"Chains Interrupted" at Garber Community Center
Lenchen Raeside, co-founder of Chains Interrupted, will present a program on human trafficking on March 19 from 2-4 p.m., at the Elkport/Garber Community Center. (Photo submitted)
By Caroline Rosacker
The Elkport-Garber Community Club is sponsoring a human trafficking program on Saturday, March 19, from 2 - 4 p.m. at the Elkport Garber Community Center. Human trafficking is the fastest growing organized criminal industry in the world. Is this really happening here? In small town Iowa? We need the community to join in the fight against this growing crime.
When most of us think of human trafficking, we think of movies like "Taken." Many are surprised to learn that kidnapping is just one of the methods used to obtain those brutalized by this evil.
Lenchen Raeside, human rights activist, Executive Director of House of Hope, and co-founder of Chains Interrupted, has been helping those who have been victimized by human trafficking since 2005.
Chains Interrupted
In 2015, the committee known as “Sisters and Brothers Collaborating Against Human Trafficking” merged with a 501(c)3 organization called “Cedar Rapids Gives.”
At the beginning of 2016, many changes took place in the fight against human trafficking within the state of Iowa. "Cedar Rapids Gives" dissolved and “Chains Interrupted” was born and received 501(c)3 status in February 2018.
Raeside will share the main methods traffickers use to apprehend their victims and what we can do to stay safe. Learn to see the signs and avoid becoming a victim through force, fraud, or coercion.
In the beginning
Chains Interrupted began as a small committee of concerned individuals fighting against the evils of human trafficking. The non-profit organization continues to grow and is making a significant impact in Iowa, the nation and worldwide. Sobering statistics indicate 98-99% of victims are never rescued. The non-profit organization attempts to prevent human trafficking from happening and rescue and restore those injured by it.
Chains Interrupted has created and maintains a Community Coalition. The collaborative, community response group has over 170 individuals, including organizations and businesses in Cedar Rapids and along the I-380 area. Quarterly meetings are held and provide intentional networking, educational sessions, updates, and identify action steps members can do to fight human trafficking.
School programs
Chains Interrupted trains volunteers to reach out to vulnerable school-age children by visiting schools. Their volunteers warn youth about the manipulation and deceit that traffickers use to lure them into sexual exploitation. They also seek to reach parents and teachers with this important information.
Hospitality industry
Studies have shown up to 70-90 percent of human trafficking takes place in hotels and motels. These statistics create a need to educate all staff members at these establishments to recognize the signs of human trafficking, and what they should do if they encounter a suspicious situation.
Medical professionals
A study in the Annals of Health Law show up to 88% of human trafficking survivors received care from a medical professional during the time of their captivity, yet very few received help. Most medical professionals state they have not received training in the signs of human trafficking, or have a plan of action. Chains Interrupted gives presentations to medical professionals to teach them to recognize the signs of human trafficking.
Mercy Medical Center (MMC) in Cedar Rapids is the first hospital in Iowa (and fifth in the nation) to hire an Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator in a hospital, making MMC a safe place for victims to find help. The Coordinator also assists other hospitals and clinics to formulate policies and procedures to potentially assist 88%!
GMHC provides outreach
"Guttenberg Municipal Hospital & Clinics (GMHC) has hosted these public presentations which provide education on human trafficking as well. Friends of the Family are our local resource that provide support and advocacy to our communities of human trafficking," said Family Resource Center Director Kari Harbaugh. "When our clients or patients are in need of this service, a referral to Friends of the Family is done and a human trafficking specialist is connected with them. We also have posters posted in our facility for clients to reach out confidentially on their own. We have another Chains Interrupted program scheduled this summer."
Stop the demand
Studies have shown a direct link between pornography and human trafficking. Many victims are often exploited in the production of pornography. Survivors say buyers showed them pornography to tell them what they wanted them to do. Viewing pornography leads to acting out what the person has seen – many times the need is so graphic, the buyer has to go to someone who doesn’t have a choice.
Recovery programs
Chains Interrupted partners with an organization that has a program to help individuals struggling with pornography addiction. Stop the Demand offers hope and recovery through a discrete group study environment and aids participants in developing personal accountability. If you need assistance with a pornography addiction, email Stop the Demand.
International missions
Chains Interrupted partners with IMPACTO Ministries and the Protect Me Project to provide prevention education in Guatemala, a human trafficking source, destination and transit country. A community needs assessment in Guatemala showed a need for a Safe House for girls in rural areas. The group is collaborating with IMPACTO Ministries to develop this project.
For additional information, to volunteer, or for giving opportunities search www.ChainsInterrupted.com.
