Category: Updates

Awesome April

setfreedbq

Very much looking forward to the rest of this month. There are many exciting opportunities happening.

Work continues with local middle-schoolers, local hotels, and in the community. Happy to share a bit of the unusual.

The article below this talks of a color run/walk happening this weekend where you actually get to be on the airport runway. Read it below for more details.

April 18 6:00PM – 7:30PM Human Trafficking Awareness

Learn how to recognize and respond to potential trafficked persons at this informative presentation and discussion with educator/presenter and cyclist Kevin Schwendinger. Mr. Schwendinger recently biked from Omaha, NE to Milwaukee, WI to bring awareness to this devastating human tragedy in rural communities.
This presentation will include a historical perspective, labor and other forms of Human Trafficking, as well as how individuals, governments, and coalitions are attempting to interrupt this ongoing illegal activity throughout the world and in the Midwest.

What is Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to control victims for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or labor services against a person’s will. Human trafficking affects every community in the United States across age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Simply put, anyone can be a victim of human trafficking. Not only are victims trafficked in other countries, they are also our children, our teenagers, and our young adults. Knowledge is power and together we can raise awareness of the crime of human trafficking to help victims and stop traffickers.
*Due to the subject matter, adults may wish to accompany any children.

GRIDSHOCK at Julien Dubuque International Film Festival

A riveting documentary exposing the disturbing reality behind sex trafficking demand in Iowa. It shines a light on buyers and how they fuel the demand for exploitation.

Thursday 4.25

3:15pm | Hotel Julien Ballroom

Saturday 4.27

6:15pm | Five Flags Orpheum

DIRECTOR: VANESSA MCNEAL

RATING: M | RUNTIME: 59 MINS | GENRE: DRAMA | COUNTRY: UNITED STATES | LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

Run the Runway Color Run/Walk for Human Trafficking

setfreedbq

Sat April 13, 2019     8:00 AM CDT     $15
10965 Aviation Drive Dubuque, IA US 52001

The University of Dubuque Spartan Nation Liberation Foundation would love anyone’s support on making a difference when it comes to human trafficking. Whether it is sex, labor, domestic or any other type of trafficking you are standing with the victims and showing them that they are not alone when it comes to fighting the traffickers that are still out there in the world today! With your participation in this event that we are putting forth in this community, you are helping us make small steps and soon long strides to taking down human trafficking.

The Race (it is a 5k) will be on April 13th at 8:30 am with sign in at 8:00 am! Make sure to sign up now (only $15 plus transaction fee $2.50). The sign up does END APRIL 1TH, if you still want to run come the day of and you can pay $20 (you will not be receiving a shirt if you do this)! Tell your friends and family in the area to come support or even donate!

RACE CONTACT INFO

If you have any questions about this race, please contact the race director at srfarraday7@gmail.com.

Thankful for the Schools

setfreedbq

During this school year, we have had great opportunities to speak on human trafficking, to elementary, middle school, high school, and secondary ed students, faculty, and staff at schools in Dubuque, Hazel Green, and East Dubuque.

Some were private schools and some were public. All have helped protect their students and staff understand human trafficking and we pray it will help protect those students from being trafficked. Hoping to be in more as the year goes on. We know that we will be back for four more sessions at Roosevelt in April,

UPDATE: HF455

setfreedbq

Happy to say that HF 455 is heading to a subcommittee meeting this week. Wednesday morning 9 AM in the state capital. Please pray that the subcommittee, committee and then the whole house will approve and then pass this bill on to the Senate, then governor. Read the entry below to see who is on the committee. Reach out to the them if you will. Thank you.

State funds should not be used to fund trafficking-friendly businesses.  

setfreedbq

There is a bill sitting in committee HF 455 in the Iowa House of Representative’s State Public Safety Committee.

It was written as a response from one HR, Chuck Isenhart,  who heard about the dangers of human trafficking in Iowa as someone who wanted to find a way to support the efforts of those seeking to help human trafficking victims and be a good steward of Iowas Public funds.

That HR was joined by another, Lindsay James, and we hope it will grow beyond their efforts, that it will be supported by both parties, because human trafficking is a non-partisan travesty that needs to be stopped.  Because anti-human trafficking efforts matter a lot to Kim Reynold‘s our governor here in Iowa, we hope she gets a chance to see the bill and that she will sign it.

This is not to promote either political party; this is to celebrate those who are helping with the fight against human trafficking.

Below is a link to the bill and a list of the committee members that would need to move the bill forward before March 7th.

The bill is numbered HF 455 and is with the Public Safety Committee.

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ba=HF455&ga=88.

The members of the Committee are:

If you are inclined, please reach out to these representatives and show you are concerned about this topic.

Here is a link to a video that explains the hotel/motel staff training that is available.