Zonta Charges Against Human Trafficking With Strong Partnerships

January 1, 2024 | By Maria Sonnenberg

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Zonta Charges Against Human Trafficking With Partners One More Child, Life Recaptured

In a discussion with an immigration attorney at one of the many chamber of commerce events Sandy Michelson attends, the subject of human trafficking came up. Michelson, president of Zonta Club of Melbourne, educated the attorney about One More Child, an organization that reaches out to help victims. Michelson is a fierce ambassador for Zonta, which partners with other organizations to offer resources to victims and vulnerable individuals.

“Zonta helps spread the word and works together with these organizations to help victims,” Michelson said.

The club funds both grassroots as well as international initiatives aimed at empowering women and eradicating domestic violence and human trafficking. Zonta members also raise community awareness about organizations such as One More Child and Life Recaptured, another in-the-trenches nonprofit that assists survivors of trafficking.

“We see victims every day,” said Christine Depre, supervisor of the anti-trafficking mobile team for One More Child’s program in the 18th Judicial Circuit Courts of Florida, which serves Brevard and Seminole counties.

Through the mobile team, the Christ-centered organization reaches out to survivors of human trafficking with advocates, clinicians and peer mentors, and connects them with essential community resources, clinical services and the emotional, physical and mental support survivors need to begin a new life.

“We help them regain their lives,” Depre added.

In most cases, human trafficking does not entail dramatic kidnappings like those featured in the recent film “Sound of Freedom,” but rather involves family members, romantic partners or online connections that threaten, blackmail or bully victims into committing sexual acts.

“One of the myths is that victims are kidnapped,” Depre said.

Like One More Child, Life Recaptured is faith-based and laser focused on helping trafficking survivors. The nonprofit offers women trapped in sexual exploitation a safe haven where they can begin the healing process. Through a holistic approach that includes a safe house, on-site services and partnerships with other organizations, survivors embark on the journey to regain control of their lives.

Brandy Crisafulli knew little about human trafficking until her own sister became a victim. Crisafulli quit her job and trained with victim services providers for more than four years before founding Life Recaptured.

Reintegrating these victims back into the mainstream is a slow and painful process. Some of these young women have been trafficked — often by family members — since they were 7 years old and carry deep psychological scars.

“We deal with things most people have no idea of,” Crisafulli said. “We have victims who have been beaten blind by their abusers, who have been forced to service 30 clients a day.”

Human trafficking happens here in our community. According to a study by Polaris, Florida ranks as the state with the third highest number of calls in the nation to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, which connects victims and survivors with resources like One More Child and Life Recaptured.

Educating the community and strengthening the network of resources are critical to reaching victims as soon as possible. Life Recaptured, for example, provides training for firefighters and physicians so they can recognize a possible trafficking situation.

For Zonta Club of Melbourne and these other organizations, stopping human trafficking is a matter of life or death.

Individuals may be vulnerable to trafficking if they:

Have an unstable living situation.
Have previously experienced other forms of violence such as sexual abuse or domestic violence.
Have run away or are involved in the juvenile justice or child welfare system.
Are undocumented immigrants.
Are facing poverty or economic need.
Have a caregiver or family member with a substance use issue.
Are addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Traffickers may be family members, romantic partners, social media acquaintances or strangers.

— Source: Human Trafficking Hotline