Guest Post: A Mom’s Mission to End Human Trafficking

This season, it’s important to remember not only to give back to your family and friends, but to find it in your heart to give to the community. To reach out to those you don’t know, and possibly change their lives forever. During the month of December, I’ll be highlighting a few causes that are near and dear to my heart, in hopes that you or someone you know will be inspired to support them with your time, talents or treasures.

For this first post, I’m thrilled to feature Jennifer White and ICT S.O.S., one mom and one mission to end human trafficking, especially in our local area (near Wichita, KS). Her passion is unparalleled and the ripples of her efforts have spread further than she ever imagined. She is amazing, and her cause is crucial. Please share this with anyone who shares a desire to end human trafficking. And really, like Jennifer says, these are ALL our children. We should all care.

Spotlight on: ICT S.O.S. (by Jennifer White)

A year and a half ago in March of 2011, I read a newspaper article that broke my heart. I mean, really wrecked it. The article was local coverage of a case involving the sale of a 13 year old girl from a pimp to a john, both men over 40. At the time I read the article, my oldest daughter was 12. I felt moved to do something and I contacted the reporter, Ron Sylvester, and asked him how I could get involved in this issue.

At the time there wasn’t a good way for the community to be involved. There was a roundtable of professionals meeting monthly but not an organization for someone like me- a mom and concerned citizen. Ron’s suggestion was to contact Street Outreach at the Wichita Children’s home. I did and along with a couple others I organized a donation drive to restock their supplies for homeless and at-risk youth. The response was overwhelming. People came by the dozens dropping off socks, hygiene items, sleeping bags and food. And as they did, I began to hear over and over, “I didn’t know this happened here.” And I knew we had to figure out a way to raise awareness of the fact that kids were being exploited right in our own backyard.

Since that first donation drive we have screened documentaries, built an online and social media presence, staged a freeze mob, renovated a church basement to help create the city’s first youth homeless drop-in center, hosted a 2 day conference with guest speaker Elizabeth Smart and held a 5k run that drew over 900 runners in its first year. We have partnered with churches, businesses and other social service agencies to create awareness, raise funds and donations and educate the community about human trafficking. We work in partnership with local law enforcement and the professional roundtable to support work being done by trained officers and social workers.

In October of this year I got a call from one of the officers involved in that case from the newspaper article. He called me as he was leaving the courtroom to let me know that the pimp had just been found guilty of 3 counts of rape under Jessica’s Law and 3 more counts of aggravated human trafficking. Each count carrying a minimum sentence of 25 years.

Then 2 days later he called me again. He asked if I would like to meet the young woman who had inspired this movement that ICT S.O.S. has become. Of course I said yes! I got to hug her, show her pictures, and tell her how brave she is. She told me she wants to be an attorney when she grows up. She wants to prosecute cases like hers. Now she has that chance.

She was given back her chance at youth. We want that for ALL our kids. And they are all OUR KIDS.

To learn more, please visit ictsos.org and get involved!