UDSKRIFT 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:06.320
It's those that are vulnerable, are those we want to keep an eye out for.
00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:13.439
Welcome to Highlight Her, where we highlight women that are making a difference and female entrepreneurs.
00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:15.359
I invite you to hit that follow button.
00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:18.160
It helps the show get delivered into your feed.
00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:24.800
Today we're actually part two with Karen of Sanctum House in Oakland County in the state of Michigan.
00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:29.199
We had so much to talk about that we just had to turn it into a two-parter.
00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:32.240
And I'm excited to get back to the conversation with Karen.
00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:40.880
If you missed part one, you can find it wherever you listen to your podcasts and pick it up or listen after this conversation.
00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:42.799
Karen, thanks so much for coming back.
00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:43.439
Sure.
00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:44.079
Thank you.
00:00:44.640 --> 00:00:51.200
There's just so much that people don't know about trafficking because, like you said, it's easy to hide.
00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:56.640
And so I'm wondering, do you have some things that people can look for?
00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:10.000
It's so big and it could probably be overwhelming to those that don't know much yet, or maybe this episode is the first time that they're really thinking about things and they think, oh my gosh,$150 billion industry.
00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:12.159
How like I don't even know where to start.
00:01:12.239 --> 00:01:20.239
So what kinds of things can people look for if they want to watch out for people in need or people that are perpetrators?
00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:21.519
Give us some insight.
00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:46.640
Yes, one of the things we do a lot of training at the hospitals because the hospitals are often the first thonders when they um have the ability to talk to a victim because there's been so many victims that we have served over the years that said, you know, how often was I in the emergency um department because I was beat up or I was overdosed and nobody asked if I was safe.
00:01:46.879 --> 00:02:04.640
So we've trained at all the hospitals in southeastern Michigan and um the things, you know, um uh for social workers, nurses, physicians, um, you know, what are the things, you know, to look for if you suspect it.
00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:09.680
And there's no like magic thing like they've got a special tattoo.
00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:15.520
Yes, there are tattoos involved with trafficking, and some are a show of ownership.
00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:26.560
Many of our women have been tattooed in, you know, on their neck or someplace with the name of their trafficker, but it's more behavioral things to look for.
00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:42.560
If there is somebody there with them and they do uh the victim um doesn't feel safe to answer questions, um, if somebody answers the
Load full transcript
questions for them, or if you get a, you know, we always say trust your gut.
00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:48.240
If somebody's in there and it seems like something's wrong, um, start a conversation.
00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:59.039
You know, if there's from living in that the whatever geographical area and they say they've been, there is, you know, what what grade school do you go to if they don't know?
00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:00.879
Well, do you go to high school?
00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:10.080
You know, don't know, because if they had been moved around, um, start a conversation, just be attuned, be interested.
00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:27.919
And if you think something's going on, and if there appears to be somebody that is overseeing them, and it could be a woman, because these are very savvy business people, just say, Well, we need to go um do a test, like an x-ray or something, and she has to come back by herself.
00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:33.759
You know, take any opportunity that you may find to just say, Are you safe?
00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:35.840
And they might they live in fear.
00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:38.960
So they might say, Yes, I'm fine, everything's okay.
00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:47.199
Um, but asking if they're safe is the first step for them to think maybe somebody knows what's going on.
00:03:47.280 --> 00:04:00.639
And you never know they might be back because often they will go and the traffickers will ensure if they need um hospitalization, emergency care, they'll go different hospital to hospital to hospital so that they're not traceable.
00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:13.759
And we are working with hospitals on how to have confidential indicators put in the records that if somebody suspects that it can transfer across hospital systems.
00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:39.920
So we're doing work, you know, in the healthcare system to identify in schools, middle school, high school, traffickers target vulnerability, you know, and that's why teenagers are often targets because what 13 or 14-year-old isn't vulnerable and trying to figure out what they want and they're you know, the parents are stupid and you know they make me go, you know, get home on time and da-da-da.
00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:49.120
And traffickers are very savvy, they're smart, it's profitable business, so they'll watch for you know the vulnerability.
00:04:49.199 --> 00:05:01.439
And if there's somebody that you know may come from a compromised home, maybe mom and dad don't get along, maybe there's you know, alcohol, you know, some types of substance abuse at the home, or maybe the parents are traveling all the time.
00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:06.959
If their intrinsic needs are not being met, the trafficker can see that.
00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:11.519
And it's just it's a it's a slow, methodical grooming process.
00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:19.920
You know, they slowly develop the relationship, and little by little it's like, oh, okay, I know your parents don't, you know, get you the iPad.
00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:24.560
I'll get you an iPad, I'll get you an iPhone, or I'll get you the earrings you want.
00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:33.199
And it happens slow, um, because you know, the snatch and grab is very rare, like it's often in movies.
00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:43.680
It's the developing of a relationship, and then they willingly go, you know, mom and dad are never home, or you know, I don't get along with them, you know, or whatever.
00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:48.720
So they willingly go, looking for something that they're not getting at home.
00:05:49.040 --> 00:06:02.000
So um when we uh work, you know, talk to the students in schools and parents and you know, staff at the schools, say, you know, just watch for something that's changed.
00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:13.680
You know, if you've gone, you live in the same community, went to elementary school, you know, middle school, and uh starting high school with the same group, and then somebody is all of a sudden it's got different friends, or maybe not showing up.
00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:22.800
Just be aware, and maybe they don't get along with their parents and you don't feel safe talking to somebody, talk to a teacher, talk to a social worker.
00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:30.160
There's no magic in who it is, but it's everybody looking out for each other, you know.
00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:38.160
So in the schools and the healthcare system, um, but many of the um victims we serve are middle-age.
00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:55.839
I mean, they can it you're you can be in your early, mid-40s, any age, and maybe your marriage isn't going well, and you lost your job, or you want a career change, and all of a sudden, you know, you don't know what you want to do.
00:06:56.079 --> 00:06:58.319
Um, and this has happened to so many.
00:06:58.399 --> 00:07:08.160
And so, you know, they're offered opportunities, you know, to say, oh, okay, you know, come stay with us, and you know, we'll open some more doors or whatever, off they go.
00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:17.279
So it it crosses all ages, all education levels, you know, um, but it's the vulnerability.
00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:25.439
And I always think, I mean, I was a very overweight, you know, uh not an ugly kid.
00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:26.560
I really was.
00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:31.920
And um, I thought, man, was I vulnerable, but I had good parents, you know.
00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:36.240
So I always think I mean I could have been easily been a target, you know.
00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:41.040
I wasn't, um, but I had the the grounding that I didn't need to.
00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:45.199
And then, you know, I built my life and I grew up and I matured and I grew beyond that.
00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:49.439
But by the grace of God, that surely could have been me, you know.
00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:56.480
So it's it's those that are vulnerable are those we want to keep an eye out for.
00:07:56.800 --> 00:08:00.399
Now I know you serve only women that are adults.
00:08:00.639 -->
00:08:08.720
So what happens when you get a phone call and it's someone that is younger than 18, or maybe it's a boy or a man?
00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:10.079
How do you direct them?
00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:15.199
Okay, so we have a great intake team and we never just say sorry.
00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:18.240
Um, we respond to every call or every email.
00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:23.199
Most of our calls now come through our website, um, sanctumhouse.org.
00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:30.240
You can send an email in because it's also easier for somebody that is um in a compromising situation.
00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:33.919
They're not making a call, but we respond to every single one.
00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:40.879
And if it's somebody that doesn't fit the population we serve, we have partners across the state and across the country.
00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:45.120
We always do a warm handoff and refer them to somebody else.
00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:46.720
It could be women and children.
00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:50.320
We're not licensed to take care of children, but we have partners that do.
00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:55.519
It could be men and boys, we uh could be LGBTQ plus population.
00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:57.919
That's a very vulnerable population.
00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:02.320
You know, they've often been neglected by the family, kicked out of their homes.
00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:07.919
So um we have partners for, and we always do a referral.
00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:08.240
Yeah.
00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:10.799
I love that you're able to do that for people.
00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:14.399
And you've mentioned a couple of times the government.
00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:20.960
What kind of connections and how did you happen upon that where you had help from the government with your services?
00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:26.240
Well, um, this comes back to having partners in the community, Trinity Healthcare.
00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:30.720
She's now the uh Shannon Streebach, the president of Trinity, Michigan.
00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:36.399
She um, I was introduced to her just as we were opening up and she fell in love with our mission.
00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:40.639
She said, I want Trinity Healthcare and hospitals to help you.
00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:42.799
And so they've been there every step of the way.
00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:53.279
And um she also offered the opportunity to have a voice in Lansing with her advocacy team that are there for you know healthcare advocacy.
00:09:53.440 --> 00:10:04.720
Autta Moutman, um, who's on the advocacy team, is actually she's now on our board, um, made it open the doors for me to testify in Lansing.
00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:13.279
This goes back to 2022, because there was no funding by the state for services for um victims of human trafficking.
00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:19.200
There was a lot for domestic violence and sexual assault, but none for human trafficking victims.
00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:26.639
So she opened the door and I was asked to come testify on the importance of it, along with a couple other leaders across the state.
00:10:26.879 --> 00:10:34.080
And in 2022, after that uh meeting with Congress, state Congress, they opened up funding.
00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:44.320
We were one of the few agencies chosen, and we've maintained our funding at the state level, and other agencies are now funded too.
00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:48.960
And now is a challenging time with everything that's going on with you know public funding.
00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:58.240
Also, we now have federal funding for our expansion to buy the property and to expand to a three and a half acre healing campus.
00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:06.639
So it's all about you know working with our partners that really believe with us and working hard to, you know, um partner with them.
00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:11.759
And I always say working in such a dark world, we find the best of the best people.
00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:15.519
They whenever something happens, we need something, they're there.
00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:16.639
I'm glad.
00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:17.120
Yeah.
00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:22.720
So someone might be listening and want to know how they can help Sanctum House.
00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:24.879
Is there a way for them to connect with you?
00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:25.519
Yes.
00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:28.159
Um, our website is always the best.
00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:31.200
Um, there's info at sanctumhouse.org.
00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:37.840
We answer, actually, I I um look at those notes every morning um before I go into the office.
00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:45.360
And if somebody wants to, you know, donate or they want to volunteer, we have a very active volunteer group.
00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:51.279
We have a volunteer coordinator and we have a very, I mean, our volunteers just keep us going and they love it.
00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:53.919
They love working, you know, there with the women.
00:11:54.080 --> 00:12:01.039
Uh Jen Ma Scale is um works with um organizing our outreach into the community.
00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:06.480
So if you send a note into our website, we will um we'll definitely respond.
00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:10.879
I noticed a post from your Facebook page about a gathering at a library.
00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:22.159
So I'm thinking perhaps if people follow you on social media, in addition to the crafting nights that you have, they might run into something that's close to them where they can just have an informational evening.
00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:22.799
Sure.
00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:28.480
Yeah, we um we do as much outreach to the community because that's that's the only prevention.
00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:31.039
People say, well, we want to prevent it and stop it.
00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:36.159
Well, the only way you're gonna prevent it is to educate the community on what to do and what to look for.
00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:39.679
So Jen Mascell does most of those.
00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:47.600
If your community is
interested in learning more, you know, just contact us and we'll, you know, schedule something.
00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:59.519
Karen, if someone listening is actually in a trafficking situation, what is the best resource for them to call first if they're listening and they need help?
00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:13.679
Well, you can contact us website, probably the best and safest, or contact the hotline, uh National Hotline, which is, and Jen, catch me if I'm right, 888-3737-888.
00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:15.039
Did I do it right?
00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:15.519
Yep.
00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:16.000
Yep.
00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:16.480
Okay.
00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:17.360
Yeah.
00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:23.360
Um, so either, you know, contact us on our website or call the national hotline.
00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:27.919
But national hotline is is really good because they collect the data.
00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:50.720
If you know, the beauty of the National Hotline is like say you're in Ferndale, Michigan, and you see something going on at Woodward, on Woodward, and you something doesn't look right, you might just call the hotline and say, you know, there's a car, you know, girls were getting in or whatever, get the license plate number, get as much descriptions.
00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:54.159
You call, it's anonymous, they'll keep that information.
00:13:54.320 --> 00:14:05.759
But if the next day somebody else calls, and somebody else calls, that's the beauty of the hotline, is they'll connect the dots and they will contact local law enforcement or the FBI or who.
00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:20.799
And that is often how these rings are broken up is that somebody sees something, calls the national hotline, and they're data collectors, they, you know, and they're only as good, that data is only as good as the people that call and the quality of the call.
00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:21.360
Right.
00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:31.039
So you just gave a very valuable tip that, you know, get as much clear information, grab a license plate number, maybe some descriptions.
00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:35.120
And like you said, calls only as good as the information you give them.
00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:45.200
So it's good for us to keep in mind how can I think clearly and calmly and get as much detail as I can to help the local authorities.
00:14:45.519 --> 00:15:04.720
Yeah, because if you see something and you think somebody is in a compromise situation, do not get involved because if the trafficker thinks somebody is aware that's um there's consequences for whoever might be giving a hint that something's going on.
00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:12.559
So uh never get involved, but get as much information and call local police or the hotline and let them know.
00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:16.879
Well, as we're closing up, I know in your first episode you shared a story.
00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:28.639
Do you have a short, impactful story of someone that's been through your program that would be inspirational reason for listeners to get involved and follow you and just make a difference?
00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:38.720
Yes, and this one is a very current story that she was probably 20 years old in the federal penitentiary in Louisiana.
00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:48.240
And she came from a very good family, but because she was vulnerable, um, she got caught into a trafficking situation.
00:15:48.399 --> 00:16:01.679
And as she said, she did the road trip all the way up to Michigan and she was trafficked every state up and um received um uh felonies in each one because she was charged with carrying drugs, whatever.
00:16:01.919 --> 00:16:12.080
So in uh Lansing, she was uh overdosed, they thought for the last time, and uh they propped her against a fire hydrant and left her there.
00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:16.559
Well, there's a woman that drove by and just she's an angel.
00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:21.279
You know, I know that this girl has more to her than to die right here.
00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:32.639
She got her to the hospital, got her into rehab, started her on the path, took her back to where to Louisiana to start the addressing all her legal cases.
00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:42.960
And this angel, her name's Barbara, was from Jackson, Michigan, and found you know, said, I'm gonna find you a place that will help you.
00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:51.360
She called us, she came, she was with us for 11 months, and she just decided I'm gonna, I'm, I'm gonna do this.
00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:54.639
And that was in 2024.
00:16:55.120 --> 00:17:03.840
She is now a student at U of M honors on the dean's list, and she's gonna get a degree in business and go on to law school.
00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:13.680
And she has testified at the state level with me for more support and um leniency for those that are victimized versus those that are the traffickers.
00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:23.359
And so right now she is uh working a very good job in business, and she's determined to walk the stage at U of M in honors.
00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:25.200
What a beautiful story.
00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:28.160
And how powerful is Barbara, right?
00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:30.559
Yeah, she's still very active in her life.
00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:37.920
Um, the the woman just uh went to her uh registration at U of M in Ann Arbor.
00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:41.119
Wow, what a fantastic story.
00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:49.599
Audience, remember you can follow Karen in Sanctum House on Facebook and Instagram, as well as discover more at their website, sanctumhouse.org.
00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:57.359
I really hope that you'll follow them on social media so that perhaps one day you can go to one of their local events and get to meet them.
00:17:57.599 --> 00:18:04.559
Remember, you can also enjoy their gallop on October 22nd Wings of Courage at the Detroit Zoo.
00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:08.960
Information is over at their website, sanctumhouse.org.