Press Release: National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Recognizing January 11th as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, the Greater New Orleans Human Trafficking Task Force (GNOHTTF) announces its continued, multi-year funding from the United States Department of Justice beginning in February 2019.  Evolving from the 2006 Louisiana Human Trafficking Task Force, through the 2012 New Orleans Human Trafficking Working Group, the Greater New Orleans Human Trafficking Task Force was established in 2015 to have a victim-centered, multi-disciplinary approach, coordinating private and public agencies to liberate people trafficked -- often from coercive and violent circumstances.  This funding grants the GNOHTTF funding for 3 more years to continue its work combating human trafficking in the Greater New Orleans region.

Bringing the reality of human trafficking in the Greater New Orleans metropolitan area, the Task Force announces two events – a panel discussion January 23th from 6:00-7:30pm at the Mid-City Library, 4149 Canal Street, where Task Force members will dialogue and answer questions on what responders in the New Orleans area are doing liberate and serve trafficking victims and survivors.  On Thursday, January 24th, after presenting to the New Orleans City Council, the Greater New Orleans Human Task Force will host an evening of networking, where former Louisiana Poet Laureate, Julie Kane will read an original poem created for this event.  

One of the achievements of the Task Force is the completion of the Louisiana Human Trafficking Survivor Housing Resource Guide – an in-depth guide including 18 shelter providers in Louisiana who serve trafficking survivors, with a digital copy is available at www.nolatrafficking.org- and the forthcoming Opening Doors: Louisiana Human Trafficking Housing Report which reviews the shelter landscape in Louisiana.   Additionally, the Task Force is launching its “All Work, No Pay?” awareness campaign that includes an awareness poster and an outreach pamphlet in a variety of languages including: English, Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, and Arabic. This campaign affirms the Task Force’s commitment to inclusive, trauma-informed awareness materials that shows a diverse range of identities and work environments.

For further information on the Greater New Orleans Human Trafficking Task Force, contact Leanne McCallum, Task Force Coordinator at 504-584-1170, or at info@nolatrafficking.org.  

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