including Peoria, McLean, Tazewell and Woodford.
“What we see right now is the tip of the iceberg,” said Merna. “Human trafficking happens in front of people. It is silent and we want to bring it out of the shadows.”
