We were joined today by Erin Glaccum and Desiree Lakey from the Love 146 organization and calling in from Georgia and Texas respectively. This group has been around for 20 years and is working to prevent child trafficking & exploitation as well as providing care for survivors. CEO and Co-founder, Rob Morris provided the unusual name for the group after witnessing child trafficking in SE Asia in 2002. One of the young girls in the brothel he'd gone to investigate had a particularly piercing stare and he wondered how she was managing in the terrible circumstances she had fallen into. The children had numbers and hers was 146. Love 146 has created a school curriculum for youth ages 12-18 that is being used across the U.S. This five hour curriculum is called "Not a Number". It presents a holistic view that discusses societal pressures and family issues that lead kids into the trafficking trap. It is trauma informed and provides skills to help kids make good decisions. It has been presented to 1300+ students in MN although none in the Twin Cities. Stephanie Cosgrove from our club has been leading our effort to combat child sex trafficking and is hoping to get this curriculum into our local schools. Today's presentation also noted several signs to look for if we suspect that someone might be becoming a victim of trafficking: If a young person suddenly has new, expensive possessions, if they have become more secretive or isolated, or if they have lost interest in normal age appropriate activities. These signs should set off alarm bells that adults should investigate.
