The Fierce Freedom Podcast: Recent Episodes
Fierce Freedom
The Fierce Freedom Podcast aims to shine light on all aspects of modern-day slavery by sharing compelling conversations with individuals who are using their passions and talents to fight human trafficking and exploitation. By telling these stories, we hope to both educate listeners through spreading awareness and to inspire individuals to rise up and fight within their sphere of influence.
In this episode, we're joined by Liberty Sarkar, Certification Manager of Safe House Project and Amanda Pulley, survivor leader and Founder of Wild Hope Brainspotting and Consulting to discuss Safe House Project's Ally Training.
This training is a comprehensive, trauma-informed certification program designed to equip professionals, advocates, and allies with the skills necessary to support survivors of human trafficking effectively.
Additionally, Amanda and Liberty unpack common myths about trafficking that this training seeks to address, and explore why understanding our own neurobiology changes how we respond, not react to survivors.
Lastly, they'll share about how the Ally training provides advocates the tools needed to elevate and ground their work in compassion and sustainable best practices.
If you'd like to check out a sample of this training, visit: https://training.safehouseproject.org/library
If you'd like to check out Safe House Project's other professional trainings and resources, or to support their work, visit: https://www.safehouseproject.org
The renewed attention surrounding Michael Jackson through film and media portrayals including the recent Netflix docuseries Michael Jackson: The Verdict, provides an important opportunity to discuss how fame, power, and public admiration can influence the way we respond to allegations of abuse.
As we examine key takeaways of this case and questions to ask, our hope is that this conversation leads to better practices that prioritize child safety, healthy boundaries, and accountability over reputation, influence, or celebrity.
Are there any topics you think we should cover on the podcast? Reach out to us at podcast@fiercefreedom.org to share your thoughts with us!
As many of us plan for summer getaways, we may never contemplate the reality that our plans could intersect with human trafficking.
In this episode, we sit down with Mike Kaether, Executive Director for Domestic Freedom, to discuss an often-overlooked area of trafficking identification: campgrounds and RV parks.
Mike shares why he felt compelled to develop specialized training to help campground staff, travelers, and communities recognize the warning signs of exploitation happening in these environments.
Mike also discusses what surprised him most as he learned more about trafficking, how these crimes often hide in plain sight, and the practical steps individuals can take if they suspect someone may be in danger.
If you'd like to learn more about Mike's organization Domestic Freedom and reach out for training, visit them here: https://domesticfreedom.org
If you'd like to check out Fierce Freedom's free training for hotels and hospitality - visit: fiercefreedom.org/be-aware-hotel-training/
It has been estimated that 60-90% of all child sex trafficking victims have histories in the child welfare system. So what happens when the very systems designed to protect children fall short?
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Margie Barilla — advocate, speaker, and CEO of Barilla Consulting — to discuss the urgent realities facing vulnerable youth in the United States foster care system and the critical connection between system involvement and child human trafficking risk.
In this important conversation, we take a deeper look at the realities many vulnerable youth face within the foster care system and how instability, trauma, abuse, neglect, and lack of support can increase the risk of exploitation and child sex trafficking.
Lastly Margie explains how her organization Barilla Consulting is working to "push for immediate protections, advocate for systemic reform, and ensure that no child is abandoned to a dangerous environment."
If you'd like to learn more or support the work she's doing, visit: https://www.barillaconsulting.com
In this episode we're joined by two guests from The Bridge to Hope in Menomonie, WI. Angie McIlquham, Director of Sexual Assault Victim Services and Kat Brogan, Sexual Assault Advocate & UW-Stout Campus Advocate. Together, they'll talk about their work supporting survivors in the Chippewa Valley.
Both Angie and Kat also share how they got involved in advocacy, the realities of underreporting, and how trauma-informed care helps survivors navigate complex systems while maintaining dignity and self-efficacy.
In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, The Bridge to Hope is hosting creative, community-centered events all month long—including art initiatives like decorating denim in honor of Denim Day on April 29th—inviting community members to take a stand with survivors.
💛 Learn more, get involved, and view upcoming events at thebridgetohope.org.
In this powerful episode, we talked with JoDee Neil - former crimes-against-children prosecutor, civil litigator, and fierce advocate for survivors - to explore the realities of sexual abuse, disclosure, and healing.
JoDee brings a rare and critical perspective shaped by both her legal career and her own lived experience as a sexual assault survivor.
Now the author of Outcry Witness: A Former Prosecutor's Guide to Healing and Justice After Sexual Violence - she sheds light on what it truly means to speak up - and why disclosure is not a single moment, but a complex and courageous process.
Together, we unpack barriers, and breakthroughs surrounding abuse and survivor healing - and why this moment in history presents new opportunities for truth, justice, and healing transformation.
Learn more about JoDee Neil and her work: https://neilnowlegal.com/about-jodee/
Purchase her book Outcry Witness here.
In Part 2, Camille shares her journey of rebuilding after a life threatening experience of attempted trafficking and grooming, and how she began to untangle her faith and reclaim her voice.
She also reflects on what healthy, boundaried "neighboring" looks like and how she now instigates a grace-paced movement rooted in dignity, agency, and justice — equipping communities to recognize red flags and walk alongside survivors with wisdom and care.
In Part 1 of this episode, Camille LaLond — trauma-informed mentor — shares how her vulnerabilities were exploited and culminated into a situation of grooming and attempted trafficking cloaked in spiritual authority.
Camille provides valuable insight on how abusers in faith settings operate in plain sight and utilize tools of manipulation, coercion, and spiritual abuse.
In today's episode, Hannah Munn shares about her work with Love Justice International, which trains and places monitors at strategic transit points—like borders and bus stations—to identify and intercept potential victims before they are exploited.
To date, they have intercepted over 100,000 individuals, in 17 countries, and facilitated the arrests of over 2,000 traffickers - stopping trafficking before it starts.
Hannah shares powerful stories of impact from the field, offering a glimpse into the lives that have been changed through courageous intervention and plugs how future innovation using ai will drive their impact even further.
She also provides ways for listeners to support this incredible impact through becoming a financial partner at lovejustice.ngo and to learn more by checking out The Love Justice Podcast: https://lovejustice.castos.com
To honor Human Trafficking Awareness Month, we are highlighting a real story of one survivor who found herself in a situation that ultimately led to sex trafficking. Kelsey shares how early vulnerabilities contributed to an unhealthy relationship with an older man that both jeopardized her physical safety and deeply impacted her mental health.
Kelsey also talks about navigating her healing journey, and reclaiming her voice as a survivor. Today, one of her greatest passions is to use her story to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and help prevent future harm, reduce stigma, and to encourage other survivors to find their own inner strength and resilience.
Listener discretion is advised due to sensitive content.
This episode contains audio from our Intersections initiative, a video based curriculum for at risk youth to spur deep and important conversations. This project was sponsored by The Pablo Foundation. If you'd like to learn more about this program visit fiercefreedom.org
In this episode, find out how your coffee buying choices can create a culture of freedom versus exploitation- and how to score a free bag of delicious coffee through the link below!
We sat down with Jenny Barber, Founder and Brand & Impact Manager for Talitha Coffee Roasters, a mission-driven company creating pathways towards freedom for survivors of trafficking and exploitation.
Jenny shares the heart behind Talitha's work and how providing dignified, trauma-informed jobs allows survivors to rebuild confidence, stability, and independence one step at a time.
Jenny also explains how Talitha Coffee is disrupting an unethical coffee harvesting system through transparent, ethical sourcing—ensuring farmers and producers are treated fairly while also supporting survivor employment and empowerment right here at home.
☕ Support the mission: If you'd like to try Talitha Coffee for yourself, you can order through our affiliate link. talitha.com/FierceFreedom and if you sign up for a subscription through this link you will also get a FREE bag of coffee!
A portion of every purchase goes directly back to Fierce Freedom to support our work in prevention, education, and advocacy.
On this episode, we chatted with Jenny McGee, Founder and Executive Director of Starfish Project, a social enterprise helping women escape human trafficking and build independent, empowered lives.
Jenny shares how the organization provides jobs, skills, and opportunities through handcrafted jewelry and goods made by survivors.
Support their mission while you shop for the holidays! Visit starfishproject.com and use promo code fiercefreedom for 15% off your purchase and help women reclaim their freedom, one beautiful piece at a time.
We sat down with Lacie Weatherholt, certified recovery coach, facilitator, and advocate, for a preview of her upcoming session at the Empower Freedom Conference on Oct 10th.
Lacie shares some highlights of her talk including the impact of trauma, ego burnout and compassion fatigue, and resources to make safe and compassionate communities.
Tune in for a thoughtful conversation that highlights the importance of authentic connection, supportive listening, and embracing the full spectrum of human experience.
If you'd like to come check out Lacie's conference session, visit: bit.ly/empowerfreedomconference25
Ticket sales close 9/26!
This episode is part of our series highlighting ways to respond to abuse within or around the faith community. To provide greater insight, Amanda Pulley, MSW - Certified Life Coach, Brainspotting Practitioner, and Human Trafficking & Complex Trauma Specialist - shares her courageous story of being trafficked by her church youth leader.
Also joining the conversation is Laura Mulliken, Executive Director of Trafficking Justice in Minnesota. Amanda and Laura offer important reminders for faith leaders on a loving and trauma informed response to survivors, and ways of creating a culture humility that fosters an environment where abuse is easily reported rather than enabled.
If your faith community or church is interested in training or developing policy you can reach out to Amanda: amanda@pulley-consulting.com and Laura: laura@traffickingjustice.com
On this episode we sat down with Dr. Andrew J. Bauman, Co-Founder and Director of the Christian Counseling Center for Sexual Health & Trauma, to discuss his latest book, Safe Church: How to Guard against Sexism and Abuse in Christian Communities.
Andrew shares about his passion to elevate the voices of women in faith spaces and his heart for men to have a healthy confrontation of their own internalized misogyny that has been justified through a harmful misreading of God's word.
Lastly, Andrew shares practical insight for church leaders who are ready to confront the culture of silence and complicity that often surrounds abuse in faith spaces.
If you'd like to learn more about Andrew's work, you can visit www.AndrewJBauman.com & www.ChristianCC.org. To purchase his book Safe Church visit: amazon.com/Safe-Church-against-Christian-Communities/dp/1540903974
Girls On The Run (GOTR) in the Chippewa Valley is cultivating a culture of joy and community, while encouraging self esteem and confidence in young girls.
We invited Rose Dolan Neil, Executive Director and Katie Albin, Coach and Board Member to share more about their passion for empowering this population and how this plants seeds for future resiliency.
Rose and Katie also provide insights as to what GOTR programming entails, including their annual celebratory 5K run and ongoing participation in an eight-week after-school program that teaches lessons on goal-setting, friendship, and emotional and physical health.
To learn more about how you can get involved as a volunteer, participant, or if you wanna support this awesome org, visit https://www.gotrchippewavalley.org/
With the rise of all things AI, what effect is this having on trafficking and exploitation?
To share more about this we invited Nancy Irizarry, Social Services Director for the Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services and Co-Chair for the Wisconsin Anti-Trafficking Consortium.
Nancy provides an insightful analysis on what she believes are positives to AI utilization when it comes to identification and prevention of trafficking but also shares some of the chief ways it aids recruitment using deception and coercion for traffickers and abusers.
She also shares about how crucial it is to bring survivors to the table and to be mindful about the unintended consequences ai can have on existing survivors' privacy and safety.
If you'd like to have Nancy train your group on this topic - you can reach out to her via email: nancy.irizarry@dhs.wisconsin.gov
Digital abuse cases are alarmingly prevalent in Wisconsin. This is evidenced by the fact that the WI ICAC Task Force received 1,003 CyberTips from NCMEC in March 2025 alone.
Last year, Detective Chaz Walton with the ECPD (Eau Claire Police Department) Sensitive Crimes division, worked on over 40 internet crime cases and is currently investigating 18 new cases in the Eau Claire area.
Chaz, who was also the recipient of this year's ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Investigator of the Year, shares with us about his work with cases of sxtortion, child prnography and other forms of digital exploitation.
He also talks about what he hopes to see happen through the work he is engaged with and encourages parents and caregivers to take a proactive approach with their kids by using free tools and training though ICAC (icactaskforce.org) and by connecting with local law enforcement.
We know that approximately one in six boys is sexually abused before age 16 and yet this crime goes under-reported, under-recognized, and untreated.
In honor of Sxual Assault Awareness Month, we want to honor all survivors and shine light on a story of one man's struggle to reclaim his life after surviving childhood sxual assault and a near death experience of drowning.
Robert Goodland is an author, equine therapy instructor, trained peer support specialist. He shares about how his new memoir "Beneath the Surface" which details how life experiences culminated into a place of reckoning with the trauma that prevented him from finding healing.
He gives insight as to navigating this messy and complicated journey and what he dreams will happen for other survivors who are still wrestling with the pain of their abuse.
If you'd like to learn more about Robert's work and get connected with him and his org check out his website here: https://www.theheartofahorse.com/
If you'd like to purchase Robert's memoir "Beneath the Surface" visit Amazon or click this link!
Today’s podcast is part III of a series of episodes of a real story of a couple who shares authentically about their journey of sexual brokenness, addiction, betrayal, and ultimately healing.
To do justice work well, we have to wrestle together through the hard things. And if we want to fight s*x trafficking, we have to talk about the demand for it.
Our stance is that porn is a huge precursor towards perpetuating trafficking and an addiction that is often brushed under the rug, leading to deep shame for those in addiction, or in other cases defensive minimization.
We also believe in the worth, value, and dignity of each individual and so we offer this story to give you as the listener a new perspective and perhaps a reminder that even for the most seemingly broken of circumstances, there is above all hope that healing is possible and that quite possibly, the light can shine beautifully through our cracks.
If you or a spouse are struggling with betrayal trauma, prn or sxual addiction, there’s help for you. Check out one of our highlighted podcast guests like Justin with Beyond the Line Ministries, or Ashley with Pure Desire Ministries - both are compassionate individuals who are here to help you. You are not alone.
Today’s podcast is part II of a series of episodes of a real story of a couple who shares authentically about their journey of sexual brokenness, addiction, betrayal, and ultimately healing.
To do justice work well, we have to wrestle together through the hard things. And if we want to fight s*x trafficking, we have to talk about the demand for it.
Our stance is that porn is a huge precursor towards perpetuating trafficking and an addiction that is often brushed under the rug, leading to deep shame for those in addiction, or in other cases defensive minimization.
We also believe in the worth, value, and dignity of each individual and so we offer this story to give you as the listener a new perspective and perhaps a reminder that even for the most seemingly broken of circumstances, there is above all hope that healing is possible and that quite possibly, the light can shine beautifully through our cracks.
If you or a spouse are struggling with betrayal trauma, prn or sxual addiction, there’s help for you. Check out one of our highlighted podcast guests like Justin with Beyond the Line Ministries, or Ashley with Pure Desire Ministries - both are compassionate individuals who are here to help you. You are not alone.
Today’s podcast is part I of a series of episodes of a real story of a couple who shares authentically about their journey of sexual brokenness, addiction, betrayal, and ultimately healing.
To do justice work well, we have to wrestle together through the hard things. And if we want to fight s*x trafficking, we have to talk about the demand for it.
Our stance is that porn is a huge precursor towards perpetuating trafficking and an addiction that is often brushed under the rug, leading to deep shame for those in addiction, or in other cases defensive minimization.
We also believe in the worth, value, and dignity of each individual and so we offer this story to give you as the listener a new perspective and perhaps a reminder that even for the most seemingly broken of circumstances, there is above all hope that healing is possible and that quite possibly, the light can shine beautifully through our cracks.
If you or a spouse are struggling with betrayal trauma, prn or sxual addiction, there’s help for you. Check out one of our highlighted podcast guests like Justin with Beyond the Line Ministries, or Ashley with Pure Desire Ministries - both are compassionate individuals who are here to help you. You are not alone.
Today's guest Ashley Jameson works as a Certified Pastoral Sex Addiction Professional and is passionate about partnering with churches to help individuals break free from addiction and shame, build healthy intimacy, and embrace the life God has for them through her work with Pure Desire Ministries.
She shares with listeners about how her personal experiences with teen pregnancy, s*x and love addiction, and betrayal trauma have inspired her work now. Above all, she wants listeners to know that there is hope and healing with this kind of addiction is possible whoever you are and wherever you've been.
If you'd like to learn more, Ashley is also a contributing author to Unraveled, Betrayal & Beyond, and Authentically You and co-hosts the podcast UnFiltered: Real Talk About Sex & Love where she and co-host Heather have candid, no-judgment conversations about sex, relationships, and healing.
You can also email groups@puredesire.com to get started on your own journey towards healing today.
Today's guest Allison Mogensen is a Wisconsin native who now serves as the Executive Director for Priceless Alaska, a faith-based nonprofit organization that walks with survivors of sex trafficking through mentorship and survivor directed case management (for which they recently received an award from the FBI) as well as through their "Engage" training, designed to equip, engage and mobilize faith communities.
Allison shares with us about the unique challenges and trafficking trends she has witnessed specific to the region and ultimately what she hopes to see happen through this work.
If you're interested in supporting the important work of Priceless Alaska, or are interested in their training for faith communities, you can visit: https://www.pricelessalaska.org/
We're kicking 2025 off with podcast guest Chris McKenna, who left the accounting world to help families be safer online through his organization Protect Young Eyes.
Chris shares his heart to transform the current digital landscape and about practical strategies for families to be more confident and resilient to the many risks and dangers youth face.
He also touches on some macro level changes he'd like to see, but stresses the importance of a family centered cultural shift of community learning and collective responsibility towards harm reduction.
If you'd like to support Chris's work or check out some of Protect Young Eyes' fantastic resources including parenting course "The 5 Habits of a Tech Ready Home," visit: protectyoungeyes.com
If you'd like to see our unedited podcast conversation with Chris, head over to: https://youtu.be/RVv3POE4JBE
How can we move from sexual destruction to sexual wholeness? Today's guest Justin Smith, Founder of Beyond the Line Ministries, is walking alongside men who have been caught up in sexual addiction, which is also feeding the exploitative and massively pervasive porn industry, and incidentally generates MORE than the NFL, NBA, and MLB combined
Justin, who understands the pain and challenges of this journey, explains how he goes to the heart of these addictions by focusing on three areas in a mans healing. Repentance, The Brain, and The Wounds.
Beyond The Line Ministries offers intimate small group settings and 1-1 mentoring for men to cross a new line to freedom that they have so desperately wanted.
If you'd like to get started towards sexual wholeness - visit https://beyondthelineministries.com/
If you'd like to check out Justin's full testimony, check that out here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ovDili2m_d4
How can our shopping support survivors of sex trafficking and strengthen at risk communities?
On today's episode, we are joined by our friend Grace Schmoldt, Way Maker and Co-Founder of Blooming Grace Boutiques.
Grace invites listeners to make a global impact through your consumer choices this holiday season, and shares about some of the beautiful and unique products she has available for purchase, crafted by global artisans in India, Bolivia and China.
To start shopping purposefully this holiday season, you can check out Blooming Grace Boutiques by visiting: bloominggraceboutiques.com/
How do we dismantle an enterprise that generates $5.7 billion every year? Our guest Tomas Perez shares how his organization Epik Project is addressing sex trafficking by going to the root of it, by engaging with buyers who are driving demand.
Tomas shares why he believes these men are purchasing sex and how Epik Project's approach uses a non-traditional accountability model to reach these individuals.
If you want to learn more about Epik Project or support the work Tomas is doing, you can head to their website: epikproject.org
Trigger Warning: This episode deals with a case of sx trafficking, rpe, and s*xual assault, listener discretion is advised.
On today's podcast episode, we're talking about the recent arrests of the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Mike Jeffries, and other associates including a local Wisconsin man James Jacobsen- who have been charged with operating an international sex trafficking and prostitution business from 2008 to 2015.
We'll discuss the details of the case including some key takeaways. We are also joined by Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald, who will share about the local connection to this case and how he hopes it will bring further awareness of sex trafficking for Wisconsin residents.
What were your thoughts on this case? Let us know what you think by emailing podcast@fiercefreedom.org.
Our references for this podcast episode included NBC and BBC News Networks.
Trigger Warning: This episode deals with the topic of sextortion and includes an account of suicide, listener discretion is advised.
Jordan Demay was a handsome, popular and athletic 17 year old, months shy of his 18th birthday. One night, he became a victim of sextortion and because of this, decided to end his own life. Sadly, Jordan is not the only one. The FBI has said that over 20 minors have committed suicide because of sextortion scams in the last few years.
To speak more about this horrific and incredibly prevalent side of digital exploitation, we invited Jordan's father John, who shares what he wants other parents to know and the ways he is tirelessly engaged in protecting youth from sextortion, sex trafficking and other harms online.
John believes social media is no place for teenagers - and for parents to take a hard line for their kids because of all the risks and dangers young people face.
To view the unedited video version of this podcast visit: https://youtu.be/UxRq0gqm0lg
How can those seeking to support survivors of trauma do so in a way that honors that individual, helps reduce stigma around addiction, and avoids burnout?
We are joined by Julie Bates-Maves, PhD, LPC Professor, Clinical Mental Health Counseling The University of Wisconsin-Stout who shares lessons from the field and recommendations for professionals in clinical and direct support settings as well as important reminders for non-professionals who want to offer care.
If you'd like to check out Julie's book Grief and Addiction you can purchase that here.
Julie will also be joining us at the Empower Freedom Conference as a keynote speaker, to purchase your tickets visit fiercefreedom.org!
How prevalent are cults? And how is cult abuse similar to the coercion found in human trafficking cases?
To learn more, we invited Dr. Lalich, the Founder and CEO of The Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion, which provides a collaborative approach and safe spaces for survivors through courses, workshops, and discussion groups.
She shares about her own experience breaking free of a cult, and how she began her journey towards recovery to help create safe spaces and resources for others who had gone through a similar experience.
To learn more about the work Janja is doing, you can visit: https://janjalalich.com/
To view the unedited video podcast, go here: youtu.be/9XZ3BhMmw90
Did you know that one in 5 women and 1 in 16 men experience sexual assault during their time on college campuses?
On today's episode your hosts Cat and Mark discuss why assault is so incredibly prevalent on college campuses and why many often go unreported.
They'll also chat about some practical ways to incorporate talking about consent and body autonomy with your kids from a young age, how you can find support in reporting, and also some wellness reminders for you and your family.
If you'd like to sign up for your free subscription for Fierce Parenting visit: bit.ly/fierceparentingfree
Check out this "Tea and Consent" video that unpacks this concept more in a simple and humorous way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZwvrxVavnQ&t=2s
Sources: mginjuryfirm.com
Today's guest Audrey Walters Moore is CEO of Lift Up the Vulnerable (LUV) whose mission is empowering the most vulnerable to become change agents in their own communities towards the prevention of trafficking and other forms of oppression.
Audrey gives a little history of the communities in South Sudan and Sudan where LUV works to address the root causes of exploitation in regions which have often been ravaged by war and a history of colonization.
Audrey also shares about how LUV finds sustainability in their work by partnerships with locals with lived experience to meet these community needs by investing in education, food security, mentorship, and employment.
If you'd like to join this movement to help lift up the vulnerable, or learn more about their work, you can visit their website at https://liftupthevulnerable.org/
To watch the unedited video recording of this podcast visit: https://youtu.be/ArJek3m-ID8
Today's guest Dana Brown is dedicated to building a safer communities by discouraging crime, restoring victim well-being, and emphasizing direct offender accountability through his work as Director of Eau Claire Treehouse and as the former Director of Restorative Justice.
He shares about how this work takes place through ongoing relationships with youth and cites the importance of support for professionals within schools and the criminal justice system to be trained with restorative justice concepts that focus on helping youth to identify and develop strengths, set personal goals, and improve critical thinking skills.
To learn how you can get involved as a mentor or financially support the work being done by Dana and his team, visit https://treehousehope.org/eau-claire/
Today, typical teens spend hours on social media and gaming apps, looking for fun and connection but sometimes stumbling upon s**ual groomers and predators, looking to entice and entrap youth through their devices.
Today's podcast guest is working to create a world where kids are safer online and adults have tools in place to foster healthy and relevant conversations with youth about navigating the pitfalls of an ever growing ai and digital landscape through his brand new software, Game Safe.
This new tool, which he calls "ai done right" came from an experience David had when one of his children was playing on an online game and was targeted by a child predator. He shares with us how this technology works to quickly identify threats and how his org is collaborating with other entities to pool their data and overall create a web of safety around young and vulnerable youth.
To start your FREE 30-day trial of GameSafe, visit gamesafe.ai
To view the unedited podcast interview on YouTube, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgsCqUVinnM
Today's guest Angel Slawinski is working to connect survivors of sex trafficking with wholistic healing for their mind, body, and spirit, through the Angel Wings Healing Foundation, a ministry that supports survivors in their post-treatment healing journey by offering them to participate in a 3 month transition program which includes a 4-day exclusive healing retreat.
Angel shares about some of the highlights of these programs and about her God-given vision for a retreat center in central WI where survivors can walk out their journey of restoration and transformation surrounded by beauty and peace.
To financially support trafficking survivors going through this program and the work Angel is doing, head over to angelwingshealingcenter.org and click DONATE.
To view the UNEDITED version of this recording visit: youtube.com/watch?v=Z0zPOauoIUc
Today, there are 400,000 children in foster care in the U.S., these youth are at significant risk to be trafficked or exploited because of factors related to their involvement with this system.
Today's guests Jamey and Sarah McIntosh are advocates with The Forgotten Initiative, which is helping support the foster care community through awareness, encouragement, and advocacy.
They share about their journey to grow their family through fostering and adopting, how they navigate both the "very hard" and incredibly rewarding moments that come with this decision, and what they want other prospective foster parents to know if they feel called to pursue it
To learn more about The Forgotten Initiative visit their website here: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/
Click here to check out their book recommendation "Reframing Foster Care" by Jason Johnson
For over a decade, the team at NCOSE (National Center on Sexual Exploitation) has been holding 12 mainstream entities like Apple, Spotify, Discord, and Roblox accountable for facilitating, enabling, and even profiting from sexual abuse and exploitation through their annual campaign, The Dirty Dozen List.
To share about this year's list, we had the privilege of speaking with Tim Nester, Senior Director of Communications at NCOSE, to share more on why this year's companies made the list and more importantly how we can all join together to take action.
To join the movement and to hold these companies accountable visit: Dirtydozenlist.com
To check out our unedited video recording with Tim: visit https://youtu.be/4MxpiZBG-dw
We haven't seen significant legislation to protect kids online for the last quarter of a century, this bill could change that. On today's podcast we're talking about Senate Bill 1409, "Kids Online Safety Act" (KOSA) which, if passed, would be among the most significant kids’ online safety statutes since the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 2000. Upon its passage, this bill would allow parents to sue social media companies and other online platforms if they do not sufficiently shield children under the age of 13 from harmful content on their platforms. We'll discuss what else this bill entails, what the opposition says, and what you can do to support its passage. Project Liberty Action: See their template for contacting your representative Our Sources: The Cap Times, Congress.gov, NBC, NCOSE, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wikipedia, The Verge, TechCrunch.com #onlinesafety #KOSA #podcast #generationalpha #parents #caregivers #legislation
Bestselling author Lori Scott is passionate about youth, sports and spreading awareness of human trafficking.
This intersection of passions led to her newest literary work for young adults called "Offsides," which tackles the difficult topic of human trafficking and opens the door for important conversations all while using age-appropriate sensitivity and ending on hope from a faith perspective.
The book also provides important resources for families and at-risk individuals who may be facing a difficult situation related to trafficking or substance abuse.
Check out Lori's website for more updates about her work at: https://lori-z-scott.com/ follow her on Instagram (stories.by.lori) and you can purchase Offsides by visiting Amazon.
Local nonprofit Rewired & Real Foundation has already reached 30,000 individuals and they're just getting started. Their message? To help rewire the way we look at mental health, and to embrace the collective power of kindness towards oneself and the world around us.
Married couple Stacy and Kjersten Franzwa were inspired by their own experiences to start a movement designed to promote mental health through human connection and to unlock the treasure of kindness within each individual through their "million acts of kindness challenge."
Learn how you can join their "Unlocking Kindness" challenge, learn about upcoming initiatives, or support Rewired and Real by visiting their website here.
www.rewiredandreal.com
If there's anything today's guest understands, it is the power of overcoming adversity, and using your own life lessons to help lift up others who are navigating similar challenges.
Dekelen "DJ" Griffin is the the Founder of MBM (Motivation Begins with Mindset Corps), a new nonprofit in the Chippewa Valley that is dedicated to help motivate others to go beyond their own life's challenges through the mentorship of others who also have lived experiences as well as by connecting individuals in need with essential physical items such as clothing, housing, and everyday necessities.
DJ shares his experiences as a child of parents struggling with substances, shedding light on the impact it had on his own path towards addiction as well as the pivotal moment that inspired him to break free from this dark lifestyle and embark on a journey of recovery and life transformation.
If you'd like to support the work DJ is doing with MBM, you can head over to their website or email DJ at dekelengriffin@gmail.com
In a culture that shows a majority of violent acts perpetrated by men, how can we help to empower men and boys towards healthy behavior that honors and restores relationships?
We invited Shawn Schutt, Community Engagement and Prevention Manager Underground Railroad Inc. & Co-Chair for the Mid-Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, to share about how he believes sports are a great way to help coach boys into maturity and to unlearn behaviors that set the stage for future possibly violent behaviors.
Shawn says that this work has to begin internally, and encourages each of us to check our own belief systems and how they may inadvertently promote relationship violence or abuse.
You can check out Shawn's podcast "Touchy Subjects" or support his org Underground Railroad Inc. here: undergroundrailroadinc.org
Did you know it is estimated that 27.6 million people are trapped today in forced labor? (Walk Free’s Global Slavery Index)
The level at which exploitation touches everyday products we all consume is astounding, which is why our guest Samuel Logan, CEO and founder of Evidencity, is working to give businesses full control over their information supply chain, by conducting investigative due diligence to combat modern slavery.
Samuel shares about how these ethical actions can be integrated through legislative, business, and personal practices, and how he believes we can transform these sectors through conscious and collective effort.
To learn more about Samuel's work, visit his website: https://www.evidencity.com/
Trigger Warning: This episode depicts a real story of trafficking which includes some details of child sex trafficking and abuse.
Today we hear from a brave survivor recounting her experience of trafficking as a young woman in California. Sarah shares about how some of her vulnerabilities enabled sexual abuse and ultimately sex trafficking during her teen years.
She frames for listeners what her healing path has involved and how she is learning to love and re-parent herself towards further restoration of her self.
Check out Sarah's show Que Sera Sera (8 years old this year) on Driftless Community Radio out of Viroqua, WI on WDRT or by visiting: www.wdrt.org
Women who come to Sarah's Oasis in St. Paul, MN are often fleeing various traumas abroad, including war, trafficking, torture, violence, and discrimination.
To hear more about the org's history and impact, we invited the director Cheryl Behrent, whose goal is to "always to make a difference in the lives of women. It is my greatest joy to accompany women lacking resources and support on their life journeys."
Sarah's accompanies these women on their journeys through opportunities for education, job training, and family reunification, but also by creating an environment of peaceful community where these women can begin to regain their lives and sense of self at Sarah's and beyond.
If you would like to learn more about the work Cheryl and her team are doing you can visit their website: www.sarahsoasis.org/
Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese art of making shattered dishes whole. It was also the theme for this past year's trafficking survivor retreat held by the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, WI. Program and Retreat Coordinator for the center, Julie Connelly, shares more about the retreat, as well as a bit of her own journey to spiritual direction and how this practice can benefit survivors of human trafficking as well as anyone on their own journey of healing.
Lastly, Julie shares about some resources with listeners and encourages individuals to check out some of their programming found on their website: www.fscenter.org
Sound of Freedom has grossed $172.84 million domestically, shocking mainstream media with its popularity. The film, depicting the life of Operation Underground Railroad's Tim Ballard and has surpassed blockbuster hits like Indiana Jones and Disney's Elemental.
Podcast hosts Cat Morgan and Mark Halvorsen dive into a conversation about this recent box office success, delving into some of the controversy surrounding the film and sharing 5 key takeaways we can learn from it.
What were your thoughts on the film? We'd love to hear from you! You can connect with us by emailing podcast@fiercefreedom.org
TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast episode makes mention of forced abortions and child sexual abuse, please share and listen with discretion.
Part II of our conversation with bestselling UK Author Michelle Kelly who shares more about some of the trends she is seeing in the sex industry including grooming of autistic youth and university students towards sex work.
She also shares on the podcast about the porn to trafficking pipeline and how many in the industry experience forced abortions in addition to other forms of sexual violence.
Michelle encourages listeners to continue educating themselves and to continue sharing about these important topics and shares what keeps her inspired in this work.
If you want to check out Michelle's written work you can visit: michellek.substack.com
Bestselling UK Author Michelle Kelly is working tirelessly to dismantle assumptions regarding legalized prostitution and commercial sexual acts, informed by her own experiences as a survivor of sexual violence and exploitation both in-person and online.
She shares on the podcast why she has firmly taken the stance that "sex work is not work" and the backlash she has received for expressing this viewpoint so publicly through her writing.
Michelle encourages proponents of fully decriminalizing prostitution to educate themselves through survivor testimony and research of what the effects have been in other countries.
If you want to check out Michelle's written work you can visit: michellek.substack.com
Toni Mattson is the Founder of Trinity Equestrian Center as well as a speaker, writer, and podcaster. For part II of our conversation with her we hear more about how she was influenced by her upbringing towards helping others know the 4 P's of passion, power, peace, and purpose and to help weave this calling into everyday life.
Toni also shares about upcoming projects including an upcoming book she has written about hope and transformation.
To stay in touch with Toni's work and to check out her podcast "Live The Life" you can visit her website tonimattson.com
Today's guest has a passion to unite horses with people and watch incredible healing take place.
Toni Mattson is the Founder of Trinity Equestrian Center, whose mission is to help change lives through relationships, faith, and horses.
She talks about how Trinity Equestrian Center has offered survivors of complex trauma the opportunity to learn how to maintain healthy boundaries and the magic that occurs when you let horse and survivor interact in an organic way.
She also shares about other programs which include youth mentoring and development for kids that have been in high risk environments and for veterans of combat.
To learn more about the programming available or to support the work at Trinity Equestrian you can visit: trinity-ec.com
Today we're highlighting Adam and Alicia Condit of Blue Ox Running, who will share more about what you can expect from the Eau Freedom Fun Run & Fest and why they decided to partner with Fierce Freedom and our work locally.
The couple also shares about their collective passion to develop healthy internet/social media practices for families and some practical ways to model this by resetting our own digital rhythms.
Visit blueoxrunning.com to connect with Adam and Alicia and to check out their podcast which features real life stories centered around fitness.
Tattoos have become a popular way to represent personal interests and passions. But for a victim of sex trafficking, "branding" tattoos from their pimp tell the gut-wrenching story of their abuse and exploitation.
Stephanie Andresen-Stevens is the Founder of Restorative Ink, a 501-c3 non-profit providing FREE tattoo removal services to those who are rebuilding their lives due to human trafficking or domestic violence.
Stephanie shares about how this service was borne out of her own personal and professional experiences. She gives warning signs for service providers and encourages them to respond to victims in a trauma informed way that validates both their reactions and experiences.
If your facility would like to receive training and resources from Stephanie and her team at Restorative Ink, or if you'd like to support this org - you can visit: restorativeink.com
The LGBTQ+ population is three times more likely to engage in survival sex when compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers, yet these cases go highly unreported. (Loyola University)
We invited Melinda Sampson, Community Outreach Coordinator for NC Stop Human Trafficking to shine light on some the root causes as to why this population is disproportionately affected, and to discuss the need for a big picture shift to help support all marginalized populations.
She also shares the importance of addressing demand and how showing kindness and making human connections goes a long way in helping victims find the help that can change their life trajectory.
If you'd like to receive professional training or just learn more about the work Melinda is doing with NC Stop Human Trafficking check out their website here: ncstophumantrafficking.org
Encouraging artistic development is an important aspect of childhood and can foster both creative problem solving and healthy avenues for collaboration and positive self-expression in youth.
The CollECtive Arts is a local non-profit organization made up of multiple ministries that seek to glorify God through music, dance, theater, and visual art with programming for children, youth, and adults.
We invited Director Michael Rambo to share more about his passion to create spaces of belonging and creativity which are fostered by the free and affordable programming made available through CollECtive Arts.
If you'd like to learn how to join creative forces with the work Mike and his team are involved with, come check out their booth at our upcoming Eau Freedom event, or by visiting them at collectiveartsec.org
How can each of us learn how to advocate for ourselves in a holistic and trauma-informed way?
Today's guest Kayleen Soden, Founder of Phoenix Holistic Wellness LLC will share about how she began moving beyond unhealthy patterns cemented in childhood and subsequently embracing her own journey towards self-awareness and efficacy.
She encourages listeners to check out her org Phoenix Holistic Wellness as a possible first step - which offers services, classes, and workshops, designed to help clients understand how their entire experience in the world can be integrated into a single understanding about self, wellness, and community.
Kayleen also shares about an upcoming Artist Market that integrates artistic expression with trauma-resiliency - where she also is designating funds to local orgs with similar aims (including Fierce Freedom!).
You can also check out Kayleen's blog where she explores various passions including: nutrition, nature, psychology, spirituality, and self-discovery.
TRIGGER: This episode includes some subject matter unsuitable for children, we recommend for ages 14+
What is being done to curb sexual predation towards children in Wisconsin and to decriminalize underage victims of trafficking?
We invited Wisconsin State Senator Jesse L. James to speak more about his passion for protecting families in our state through enacting policy and legislation.
He provides updates on new legislation he and his team are working to get passed. Bills include amendments to child protection laws which will now include AI rendered images of youth, and new legislation that would outlaw the use of child sex dolls. He also shares about why he believes we need a Safe Harbor law for underage victims of trafficking in our state.
If you want to get in touch with Jesse and his team, you can email him at sen.james@legis.wisconsin.gov.
How can I bring porn-resiliency into my own personal spheres of influence?
In part II of today's podcast, our guest Taylor Chambers, MS, LMFT shares with us about his work as a sexuality coach and how he encourages couples seeking guidance after betrayal trauma to move beyond it and stresses the importance of becoming a trustworthy and honest person versus regaining trust.
He also points to several resources for listeners he has worked to develop including a course to help families bring porn-resilient thinking to the home.
To check out Taylor's resource Porn-Resilient: The Pilgrimage From Unwanted Porn Use to Fearless Sexuality and his course about raising porn-resilient kids, visit his website: taylorchambers.com
Use code FIERCE20 to get 20% off your purchase.
Can fearlessly embracing our sexuality lead to more resilience towards pornography? In part I of today's podcast, our guest Taylor Chambers, MS, LMFT shares with us about his work as a sexuality coach and how he encourages his clients towards a higher form of sexual expression amidst a constantly evolving pornographic landscape by focusing on a model that he believes will point to overall sexual health without repression of sexuality itself. To check out Taylor's resource Porn-Resilient: The Pilgrimage From Unwanted Porn Use to Fearless Sexuality and his course about raising porn-resilient kids, visit his website: taylorchambers.com Use code FIERCE20 to get 20% off your purchase.
School-age children and youth spend 80 percent of their waking hours outside of school, and yet third spaces can be inaccessible to families due to cost or lack of knowledge.
Enter Village, a local tech company empowering families to easily find and connect with the many out-of-school programs in their community, connecting youth with new experiences and relationships.
We invited Trish Cummins, the Director of Mission, to speak more about how Village matches families with vetted providers of extracurricular programming. She also speaks about the opportunity for individual donors to support youth - creating equal access for all kids.
To get involved as a family, provider or donor you can visit Village.com
Spotify, Ebay, Discord, Instagram - all these major corporations are featured on the National Center on Sexual Exploitation's "Dirty Dozen" list this year for facilitating, enabling, and even profiting from sexual abuse and exploitation.
To speak more on the history of this decade spanning initiative, and its many victories, we invited Lina Nealon, Vice President & Director of Corporate Advocacy for NCOSE.
Lina highlights some of these mainstream contributors of sexual exploitation and how consumers can easily take action to help hold them accountable and influence future policies.
If you'd like to learn more and help to ignite change within these global entities, check out the Dirty Dozen list this year by visiting: endsexualexploitation.org/dirtydozenlist-2023
Deepfake pornography is on the rise. In fact, a 2019 report showed that deepfake creation would double yearly and that 96% of existing deepfakes were nonconsensual pornography. (Fight the New Drug)
To dive deeper into this newer form of online exploitation, host Cat Morgan is joined by new podcast co-host, and broadcast veteran, Mark Halvorsen.
Together they'll also share some of the ways to approach this issue within your family, how to help curb this rise, and lastly what to do if you've been a victim of nonconsensual pornography.
If you've been a victim of deepfake pornography call 800.656.HOPE (4673) to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
On today's episode we're highlighting our friend Marlene Sorenson, who is the Co-Founder/Executive Director of Zeteo Community based in Madison WI. This is a non-profit organization working to provide housing, healing and hope for women who have been sexually exploited and their children.
Marlene shares about this journey to create a beautiful home of healing and restoration for survivors - which came from a God-given desire to give survivors of exploitation a healing community where they can dream and thrive.
To learn more or to partner with Zeteo Community financially you can check out their website: zeteocommunity.org
Today’s episode continues our conversation with Shayla Beaumont, the Elevate|Uplift Coordinator for MIWSAC Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition.
Shayla shares more about best practices for engaging with this work and highlights the programming available through Elevate|Uplift to assist organizations serving survivors of sexual violence to change their practices and uphold the healing journey through a variety of learning opportunities
To learn more about the work Shayla is doing with Elevate|Uplift, check out their website here.
The BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) estimates there are 4,200 missing and murdered cases that have gone unsolved, most of these cases are women.
To speak more about the disproportionately high rates of sexual violence and incarceration among native women and its roots in historical oppression, we invited Shayla Beaumont, who has advocated for those in human trafficking or domestic abuse for nearly a decade and now serves as the Elevate|Uplift Coordinator for MIWSAC Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition.
Shayla brings to light so many of the disparities modern Native peoples face and how frequently crimes against them by non-Native members go unchecked.
To learn more about the work Shayla is doing with Elevate|Uplift, check out their website here.
Oscar-winning film "Women Talking" is living up to its name by inciting thought-provoking conversation about abuses going on in isolated religious communities.
This episode is no exception, to delve more into the hard truths stirred up by this powerful film, we invited returning guest Hope Anne Dueck, Executive Director of A Better Way which often works with survivors of abuse from plain dress communities.
Hope Anne shares from her own professional and personal experiences growing up in a Mennonite community to explore its connections to real life events and what important takeaways we can take from such an impactful story.
Studies show that about 61% of adults surveyed across 25 states reported that they had experienced at least one type of adverse childhood experience (ACE).
All of us carry invisible traumas from childhood that greatly affect our life trajectory and can also lead to higher risk for substance abuse, depression, and lower life expectancy.
Despite this fact, there is hope. We invited Fierce Freedom Board Member and Doctor of Physical Therapy to highlight healing pathways of compassion towards these experiences within ourselves and subsequently helping others to counter these negative pulls.
To learn about these resources you can download Jessie's slide deck here.
What is sextortion and why is it on the rise? We asked returning guest Dr. Justin Patchin, Co-Founder of the Cyberbullying Research Center to share about growing trends of sextortion - what has caused its rise and why kids make such common targets for predators.
He also gives an overview of a new tool "Take It Down," aimed at helping victims of sextortion have their image taken down across various platforms and how he recommends families approach these kinds of tough topics through harm reduction and supportive practices.
To learn more about the work Justin is doing you can visit: cyberbullying.org
On part II of today's episode, you'll hear a real story of sex trafficking. This courageous woman Audrey* will share her story about moving beyond a life of sex trafficking and exploitation.
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with topics including suicidal ideation.
*Original names have been omitted from this episode.
On part I of today's episode, you'll hear a real story of sex trafficking. This courageous woman Audrey* shares about how her upbringing and vulnerabilities created a perfect storm that led to the subsequent abuse and exploitation she experienced.
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with topics including child sexual abuse and suicidal ideation.
*Original names have been omitted from this episode.
As part of our monthly series about porn and sexuality, we invited Laila Mickelwait, CEO of the Justice Defense Fund and Founder of #Traffickinghub Movement to talk more about her work to hold "mega trafficking" site Pornhub accountable and her work to help survivors of sex trafficking find justice.
In part II of this episode, Laila highlights her org The Justice Defense Fund which endeavors to bring justice to survivors of sex trafficking and child sexual abuse through an alliance of policy experts, lawmakers, attorneys, advocates, academics, and survivors in order to achieve success.
She also explains how we need to collectively increase risk and decrease profit for traffickers and buyers by pushing forward legislation and litigation that supports this and also continuing to spread awareness about porn sites that profit from blatant exploitation.
You can support Laila's work with the Justice Defense Fund here: justicedefensefund.org
To join this movement, you can sign the #Traffickinghub petition here: traffickinghub.com. You can also follow Laila on Twitter for any updates in the movement @lailamickelwait
During our monthly series talking about porn & sexuality, we are highlighting the collective work of several organizations and one woman in particular, who has relentlessly worked to expose the "mega trafficker" Pornhub, the most popular porn site in the world.
Laila Mickelwait, Founder of #Traffickinghub Movement has made global headlines for her work to sound the alarm against this porn site, and parent company MindGeek, which has profited billions through underage, non-consensual, and graphic pornography it has hosted for users on the site.
In part I of this episode, Laila breaks down the journey towards accountability of this site and the value of collaboration and persistence in this fight.
To join this movement, you can sign the #Traffickinghub petition here: traffickinghub.com
Whether you were raised to believe in hook up or purity culture, our attitudes towards sexuality can be incredibly varied, leading to a lot of confusion on how best to approach sex.
Our podcast guest, Evening Snow has authored a book, “Sex On Clearance” that challenges readers to look beyond social norms that dictate how to view their sexuality by using research on how casual sex is impacting our bodies, brains, and our relationships. She also encourages parents to begin this conversation with kids early to create a comfortable and safe environment to bring their questions.
Evening hopes by sharing her own experiences in these chapters, others will feel confident in their worth while navigating romantic and sexual relationships.
To buy her book on Amazon go here: https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Clearance-Tempted-Sacred-Marriage/dp/B0B5LK19HH
This month we're talking about porn and sexuality. To kick things off we invited Author and Sexual Therapist Andrew J. Bauman to share about his work with men, inviting them to embrace healthy and wholistic sexuality.
He shares about his journey of outgrowing pornography and what he wants men to know about repairing a spousal relationship in the wake of this kind of addiction. Mostly, Andrew's message is one of hope for those caught up in a life of addiction who are yearning for more.
Check out Andrew's blogs or published work by visiting: andrewjbauman.com
If you're looking for faith-based counseling and therapeutic resources through Andrew and his wife Christy, visit: christiancc.org
If there's one thing our podcast guest understands, it is finding ways to step out faithfully everyday. For decades, Terry Hildebrandt has stepped into opportunities that serve others and shine light on injustices like sex trafficking.
On this episode, Terry shares about how his work with the Salvation Army intersected with vulnerable populations and informed his personal, professional, and academic practices. He explains too how this knowledge of the child sex trade affected him as a parent, and what he hopes for future generations.
To learn more about some of the programming available for vulnerable populations, check out the Salvation Army's website here.
Regardless of your favorite steaming service, binging on documentaries and other depictions of lived experiences can be a fantastic way to bring awareness to the masses.
But are there potential harms to over consumption of these kinds of shows? To join the conversation we have Naomi Wright, Executive Director of beEmboldened Ministries.
Together, she and host Cat Morgan unpack their own experiences and what they learned are best practices to engage sustainably with this kind of binge-worthy content.
If you have been a victim of religious abuse or want to learn more about the work Naomi is doing with beEmboldened Ministries visit: beemboldened.com
Part II of our conversation with Rosie Cataldo, who works as a trauma-informed human trafficking consultant, prevention educator & healing conduit through her consulting service, Consult Rosie.
In today's episode Rosie gives advocates some strategies to create a "trauma barrier" for themselves and their clients, which include some de-escalation techniques and other methods of harm reduction when working with victims of crime.
If you'd like to bring Rosie in to consult with you or your team, you can visit her website or email consultrosie@gmail.com.
This is part I of our conversation with Rosie Cataldo who works as a trauma-informed human trafficking consultant, prevention educator & healing conduit through her consulting service, Consult Rosie.
In today's episode, Rosie shares about her first interaction with the world of sex trafficking and how it spurred her on to find her own role. She encourages us all to examine our own gifts which may lead us to finding a way to uniquely fill in the gaps within the anti-trafficking movement.
One of those ways you can get involved is through a planking challenge she created to spread awareness about trafficking.
Here's how you join the challenge! 1.) Post a photo or video of you planking. 2.) Share an action item: How you will come alongside this issue. 3.) Nominate a friend to participate. 4.) Tag @RosieCataldo, @fiercefreedomec & @VeteransforChildRescue & we will share your post!
As many of us reflect on the past year, we likely have mixed emotions recounting both the ups and downs we have experienced.
Diane Bryant, spiritual director for Fierce Freedom guides listeners towards healthy practices for those of us seeking to engage prayerfully- in a sustainable way - with our own heartaches and the ones found in the world.
Our prayer event for the faith community will be held at The Valleybrook 410 Cafe (410 S. Barstow St. in Eau Claire WI) on Jan 11th, at 5:30 PM - we will gather for a time of music, reflection, prayer and testimony together.
In honor of Giving Tuesday, Board President of Fierce Freedom Aaron Libner, and Donor Engagement Specialist Joyce Orth update supporters about our year-end giving campaign and how you can contribute uniquely this year to help support us and our mission to disrupt the cycle of trafficking and exploitation!
To support our year-end giving campaign:
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Visit fiercefreedom.org/support
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Designate your gift to "End of Year Campaign 2022"
Thank you so much for your generosity, it allows us to continue this work, and we greatly appreciate it!
Today's podcast guest Lizzie Hershberger explains what it was like growing up in an uber conservative Amish community and shares about her new memoir Behind Blue Curtains, which details the sexual abuse she experienced as well as her pursuit of justice that came many years later.
In addition to being an author and speaker on Amish culture, Lizzie is a strong advocate for victims of any kind of abuse and Co-Founded The Voices of Hope Givers - a support group for survivors. Her hope is to create generational change towards abuse prevention and pave the way for other silenced members of the plains communities to share their story and find healing.
You can purchase Lizzie's book on Amazon, 10% of all proceeds go to helping survivors of abuse.
Trigger Warning: This episode discusses cases of child sexual abuse and may not be suitable for all audiences.
In the state of Wisconsin, there are harsher penalties for drunk driving than there are to sexually abuse a child.
That is why today's podcast guest, legal assistant and survivor of child sexual abuse Heather Martell is attempting to pass a state bill that uses similar language from OWI state statutes to provide more severe penalties for abusers of children.
You'll learn what loopholes exist for perpetrators, what the long term effects on victims and this community are, and how her bill would help disrupt cycles of this kind of abuse.
If you would like to read and support this bill you can download it here. You can also email Heather at: HeatherOLMartell@outlook.com
How can someone begin to identify their trauma and create a care plan to begin the healing process?
We invited Jessie Podolak, who currently serves on the Board of Directors for Fierce Freedom and also has a doctorate in physical therapy to share more about empowering anyone on the spectrum of trauma "peel and heal" back the layers of pain to find true and lasting healing.
She also shares about implementing this into your work as a health care provider as well as some of her favorite resources for continuing education.
To learn more about trauma informed care check out these books/websites:
Therapy in a Nutshell
Becoming Safely Embodied: Deidre Fay
The Body Keeps the Score: Bessel Van De Kolk
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode deals with issues of child sexual abuse, rape, and incest.
Today's podcast guest works to highlight countless stories of abuse in Plain dressing groups such as Amish, Mennonite, and other Anabaptist communities.
Hope Anne Dueck is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of A Better Way, a Christian organization that equips caring people to prevent, recognize, and respond correctly to abuse.
She shares about how her own experience of observing multiple cases of child abuse led to her passion to educate both professionals and the public about these crimes as well as creating tools for victims to receive support, as they seek justice and healing.
To support the work Hope Anne and her team is doing at A Better Way, please visit their website: abetterway.org
There are 450,000 youth in the U.S. foster care system today. Many don't hear about the worth and value they have, which is why Royal Family Kids Camp exists and has been offering free week-long summer camps for children of abuse or neglect who have been placed in foster care.
This episode we chatted with the Former Camp Director Theresa Johnston about the camp and how it allows kids to "unpack" their experiences coming in and leave with a sense of their own value, that helps sustain them throughout their lives.
If you'd like to get connected to volunteer as a camp counselor
rfk@htcfamily.org
If you'd like to donate to support this work, visit:
htcfamily.org/give-online/
For 55 years, The Eau Claire Academy has provided mental health care and housing for adolescents in the state who have needed it - and now, they are closing for good.
Chuck Anger, the academy's interim director shares with us about some of the systemic reasons behind this decision as well as what he feels will be the far-reaching ripple effects within our state due to the rising demand for youth mental health services.
He also shares one youth's perspective on what the public can do to help advocate within our communities to create better resources for the youth who so desperately need them within our area.
For 55 years, The Eau Claire Academy has provided mental health care and housing for adolescents in the state who have needed it - and now, they are closing for good.
Chuck Anger, the academy's interim director shares with us about some of the systemic reasons behind this decision as well as what he feels will be the far-reaching ripple effects within our state due to the rising demand for youth mental health services.
He also shares one youth's perspective on what the public can do to help advocate within our communities to create better resources for the youth who so desperately need them within our area.
How can superheroes lead the way towards creating better communities in the lives of youth?
Fierce Freedom Program Content Specialist Chris Page chatted with Matt and Cat about our new program for elementary students which uses superheroes and other creative ways to teach kids about creating a culture of worth in value within their own spheres.
To learn how to bring Worth It to your school district by emailing chris@fiercefreedom.org.
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when that picture is drawn by a sexually abused child who doesn't have the words to tell you.
Trigger Warning: For those who have experienced sexual abuse or have a loved one who has been a victim, this episode deals with this topic and may be triggering for survivors. Please contact the RAINN Hotline for supportive services.
We wanted to share findings of a study that comes from researcher Scott R. Neubauer and the Child Abuse Education Foundation which details red flags for childhood sexual abuse found in drawings. We'll share how the results of this study can result in parents, educators, and childcare workers becoming significantly better at detecting signs of sexual abuse.
To see the gallery or watch the video for the Broken Crayons Exhibit by Amigos for Kids visit: brokencrayons.us
To download this booklet from the Child Abuse Education Foundation visit this link.
This episode is dedicated to Scott R. Neubauer, who passed away suddenly in 2018, and whose passion in life was for getting help for children being abused. May his legacy live on through his family and important life's work.
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when that picture is drawn by a sexually abused child who doesn't have the words to tell you.
Trigger Warning: For those who have experienced sexual abuse or have a loved one who has been a victim, this episode deals with this topic and may be triggering for survivors. Please contact the RAINN Hotline for supportive services.
We wanted to share findings of a study that comes from researcher Scott R. Neubauer and the Child Abuse Education Foundation which details red flags for childhood sexual abuse found in drawings. We'll share how the results of this study can result in parents, educators, and childcare workers becoming significantly better at detecting signs of sexual abuse.
To see the gallery or watch the video for the Broken Crayons Exhibit by Amigos for Kids visit: brokencrayons.us
To download this booklet from the Child Abuse Education Foundation visit this link.
This episode is dedicated to Scott R. Neubauer, who passed away suddenly in 2018, and whose passion in life was for getting help for children being abused. May his legacy live on through his family and important life's work.
Today's podcast guest LeBrent Speed is a prime example of the power of transformation. In fact, this is what his work with his org Transformation Men International is all based on.
LeBrent will share his story with listeners and why believes that true and lasting transformation is possible for everyone, even those who feel trapped in a cycle of addictive compulsions.
He'll also spell out some of the pre-cursors for lasting change to take place as well as why he believes so many of us continue to be thwarted by our own narratives and excuses.
If you'd like to reach out to LeBrent directly you can email him directly at: lebrentspeed@bni.com
To get involved with his org Transform Men International visit: transformmen.now.site/home
Today's podcast guest LeBrent Speed is a prime example of the power of transformation. In fact, this is what his work with his org Transformation Men International is all based on.
LeBrent will share his story with listeners and why believes that true and lasting transformation is possible for everyone, even those who feel trapped in a cycle of addictive compulsions.
He'll also spell out some of the pre-cursors for lasting change to take place as well as why he believes so many of us continue to be thwarted by our own narratives and excuses.
If you'd like to reach out to LeBrent directly you can email him directly at: lebrentspeed@bni.com
To get involved with his org Transform Men International visit: transformmen.now.site/home
Today's episode is a good one to kick back with a warm cup of coffee or tea as we explore why going deep sustains you in the daily battle against injustice.
We hear from Exec. Director of Fierce Freedom, Jenny Almquist and Spiritual Director for Fierce Freedom Diane Bryant, about the role spiritual direction has played within Fierce Freedom and why they recommend it for any individual or organization, particularly those who are engaged in issues of societal justice.
If you'd like to set up a session with Diane you can email her at: bryantdiane75@gmail.com
Some other resources per Diane to check out if you are interested in incorporating this practice into your life or work are:
- Find your own spiritual director/soul companion: sdicompanions.org
- For specifically Christian communities: graftedlife.org
- To learn how to become a Spiritual Director: soulformation.org
- Depleted leaders looking for rest: findrest.org
Reading Materials:
- Spiritual Direction - Gary Moon & David Benner
- Soul Care in African-American Practice - Barbara L. Peacock
- Let Your Life Speak - Parker Palmer
- Sacred Companions - David Benner
Today's episode is a good one to kick back with a warm cup of coffee or tea as we explore why going deep sustains you in the daily battle against injustice.
We hear from Exec. Director of Fierce Freedom, Jenny Almquist and Spiritual Director for Fierce Freedom Diane Bryant, about the role spiritual direction has played within Fierce Freedom and why they recommend it for any individual or organization, particularly those who are engaged in issues of societal justice.
If you'd like to set up a session with Diane you can email her at: bryantdiane75@gmail.com
Some other resources per Diane to check out if you are interested in incorporating this practice into your life or work are:
- Find your own spiritual director/soul companion: sdicompanions.org
- For specifically Christian communities: graftedlife.org
- To learn how to become a Spiritual Director: soulformation.org
- Depleted leaders looking for rest: findrest.org
Reading Materials:
- Spiritual Direction - Gary Moon & David Benner
- Soul Care in African-American Practice - Barbara L. Peacock
- Let Your Life Speak - Parker Palmer
- Sacred Companions - David Benner
This past Spring, Fierce Freedom staff and volunteers had the opportunity to return to the local juvenile detention hall to continue our outreach program for at-risk youth using materials from our friends at POV Story (shoutout!)
Long-time volunteers Debbie Hong and Bill Anderson share about their time with the youth, lessons they learned and memorable stories that all shaped this experience.
If you'd like more information about the materials we used from POV Story, please visit them at: pointofviewstory.com/
This past Spring, Fierce Freedom staff and volunteers had the opportunity to return to the local juvenile detention hall to continue our outreach program for at-risk youth using materials from our friends at POV Story (shoutout!)
Long-time volunteers Debbie Hong and Bill Anderson share about their time with the youth, lessons they learned and memorable stories that all shaped this experience.
If you'd like more information about the materials we used from POV Story, please visit them at: pointofviewstory.com/
Today we're talking about the recent nationwide sex trafficking campaign: Operation Cross Country XII, a collaborative enforcement campaign of 200 state, local and federal partners which led to the identification and location of both minor and adult victims of sex trafficking.
While it is important to celebrate these collaborative efforts by FBI Special Agents, Intelligence Analysts, and Victim Specialists for the victims identified, Matt and Cat will delve into some of the questions that remain from this report and what details they hope will come to light to better inform direct service provision and policy enactment for victims of trafficking.
To read the FBI press release on this operation visit this link: justice.gov/opa/pr/fbi-announces-results-nationwide-sex-trafficking-operation
Today we're talking about the recent nationwide sex trafficking campaign: Operation Cross Country XII, a collaborative enforcement campaign of 200 state, local and federal partners which led to the identification and location of both minor and adult victims of sex trafficking.
While it is important to celebrate these collaborative efforts by FBI Special Agents, Intelligence Analysts, and Victim Specialists for the victims identified, Matt and Cat will delve into some of the questions that remain from this report and what details they hope will come to light to better inform direct service provision and policy enactment for victims of trafficking.
To read the FBI press release on this operation visit this link: justice.gov/opa/pr/fbi-announces-results-nationwide-sex-trafficking-operation
Grab your pumpkin spice lattes and cozy up for this podcast episode which is talking about Fierce Freedom's exciting lineup of events this Fall!
Matt and Cat provide details about Fierce Freedom's upcoming West Central WI Anti-Trafficking Conference coming up October 13th, 9am-3pm at Wild Ridge Event Center in Eau Claire, WI. Early bird prices end September 22nd so reserve your spot today at tinyurl.com/ffconf2022
Fierce Freedom is also hosting monthly Fierce Parenting ($250 value) classes for FREE . No sign up is required, classes will take place every third Thursday from 6:30pm - 7:30pm at our office address - 2519 N. Hillcrest Pkwy #200, Altoona WI 54720.
What does hopelessness in teens look like? It can present as bullying, self-harm/cutting, depression, or isolation. Eau Claire Treehouse wants to combat this cycle of hopelessness by providing a safe space of loving acceptance for teens to thrive and dream for the future.
Our guests TJ (Area Director) and Ashley (Program Director) share the many ways you can get involved with their mission through mentorship of teens or helping them impact more teens through financial support.
Also, be sure you check out their official launch party in Eau Claire on Sept 18th from 1-4pm with food trucks, raffles and live music!
What does hopelessness in teens look like? It can present as bullying, self-harm/cutting, depression, or isolation. Eau Claire Treehouse wants to combat this cycle of hopelessness by providing a safe space of loving acceptance for teens to thrive and dream for the future.
Our guests TJ (Area Director) and Ashley (Program Director) share the many ways you can get involved with their mission through mentorship of teens or helping them impact more teens through financial support.
Also, be sure you check out their official launch party in Eau Claire on Sept 18th from 1-4pm with food trucks, raffles and live music!
Most of the time, those who perpetrate sexual acts against children are someone the child knows. This was also the case for our guest Amber Gregory - an author, speaker, and survivor of sexual abuse perpetrated at the ages of 12 and 13 by her dance teacher.
She opens up about the subtle ways her abuser began to groom her and the adults around her in her memoir "Little Sweetheart" and how she came to terms with her own abuse.
Amber shares also how her faith in God was weaponized against her by her abuser, but how this ultimately brought her out of the shame and "dirtiness" she experienced from this abuse.
If you'd like to check out more of Amber's work, or bring her in to speak to your group, visit her at ambergregoryauthor.com
Dr. Stephany Powell is an anomaly. Not only does she have 30 years of experience as a Vice Sergeant of the LAPD, but she has also served as an Executive Director on a nonprofit Journey Out, which provides direct services to help victims of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking.
Using her varied background in both education and as a Vice Officer, Stephany shares her best advice for nonprofits and advocacy groups for strengthening ties with law enforcement in their own communities to better assist victims of trafficking.
If you'd like for Stephany to train your agency or community, you can reach out to her at: spowell@ncoselaw.org
Saed D. Hill is the Assistant Director of Prevention and Masculine Engagement at the Center for Awareness, Response, and Education (CARE) where he collaborates with Northwestern University to develop and implement strategies to improve masculine engagement in the prevention of violence.
Saed shares with us about how "traditional" masculinity puts boys and men in restrictive boxes, causing them to see relationships as transactional - which in turn can also lead to gendered violent acts.
He also explains how each of us can help address harmful and restrictive masculinity in our own spheres, while promoting real connection and granting permission towards healthy masculinity.
If you'd like to learn more about the incredible work Saed is doing or have him speak to your community, you can email him at: saed.hill@northwestern.edu
If you are a male victim of sexual violence, visit 1in6.org for more resources.
We invited survivor leader, author, and liberator Harmony Grillo, to share with us about her experience in the commercial sex industry, and the life changing friendship that helped to liberate her.
Harmony also explains how her faith became a framework for truth and a foundation for her recovery. She shares how while she believes faith is a huge component in the healing journey, the approach her organization Treasures takes with survivors allows them the freedom of choice rather than policing their decisions.
Finally, Harmony gives us her perspective on how sexual exploitation has evolved since she has left this life, and about her banned Ted Ex talk about the harms of legalized prostitution.
You can download Harmony's FREE e-training for mentors who are walking alongside a survivor and purchase her memoir: Scars & Stilettos here.
Today's podcast guest is proof that you're never to young to care about justice. For the last four years, 9-year-old Kol Flanders has collected hundreds of dollars for Fierce Freedom's Justice Race, and this year he wants to raise even more!
He and his mom Jen join us in the studio to share more about why thinks raising funds and awareness is important, and what he loves most about the Justice Race.
To help Kol reach his goal of $1,000 this year, check out this link: givesendgo.com/kolsrace
We were so honored to have a conversation with Rebecca Bender about what she wishes people could just "get" about trafficking, what gives her hope in the movement, and a word of encouragement for survivors seeking to exit this life.
Rebecca will also share about changing the world through entertainment and storytelling in a NEW TV series she is Executive Producer of called Coercion. The series will pilot on Showtime and details Rebecca's return to "normalcy" after 6 years of being trafficked and her emergence as both a survivor leader and one of nation’s foremost experts on sex trafficking.
Rebecca's specialized training has equipped well over 100,000 professionals including FBI, Homeland Security, local law enforcement, community leaders, medical professionals, and more. She is a highly sought-after speaker, consultant, and nationally recognized authority who is passionate about seeing people transform their lives so they can change the world.
Check out rebeccabender.org to learn more.
A special thank you to the Eau Claire Community Foundation for making this episode possible!
Today we're talking to Ashley Olson, who is the new CEO of Lev Apparel - which is a fashion brand that focuses on timeless designs made to end the cycle of poverty and human trafficking through hope, healing and restoration.
Ashley shares about the origins of Lev Apparel and how they seek empower both creators of clothing to have a better life but also the consumer to have stylish apparel that fits their unique body type.
She also talks about the difference between sustainable and ethical fashion and how each purchase we make can move the dial towards freedom, and away from exploitation.
Ashley is also offering all of our listeners 15% off their purchase at Lev Apparel with code FIERCE so be sure to check them out at levapparel.com
Our guest Claudine O' Leary educates communities on how to effectively respond to youth and adults with life experience in the sex trades through harm reduction.
Drawing from her own experience as a trafficked teen and several years of advocacy work, Claudine's latest venture is a FREE toolkit designed in conjunction with the WI Dept. of Children and Families to help care providers draw out strengths in youth, ultimately building out resiliency from dangers like sexual exploitation and systemic violence.
To learn how to gain access to this toolkit, please reach out to Rebecca Dettmann, MSW, APSW of the WI Dept. of Children & Families - rdettmann@chw.org
Wondering how you can help Fierce Freedom with its mission of ending the cycle of human trafficking? It's simple really, your birthday!
Joyce Orth, Donor Engagement Specialist at Fierce Freedom will share with individuals how easy and fun it can be to celebrate your big day by connecting loved ones with this cause, and how local businesses can join the party as well!
The public is also invited to celebrate Fierce Freedom's 10th birthday on June 16th from 5pm-7pm for an open-house celebration at Forage Event Center in Eau Claire. No RSVP needed just come join in the fun!
If you'd like to learn more about Birthday for a Cause, email joyce@fiercefreedom.org or visit fiercefreedom.org/birthday-for-a-cause
Our returning guest Rebecca Kotz points to specific moments of our history (e.g. the de-funding of social welfare systems) which have resulted in a system that relies heavily on the prison industrial complex and prostitution industrial complex systems.
Rebecca asserts that the only way forward is dismantling these systems and uprooting harmful ideologies that inflict sexual violence on one group to protect another dominant group.
She instead hopes we can all work together to challenge these beliefs and instead create a system based on transformative justice, an approach that seeks safety and accountability without relying on alienation and punishment or systemic violence.
Rebecca's Cited Sources Below:
8:00 | A Brief History of Neoliberalism by David Harvey 9:05 | Golden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California by Ruth Wilson Gilmore and Disposable Futures by Henry Giroux & Brad Evans 11:50 | Critical Resistance A World Without Walls abolition toolkit http://criticalresistance.org/resources/the-abolitionist-toolkit 15:40 | "Towards the Horizon of Abolition" an interview with Mariame Kaba https://thenextsystem.org/learn/stories/towards-horizon-abolition-conversation-mariame-kaba and We Do This 'Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice by Mariame Kaba 22:50 | Creative Interventions Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Stop Interpersonal Violence
https://www.creative-interventions.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CI-Toolkit-Final-ENTIRE-Aug-2020-new-cover.pdf 23:00 | Generation FIVE Toward transformative justice: A liberatory approach to child sexual abuse and other forms of intimate and community violence http://www.generationfive.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/G5_Toward_Transformative_Justice-Document.pdf 30:30 | INCITE! & Critical Resistance's Statement on Gender Violence and the Prison Industrial
Complex: https://incite-national.org/incite-critical-resistance-statement/ For other sources and recommended reading, check out Rebecca's resource page, http://www.rebeccakotz.com/resources.html
Our returning guest Rebecca Kotz unpacks The Equality model, which aims to partially decriminalize prostitution, "shrinking the sex trade" and a step forward in ending sexual exploitation.
Rebecca says this goes beyond a policy change, but also involves identifying the ways victims are coerced into the sex trade and working to comprehensively cover those vulnerabilities. She shares the need for service providers to be trained well when working with victims as well and questions our reliance on the criminal/legal system as the primary path out of prostitution.
She also explains how social norms also need to shift as a majority of victims of sex trafficking receive little understanding or support once they are considered an adult, and therefore considered responsible for their actions by the public at large. In addition, she shares the need to end the demand for prostitution and, more broadly, the normalization of sexual coercion, objectification, and commodification.
If you'd like to learn more about the Equality Model, visit: www.equalitymodelus.org/
To learn about Minnesota's campaign for partial decriminalization, Safe Harbor for All, visit: www.sh4all.org/
For nearly 40 years, the Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, Inc has provided support and care for incoming Hmong refugees and immigrants as they seek to navigate the obstacles that accompany resettlement.
To share more specifically about the programming offered at ECAHMAA, the history of the Hmong people, and the importance of serving this population through a culturally competent lens - we invited True Vue (Executive Director) and Paweena Yang (Sexual Assault Advocate).
To learn more about how you can support the ECAHMAA or if you'd like to train your company to support its employees through a culturally competent approach, learn more at: ecahmaa.org
In what is being called by the UN the fastest growing refugee population in Europe since WWII, the war on Ukraine is leaving millions of Ukrainian refugees at a huge risk for exploitation.
Hosts Cat and Matt will share some facts regarding the invasion and how it is causing a flood of sexual exploitation and potential for human trafficking in various forms to take place.
They'll also share some ways you can get involved by sending humanitarian aid through United Way's United for Ukraine Fund, to address immediate needs of Ukrainian citizens. Or to sponsor a refugee individually or as part of a faith community or group, for more information on this visit dhs.gov/ukraine
What is reality even? Recent years have seen an increase in time spent within virtual spheres for both business and recreation.
One facet of this more fully embodied internet use has been dubbed metaverse, which allows users a more immersive way to engage virtually. Our returning guest Dr. Justin Patchin returns to share about this new frontier and why so many are draw into the metaverse.
As with any new technology, Patchin encourages parents to be honest, open and intentional with kids as they seek to navigate these virtual interactions safely.
In today's day and age, youth can be tormented round the clock through their devices, and some studies show this form of digital bullying is only on the rise.
What is cyberbullying exactly? To share more we invited Justin Patchin, UW-Eau Claire Professor of Criminal Justice and Co-Founder of the Cyberbullying Research Center who unpacks some of the ways youth and adults are victimized online. Justin also shares his strategy for equipping kids towards resiliency and encouraging them towards healthy tech use.
To help your kids learn how to safely navigate their online environment, check out Justin's book entitled "Words Wound: Delete Cyberbullying and Make Kindness Go Viral" or visit The Cyberbullying Research Center cyberbullying.org
Remedy Drive isn't just your average rock band, their music is interwoven with real stories of the international sex trade.
Band front-man and lyricist David Zach speaks of the band's origins and how his passion was fanned into flame by the actions of other heroes from the abolitionist movement - leading him to assist in undercover sex trafficking stings with The Exodus Road and write lyrics that that inspire the fight against sex trafficking.
David challenges each person to find out how to make trafficking dangerous, as each of us are made in the image of love and burdened with glorious purpose. If you'd like ideas of how to take action, connect with Remedy Drive by visiting: remedydrive.com/action
In the state of Wisconsin sexual assault of a minor is considered a felony, and the blame falls on the adult perpetrator... unless of course money changes hands. Adopting a safe harbor law would change all that in our state.
We invited Executive Director of Fight to End Exploitation and fellow advocate for Safe Harbor Melania Brostowitz (she/her) to share what this bill (SB245) is proposing and outlines how similar laws in neighboring states like Minnesota have succeeded to protect victims and prosecute the perpetrators.
Melania has previously spoken at the Wisconsin State Capitol as a nonprofit representative for legislative efforts and participates in several local and state coalitions that address the intersecting issues of human trafficking including homelessness, domestic violence, mental health, and youth advocacy.
To help amplify this important message to legislators you can download Fight to End Exploitation's toolkit here. To support the work Melania is doing visit: fighttoendexploitation.org
Today Podcast Producer and Community Program Specialist for Fierce Freedom Cat Morgan will be on the other side of the... microphone (actually she just moved one chair to sit in the guest spot).
Cat will share with Executive Director Jenny Almquist what she feels have been important lessons while doing this work for 4 years and some lifelong goals she wants to work towards in the next 40 years!
If you want to learn more about the work Fierce Freedom is doing or bring Cat into speak to your group, visit fiercefreedom.org.
We arrest 5x the amount of juveniles in the US as any other country in the world. Each year we lock away youth for minor offenses which drain millions in taxes while providing no benefit to public safety. For the youth it is dangerous, non-rehabilitative and may likely become an on-ramp for further exploitation to occur.
We'll unpack why research suggests that this is an ineffective, dangerous, and wasteful method of handling juvenile crimes and what evidence points to as some beneficial solutions we could adapt going forward.
From the Tinder Swindler, Inventing Anna, and other popular shows, we learn how high-profile scammers use various means to steal millions every year. While it may seem far-fetched, these scams can happen to anyone in the form of elder financial exploitation, gift card, and romance scams.
We invited Tesha Davis, Fierce Freedom Board Member and Branch Manager for Associated Bank to share more about how she uses her professional sphere to protect banking customers and some tactics she recommends to help protect yourself and loved ones from exploitation through partnerships with banking and financial institutions.
In most cases, the public is shielded from the horrors which police, corrections, EMS and Fire safety experience on a daily basis.
First responder at Sandy Hook Elementary and Executive Director of Honor Wellness Center Phyllis DiGioia explains her desire to provide first responders with supportive programming that gives them and their families the tools to manage their experiences and seek healing from cumulative trauma.
Her husband Chris McKee, who is also a former Police Chief and Vice President for Honor Wellness Center, shares the stigma first responders face when it comes to seeking mental health services and how his career necessitated a need for wholistic wellness in his life.
To contact Phyllis, email her at phyllis@honorwellness.org, to learn more about how you can support the work of Honor Wellness visit them at: honorwellness.org
When attempting to understand what perpetuates such crimes as sexual abuse and exploitation, especially against women, we may only want to think of the individual players involved. But could we be missing a key component?
Our guest Rebecca Kotz asserts that if we want to see the tide of oppression change, we need to consider the deeply-entrenched systems in place which create ideal conditions for these crimes to happen in the first place.
Rebecca has worked tirelessly to advocate for big-picture change in her home state of Minnesota, which has included creation and facilitation of Safe Harbor programming for adult and minor victims of sex trafficking in addition to a feminist-rooted accountability program for men convicted of soliciting prostituted/trafficked individuals.
If you'd like to learn more about Rebecca's work - please visit her website: http://www.rebeccakotz.com/
If you're someone who spends time with kids, you know it comes with its own set of challenges - which may leave you feeling frustrated, ill-equipped, and searching for answers.
Our guest Dana Parisi is a parent coach whose goal is to bring hope to parents by offering some advice that is both eye-opening and encouraging for those helping mold young minds.
Dana offers her services to families and educators from a place of experiential knowledge. As a mom of both biological and adopted kids, she herself has experienced many challenging situations which include: ADHD, OCD tendencies, adoption and relational trauma, extreme explosive episodes, sensory sensitivities, learning struggles, sibling fights, emotional struggles and more.
If you'd like to help your family go from survive to thrive, you can connect with Dana at livestouchedcoaching.com
Could hormone cycle awareness be a tool that helps with trafficking prevention and even promote healing for survivors?
To share her thoughts, we invited Abby Maxon, an artist and somatic instructor whose passions lie in creating healthy conversations around our hormonal cycles and the natural rhythms of life. She will explain how she believes this may lead to not only combatting the root issues of exploitation, but also to empower survivors towards wholistic healing.
Get Abby's free printable cycle tracking guide at www.RhythmicRenewal.com/free-resources
Check out her store and learn more about what she does at www.RhythmicRenewal.com or find Rhythmic Renewal on Facebook and Instagram
We're celebrating our 100th episode with special guest Landon Dickeson, a clinical mental health counselor who explains the "magical" exchange that takes place when animals are invited into the healing journey of a sex trafficking survivor.
This is a daily occurrence at Bob's House of Hope which is the first non-profit safe house in the country for male survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, and the only residential facility that includes Ranch Hands Rescue innovative Equine and Animal Assisted Counseling Intervention.
Landon shares about the unique care approach for male survivors, who he calls "the unseen victims" of trafficking - and his desire to helps others build out this model in other settings.
To learn more about how you can support Landon's important work, please visit ranchhandsrescue.org
When we think of the atrocities of human trafficking - we often ask the question "Where is God in all this?" The documentary Blind Eyes Opened seeks to both educate and inspire the faith community to respond to this question by joining the fight against modern-day-slavery.
We invited the film's Executive Producer Geoff Rogers to share both the challenges and rewards he and his wife experienced over the 7-year journey of creating this film as well as what he feels is God's heart for each member of the trafficking triangle.
If you'd like to learn more about Geoff's films, visit shipstv.org to schedule a FREE screening for your church or group - email info@ShipsTV.org
When it comes to brushing off haters, international pop singer Madilyn has become somewhat of an expert. In 2021, she famously performed an original song crafted from mean comments on America's Got Talent.
Madilyn shares encouragement for listeners based on overcoming her own personal hurdles, speaking about her heart for the vulnerable and abused and how it has inspired some of her original music including Red Ribbon - a song borne from her own grief which she hopes empowers individuals through their own stories.
Check out Madilyn's music and videos at her youtube channel, Twitch, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.
A silent partner is any relative or close family friend who takes the abuser's side against the victim rather than confronting the abuser or attempting to rescue the victim from the abuser. (Psychology Today).
1 in 10 children are abused before they reach their 18th birthday, 93% of the time it is someone the child knows personally. These alarming statistics reveal that many adults may know when child abuse is taking place but are fearful or ill-equipped to stop it.
As a parent or caretaker of children, we need to be proactive in our efforts to prevent this abuse from occurring, and responding with compassion and support to the child, rather than out of fear from the perpetrator.
We will break down some warning signs that may mean abuse, and important reminders when reporting this crime. If you are in need of advocacy services or want to make a report, please resource the RAINN Sexual Assault hotline: 1-800-656-4673
In honor of #humantraffickingawarenessmonth we thought it would be fitting to look back on the first ever domestic trafficking case in the US which was first brought to trial back in 2006.
We invited our special guest, former Police Captain Christopher McKee who worked on the case - also known as Operation Pandora's Box - to share the details and how working on it "changed him forever."
If you'd like further reading on this case specifically, you can check out the Vanity Fair article or the FBI Criminal Pursuit episode.
Have you ever noticed the toxicity of social media? So often, it is a tool to feed insecurity and constant comparison with others which may ultimately lead to exploitation of vulnerabilities.
So, what if social media became a tool, used to help victims of abuse get help, or to prevent trafficking from happening altogether?
To explain more about this, we invited Stephanie Page, Founder & Executive Director of Stories Foundation to share about a new outreach and prevention program of Stories Foundation, the Love, Sophia Project (coming February 2022!)
The vision behind this project is, “For every person to know their value through authentic community and support.”
Stephanie will share how this project began and how each of us can get involved! To learn more, email storiesfoundation@gmail.com.
Stories of sexual assaults of college campuses is unfortunately more and more the norm these days - some reports suggest that every 21 hours, someone is raped on a college campus in the US, and 19 in 20 of these cases go unreported.
What about campus ministry organizations? Sadly, a recent piece details a case of forced sexual assault one member of campus ministry Young Life experienced by a student leader in the ministry - and the subsequent mishandling of the case by Young Life leadership.
We invited Naomi Wright, Director of Naomi Wright Ministries and the daughter of a pseudo–Christian cult leader, to give us more insight as to why some of the power dynamics within campus ministries and religious institutions in general may inadvertently create a culture that allows perpetration and punishes the victim rather than the perpetrator.
She also shares some thoughts as to how campus ministries can move forward to honor and disciple the individual rather than pushing an organizational agenda based on a false image. She believes this will lead to a healthier and sustainable culture for campus ministry to thrive and better accomplish its true mission of sharing Christ on campus.
Our guest Christopher Ruff has served been Director of the Office for Ministries and Social Concerns for the Catholic Diocese of La Crosse since 2001 and he shares about his belief that at the core of all social justice work - one thing is clear - it is about the restoring the dignity and respecting the sanctity of human life.
Chris explains that while social justice can take many different forms, it should all stem from the belief that every human person as created in the image of God and deserving always to be loved, never to be used.
As we come together this holiday season, your friends at Fierce Freedom want to encourage you to think of the homeless and impoverished within your community - by sharing love you are working out justice for the common good of humanity.
It is estimated that 19.5 million men and women have served in the U.S. military - the horrific truth is that many come home bearing not only the wounds of combat, but the emotional, physical and psychological effects of sexual assault they've suffered during their time of service to our country.
To speak more about this, we invite sexual assault advocate Jess Teresi, who will share more about why so many members of the military never report being a victim, as well as how non-military members can better support their loved ones who may have experienced some form of sexual assault.
If you or a loved one is looking for a anonymous and confidential support please refer to safehelpline.org
For today's episode, we want to share with you some of highlights of the work we've done and paint a vision of where we're going in the year ahead.
Fierce Freedom's ultimate goal is to end the cycle of human trafficking and exploitation through educational programming that empowers communities and speaks to the worth and dignity of each individual, while addressing root issues of exploitation.
If you'd like to become part of this team of supporters please visit: fiercefreedom.org/support
Sisters Heather Wittig and Jenni Patnode share with us about the birth of their nonprofit Pink Box Purpose, which has provided love, care, and support of young women through the distribution of sustainable menstrual pads since 2017.
Most girls and women in Honduras cannot afford pads and so they drop out of school when they are 12-13 years old. Not only that but they are vulnerable to traffickers coming from urban areas to pluck the young women from their families who are desperate and impoverished.
Pink Box has already distributed 8,000 pads to women and girls in Honduras, allowing them the freedom to pursue their education and thereby forever affecting their life trajectory.
You can help provide the reusable pads for women and girls by hosting a Pad Cutting Parties, or even traveling to Honduras with Heather and Jenni on a mission trip to see the impact in person.
Learn more and support their mission at pinkboxpurpose.org
Over the holidays, you may find yourself renting an adorable Airbnb or VRBO during your travels, joining the 450 million people worldwide use vacation rentals each year.
The dark underside of this hugely popular industry is that they are also a hot spot to sell human beings for commercial sex acts, due to their ease of use and anonymity.
Together, we'll break down some safety Do's and Don'ts of short term rental hosting you can do to help prevent your property from becoming a location where sex trafficking occurs.
This holiday season, check out some of our absolute favorite gift ideas from organizations that strive to value people and planet over profit.
- Shema Apparel - Their collection of soft and livable clothing is all made with love in sewing centers in SE Asia that empower and employ the most vulnerable and survivors of human trafficking. Designed and created with our environment in mind.
Use promo code FIERCEFREEDOM20 from now until Nov 30th for 20% off anything in their store!
- Equal Exchange - distributes organic, gourmet coffee, tea, sugar, bananas, avocados, cocoa, and chocolate bars produced by farmer cooperatives in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
Use promo code FAIRFALL to get 10% off your order!
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The Hivebox - A subscription box for families that facilitates conversations on justice from Stories Foundation
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Eden Jewelry - Creates beautiful and unique pieces that carry stories of hope and courage into the world while empowering survivors. The profits from each of your purchases directly benefit the women in Eden’s comprehensive program to reach, rescue, and restore trafficking victims.
Sign up with your email and get 15% off your order.
- Fierce Freedom - Check out our range of ethically-sourced, NEW gift ideas for the whole family. All proceeds go back to our mission to end modern-day slavery and to prevent trafficking in our community - each year we reach thousands from supporters like you.
Shop our store with the code FIERCE for 20% off until Dec 10th and check out our pop-up shopping event Dec 11th.
In the U.S. 1.3 million adults are under guardianship or conservatorship. In light of pop icon Britney Spear's recent hearing regarding the status of her conservatorship, we wanted to highlight how this case sheds light on others that deal with exploitation through guardianship.
This mistreatment can look like misuse of financial assets, sexual abuse, or withholding of food and basic needs as a tool of coercion. We will also share some red flags that this may be happening to a loved one and what you can do about it.
For further resources on reporting:
National Center on Elder Abuse: https://ncea.acl.gov/
We invited our NEW podcast co-host Matt Kendziera to talk about Fierce Freedom's upcoming initiative Worth It - a live multi-media presentation designed to help create a culture within schools that teaches about the value of each individual, working to prevent and disrupt the cycle of trafficking before teens find themselves caught up in it.
Matt also explains about how parents play a key role in supporting their kids, so to better equip them each parent will receive access to Fierce Parenting, our series of weekly videos which break down various issues kids will encounter, how to be proactive in addressing them, and what to do if you fear this is something your child has already experienced.
This program is available for any school in the upcoming year to pilot FREE of charge, if you'd like more information on getting this in your child's school please email Matt directly at matt@fiercefreedom.org
Today we say goodbye to podcast host John Pulley and celebrate some incredible moments we've had with him as podcast co-host.
Have a guest or topic to suggest? Email podcast@fiercefreedom.org
In today's episode we invited our friend Amy O'Donahue, Domestic and Sexual Assault Officer for Ashland and Bayfield Counties to weigh in on the recent case of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old female who went missing and whose remains were found after traveling cross-country with her fiance Brian Landrie (now also deceased).
Amy's experience working with victims in sensitive crimes lends insight into some of the red flags from the bodycam footage taken from an encounter Gabby and Brian had with police about a month before Petito was reported missing.
Amy then shares about her commitment to supporting victims through court proceedings, and a bit about her work with the indigenous population - which can often be overlooked in the public eye.
Amy lastly stresses the importance of public testimony in these domestic and sexual assault cases - she encourages the public to be aware of the signs, and to offer themselves as a witness which goes a long way in supporting a victim's testimony.
If you or someone you know is currently in a situation of sexual or violence or domestic abuse - you are not alone - there is help for you. Call: 1-800-799-7233 or visit https://www.thehotline.org/
Could you be inviting a predator into your child's life through online gaming?
This source of escape and entertainment is so common for kids, in fact 84% of teens say they have a game console at home or have access to one (pew research). But this could also spell out online grooming and exploitation for your child - so how can you encourage them to navigate it safely?
We asked Liz Almquist, chat monitor for one of the top gaming apps, Minecraft, to give us the scoop on what gaming looks like these days for kids, what kinds of messages she flags as grooming, and her recommendations for best safety practices online.
How does faith equip us to fight against such a great evil as the enslavement of individuals?
To share more about this we invited Jo Lembo, Director of Faith Initiatives and National Outreach for Shared Hope International.
Jo explains how Shared Hope began on a "miracle" and has since relied on the Holy Spirit to continue its goal to change the tide of trafficking, "one life at a time."
She also dives into some of the national initiatives Shared Hope has launched which include: their state report cards on youth and child sex trafficking, faith in action toolkit, and both the Shared Hope and Shared Faith conferences.
A former pastor, Jo also gives some important advice for the faith community as they enter into the battle - she also answers what she feels the church ought to "stop doing."
To learn more about the important work Jo is doing with Shared Hope, visit their website at: sharedhope.org
Multi-platinum R&B artist R. Kelly has been found guilty of sexual abuse, 8 violations of an anti-sex trafficking law, as well as racketeering, or leading an enterprise to recruit underage girls for sex since his rise to fame as early as the 1990's.
So why are his decades long abuses just now coming to justice? We'll unpack the timeline of Robert Kelly's career of criminal sexual exploitation, how he was enabled to continue for so long, as well as the factors that preceded the trial and his guilty conviction on all counts.
To some coming to America, there is an almost mythical quality that it will be akin to "coming to heaven." Traffickers use this belief to trap foreign nationals who come to this country to work, only to find themselves coerced into debt bondage.
One study in San Diego found that 30% of undocumented migrant laborers were victims of labor trafficking.
Harold D'Souza, Founder of Eyes Open International and member of the US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking shares what it was like to come over legitimately from India to work in the states only to have it lead to labor trafficking.
Harold explains how he and his family's own uphill battle encouraged him to start EOI which works to cultivate resilience, hope, and freedom in vulnerable populations and give directly to victims of trafficking as well.
If you'd like to donate or check out more of the work Harold is doing with Eyes Open International, visit his website: eyesopeninternational.org
For today's rebroadcasted episode we invited Dr. Celia Williamson, named one of the top 30 most influential social workers alive today, with over 25 years of anti-trafficking experience.
Celia discusses her exciting new project, The Emancipation Nation Network – a free, rapidly growing network to equip and connect various professionals working for freedom and justice. This network includes topics, discussions, anti-trafficking events, and shared resources all in one place, a complete game changer for those in the movement to more effectively use our “collective power” in a community-based setting. Become a member today by visiting https://members.emancipationnationnetwork.com
Celia also shares many important lessons she has learned in her 25 years of experience such as, “money and power are good,” because they allow advocates the ability to continue in the fight while finding a “seat at the table” of important conversations. She also says that while “ego is death to collaboration” respecting oneself and taking opportunities to elevate your work is key to the mission’s success.
Visit https://celiawilliamson.com/ to learn more about Celia’s projects including: The Emancipation Nation Podcast, The Emancipation Nation Network, her book, A Seat at the Table: The Courage to Care About Trafficking Victims, as well as the upcoming Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference.
How can someone begin to recover from the devastating moment when they learn about a partner's porn use or sexual infidelity?
To share more we invited Anne Blythe, Founder of Betrayal Trauma Recovery - which seeks to validate a woman's experience of betrayal trauma by re-framing it with words to accurately describe their experience, as well as the necessary support to move through it, from those who have also walked the journey.
She breaks down some indicators that a spouse may be truly interested in recovery, versus manipulative efforts to continue their addiction and psychological abuse of their partner.
If you'd like to receive support or learn more about BTR visit their website for more resources like their printable 9 Steps to Heal from Betrayal Trauma, their list of recommended books, or check out their free educational podcast.
Worldwide, an estimated 12 million girls are married every year before the age of 18 - this is nearly one girl every three seconds.
To speak more of her personal experience, we invited guest Samra Zafar, international and award-winning speaker, bestselling author and recognized among the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.
Samra's book, A Good Wife: Escaping The Life I Never Chose, details her experience as a girl coming to Canada as a child bride.
She shares how her passion to be educated not only led her out of a life of bondage and abuse, but has given way to global influence on matters of child marriage as well as the insidious nature of emotional abuse.
What does it really mean for a victim when they are called to testify in a Federal Court case against their abuser?
To the public following a federal or local trafficking or sex crimes case, it can be both a frustrating and confusing experience. And it can easily look like justice for victims isn't being served.
To help break down the federal court process, co-host John will share how these kinds of cases involving victims of crime often work, why plea deals are used and what is common courtroom practice.
To lend a fuller perspective, our Survivor Advocate Amanda shares the reality of what many victims of crime experience, and the psychological effect it has on them.
Bitdefender reports that children under 10 now account for 10 percent of traffic on porn sites, that could mean 4.2 billion visits from kids who haven’t yet hit fifth grade.
Everyday, children are stumbling upon horrific portrayals of gang rape, sodomy, and violent dehumanization depicted in pornography. Which is why Exodus Cry - the same anti-trafficking org whose campaign #Traffickinghub reached millions to bring Canadian tech company Mindgeek to account for its perpetuation of nonconsensual and underage porn - is now calling for legislation requiring a credible age-verification mechanism on all porn-hosting websites.
To join this movement of protecting youth from porn exposure, please sign the #ProtectChildrenNotPorn petition.
Where can you find thousands of innovative and award-winning artists, filmmakers, musicians, celebrities, corporations, nonprofits, politicians, citizens, and survivors of human trafficking all featured together? At the FREE, and virtual See it. End it. Film festival this November.
We invited Founder Patrick Erlandson onto the podcast to chat about the origins of the fest and to tease upcoming highlights from this year's celebration of films and arts.
Patrick also shares about his desire to create educational awareness conference Father-Con, for the purpose of preventing trafficking through promoting healthy fatherhood, which he says plays a pivotal role in both prevention and stopping demand for sex trafficking.
How can posting fake sex ads help disrupt the sex market? To share real stories of impact we invited Nick Lembo, State Coordinator for Just Men Arizona, which works to train a group of men to disrupt the commercial sex market.
Nick explains the process by which his team interacts with potential buyers through fake sex ads, but rather than "naming and shaming" they want to "grasp the humanity" out of that person, by painting a picture of who they could be.
Through their program Just.Men Academy, Just Men AZ is mobilizing men through education to learn both causes and solutions to exploitation and how they can take what they've learned to advocate for the voiceless.
If you'd like to donate to Just Men AZ or learn more about their training, visit their website: https://justmenaz.org/
Can social media tell us if someone is ready to leave "the life" of trafficking and sexual exploitation? This is one example of the research done by The Avery Center, where their work to collect data not only leads to actionable change but equips providers to offer more informed care for survivors.
To chat more we invited McKenna Miller, Community Outreach Coordinator at The Avery Center for Research & Services. McKenna shares about the research which includes: a digital outreach program for sex buyers, social media campaigns to reduce harm for trafficking victims.
This research informs the other service provision arm of The Avery Center, which seeks to care for and validate victims-survivors of trafficking, wherever they're at in their journey out.
To learn more about how to best utilize their research, or service provision, visit The Avery Center's website.
How can watching films help survivors of trafficking heal? To discuss this we invited filmmaker Mark Steenbarger and licensed therapist Emily Taylor-Ginger of Point of View Story, a collaborative project that effortlessly integrates the power of cinema within a trauma-informed, therapeutic context.
The two will share how POV Story was born out of a passion to empower victim-survivors of trafficking to process their trauma in a way that is not re-triggering for them and helps allies facilitate healing in the best way possible.
If you'd like to connect with POV Story or to view these films, visit their website: https://pointofviewstory.uscreen.io/
OneFest is an annual two-day Christian music festival held in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and features many of today's well-known artists on two different stages.
We asked President and Director of OneFest Heather Flashinski to share how the fest got started, exciting highlights this year with headliners Rend Collective & Danny Gokey, and about their heart to give back to Fierce Freedom as a highlighted charitable org.
Buy your tickets today at: https://www.one-fest.com/
Attendees be sure to visit the Fierce Freedom booth to check out new merch, chat with staff, and go through our educational "room" display.
Fan fiction is a fun way for fans of popular culture to we-write and share adventures of their favorite characters. But as our guest, author Mary Duban shares, it is also vehicle of disseminating violent and graphic sexual themes in the form of x-rated fan fiction.
She explains that consuming x-rated fan fiction, or written pornography, is a "silent killer" for impressionable youth. She shares how pervasive it is, grooming those as young as 8-10 years old to view others and themselves as objects for limitless sexual gratification.
Mary also vulnerably shares about coming to terms with her own addiction to fan fiction and exposes the myth that fantasizing about fictional characters has no bearing on "real" relationships.
What is the connection between religious cults and trafficking? To dive more into this connection and to share about breaking free of the cultic mindset, we invited Naomi Wright of Naomi Wright Ministries.
Naomi shares about her experience growing up in a polygamous, pseudo-Christian cult, all while attending a mainstream public school.
Naomi explores the complexities of unlearning a mindset that came from growing up within a religious authoritarian structure, explaining how this allowed predatory behavior and exploitation to thrive, justified by religious freedom.
She also shares about some of the warning signs of cult abuse and how sharing her story with others for the first time led her to so much freedom and healing.
If you or a loved one have been, presently are, and have the potential to be impacted by an unhealthy religious experience, visit Naomi Wright Ministries to receive help and guidance today.
Our podcast sponsor today is Vino Cappuccino Artisan Bistro, where they believe that food, wine, coffee, art, music, and nature are all fun ways to help unplug from the stresses of life and plug into community. Check them out on Facebook or visit their website at vinocappuccinobistro.com/ for more details!
For today's podcast we invited Detective Carter Staaf, a friend of Fierce Freedom and this past year's recipient of the Dave Malone for Service and Excellence award. He is joined by returning guest Amanda Casey, Survivor Advocate for Fierce Freedom.
The two will explain best practices for law enforcement agents and advocates to work together, in spite of their surface-level differences. Carter and Amanda will use their professional relationship as a model for collaboration and include important reminders for both sides of the equation in order to reach the shared goal of victim support.
This podcast was brought to you by At the Roots LLC, a new place in the Chippewa Valley for mental health support and community connection. Visit attherootsllc.com to learn more and use code FREEDOM to get 10% OFF your first session.
Trafficking in strip clubs is an all too common tale, and occurs when traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to force them to engage in commercial sex acts.
To share an insider's perspective we invited two owners of a gentlemen's club to share how they believe this industry has changed and their desire to eradicate trafficking from their establishment.
We encourage listeners to challenge their perceptions and listen to the heart of our guests, whose genuine desire is to challenge the existing norm of exploitation within their sphere of influence.
What is the difference between seeing a peer specialist and a therapist? To chat more about this we invited Renee Sommer, certified Peer Specialist and Founder of At the Roots LLC.
Renee shares about how her personal experience with counseling led her to become a peer specialist and why it may be a good fit for individuals who want to connect outside of a clinical model.
Amanda Casey, our Survivor Advocate joins the conversation to help explore the connections between peer specialism and advocacy as they both support their clients through their healing journey.
To learn more or book a session with Renee, visit her website: https://attherootsllc.com/
Is sex work work? Should it be legalized? And would its legalization lead to more STD prevention?
Regardless of where you stand on this issue, it is important to hear from multiple perspectives, which is why we invited Jess Teresi, survivor of childhood sexual abuse and intimate partner violence, an advocate for change and an expert in sexual violence trauma & prevention.
Jess is joined by Fierce Freedom Survivor Advocate, Amanda Casey to present different perspectives of sex work based on different lenses based on varying professional and personal experiences.
Ever wondered how trauma presents differently in adults versus children? We invited Licensed Psychologist Sara Wernerto share her expertise of working for over 26 years to facilitate healing from abuse and trauma for kids and adults alike.
She shares about how trauma presents in adults versus youth, as well as the the varying therapeutic approaches she uses including: EMDR Therapy, Play Therapy, and Somatic Experiential Play Therapy.
Sara also explains how she works to combat vicarious trauma in her work and important reminders for both parents and individuals who are seeking to heal from abusive or traumatizing situations.
To learn more about services or to receive training for trauma therapy you can check out Sara's website at Watershed Psychological Services LLC
"If I were a trafficker, I would create OnlyFans."
We are joined by podcast guest Adam Dodge, Founder of EndTAB (Ending Technology-Enabled Abuse). Adam breaks down the massively popular site, which monetizes explicit content through subscriptions to private content creators, blurring the line between social media influencer and sex worker - or as he describes it "instagram meets pornhub."
He also shares the appeal of OnlyFans and also the potential harms of joining as a creator and the high-risk, low rewards situation it affords.
If you'd like to check out the other courses to combat technology enabled abuse that Adam and the team at EndTAB have available, visit their website at: https://endtab.thinkific.com/
We want to introduce podcast listeners to Matt Kendziera, Creative Consultant for Fierce Freedom and our brand-new Justice Race Director this year!
Matt shares about his involvement with Fierce Freedom and shares about what to expect at this year's Justice Race where participants can join both in-person and virtually this year! 100% of ALL proceeds raised this year will go to support victim-survivor outreach and advocacy.
Sign up to run, walk, volunteer or sponsor the event by visiting cvjusticerun.org
Today's podcast guests are professionals, friends, and co-authors of the book Leaving the Life: Embracing Freedom from Exploitation survivor Jessa Dillow Crisp and psychologist Dr. Becca Johnson.
They share about their new book, which is written in a narrative form to engage both survivors of exploitation and their allies to come alongside them throughout the brave, non-linear, sometimes messy work of healing, walking towards true freedom and hope.
This amazing tool is FREE for anyone doing anti-trafficking work or going through their own process of trauma recovery, all book sales go towards making that possible.
To get your copy or purchase this book visit: http://leavingthelife.org/
Stop. Collaborate and listen.
Today we invited Executive Directors Jenny Almquist and Stephanie Page of Fierce Freedom & Stories Foundation respectively, to the podcast to share about their journey as long-time friends, and collaborators. They explain the necessity developing relationships and working to champion other agencies in the fight.
Stephanie also shares the Storyteller Cafe, a space for collaboration, education and healing to take place for both survivors of exploitation and the public alike.
We are asking listeners to share the vision and support this incredible project which will serve as a model for other future franchises by visiting:
https://www.storiesfoundation.org/
OR
https://www.storytellercafemn.org/
During the course of a school year more than 300 children and their families in the Eau Claire school district are homeless. Circumstances have only grown more dire in the wake of the pandemic and has allowed exploitation to thrive.
We invited Maria Guzman, Councilwoman for the city of Altoona to share how she went from volunteering wit this populace to finding herself on the other side, in a situation of homelessness.
Maria shares lessons she learned and encourages listeners to see the humanity in this population, offering a sobering reminder that in the blink of an eye "this could easily be you or a loved one."
As a City Council Member, Maria now uses her story and passion for the marginalized in this area to advocate for mental health and affordable housing, something this area greatly needs.
On today's episode we invited guest Rwatie Matsika, former diplomat from Zimbabwe and vehement defender of human rights.
He now works not only to uphold and defend the rights of victims of human trafficking as the State-wide Labor Trafficking Case Manager in North Dakota, but also firmly believes in the power of grassroots community education to help reduce the demand for trafficking as well.
We are joined by Caragan Hollenbeck, who shares how she took the topic of human trafficking and, along with her Documentary Theatre class - brought it to the stage with an original play she helped co-write and direct called simply "Traffick."
She'll unpack some of the challenges she and her group faced as they began production, the response they received, and how this experience helped shape her future career in education and provide some encouragement for young people who desire to use their abilities to join the fight through the performing arts.
On today's episode we invited Krista Allgor, Direct Program Services Director for Arrive Ministries whose work addresses specific vulnerabilities within displaced populations such as those of immigrant status, refugees and asylum seekers.
Krista shares how her own background working and living internationally sparked a desire to assist others in their transition to a new country as well as what the very involved process of resettlement entails.
To volunteer or learn more about the work of Arrive Ministries visit their website: https://arriveministries.org/
For this week's episode, podcast hosts Cat Jacoby and John Pulley have an open and frank conversation about the recent Atlanta-area massage parlor murders and whether or not it is a crime motivated by racial hate or whether there were other factors involved.
While we are not minimizing the plight of Asian-Americans in the current social climate, we also feel that neglecting to unpack the layers of this results in great injustice for the victims and their stories.
Contact us with any questions by emailing podcast@fiercefreedom.org
To learn more about Man Alive Expedition Wisconsin - visit https://www.manaliveexpedition.com/
Did you know which products you use everyday are tainted by slavery and which aren't? In today's age, 60% of forced labor is associated with supply chains.
To shed more light on this, we are joined by Matt Friedman, Founder and CEO of The Mekong Club, a catalyst for change, inspiring and engaging the private sector to lead in the fight against modern slavery.
Matt explains the need to enlist the private sector in the fight against the $150 billion industry and what incentive companies have to eliminate slavery in their supply chains and educate their workforce.
He shares how membership in The Mekong Club equips organizations of all sizes to fight trafficking with training, consultation, technology and tools specific to the needs of the organization.
To learn more about Matt's work and Mekong Club membership visit: https://themekongclub.org/
Marilyn first sang about them in 1949, and in today's market, 78% of all engagement rings contain them - we're talking about diamonds, and the industry behind them.
Most are familiar with the film Blood Diamond and its portrayal of conflict diamonds, which were mined by enslaved people and sold to fund rebel military operations.
We asked podcast guest Nicole Lasker, President of Lasker Jewelers - to bring more clarity to the conversation, and dig up the truth about where our diamonds come from and what the industry looks like now.
Nicole explains how key players in the diamond industry used this high-pressure situation to rework their modus operandi which now not only ensures ethical practice in countries where diamonds are mined, but to also works to give back to its communities of workers and their families.
This episode is Rebroadcast of Episode 37 which was both a past look at some of our favorite highlights and moments from the past year, and an exciting look towards some future developments, including sneak peaks of our new weekly video series Fierce Parenting and a new toolkit entitled "The Faces of Human Trafficking" launching 2021!
Our financial partners allow us to continue this work and to them we want to say a big thank you from all of us.
If you'd like to become a partner with us visit: fiercefreedom.org/donate
We always love to highlight organizations that value people over profit, and there's no better way to do that than inviting Kristen King, an Organizer for Equal Exchange, which has been a leading pioneer in fair-trade productions and ethical production for the past 35 years.
Kristen breaks down what exactly "fair-trade" means and how to ensure the product you're consuming really is ethically produced.
She also shares the modus operandi Equal Exchange uses, which connects small-scale farmers with a global market and consumers with the farmers behind the coffee, tea, chocolate and other products we all consume everyday.
Fierce Freedom listeners can also get 10% off their Equal Exchange purchase this month by using our promo code FIERCE at checkout.
Listeners are also encouraged to join EE's free Citizen-Consumer Network to continue the conversation and learning how to transform the food system into a sustainable model throughout all parts of the supply chain.
To check out a list of other ethical orgs you can visit the Fair Trade Federation's page linked here.
For the final chapter of our "Let's Talk About Sex" series, we are joined by Survivor Advocate Amanda Casey who breaks down core beliefs of shame and how it affects our sexuality.
Whether you're single, married, or a survivor of trauma, Amanda says that the root of shame is universal and it similarly affects our ability to engage with one another and ourselves if it goes unaddressed.
She shares some of her strategies for combatting this toxic mindset by referring to cases working with trafficked and exploited women.
You can also catch Amanda as our keynote speaker at Night of Freedom & Hope, coming up March 5th, 2021 (virtual option available).
Did you know that studies show 1 in 3 women watch porn at least once a week? But so many women who want to come out of their addiction never get help because they feel so ashamed and outside the "cultural norms."
As part III of our series to take the shame out of sex we invited Joy Skarka, Director of Discipleship for Authentic Intimacy and currently pursuing her Doctorate to study how women find freedom from sexual shame.
Joy shares about her own journey through porn addiction and how others can find true freedom, explaining how the philosophy of just "doing more, and trying harder" doesn't work with recovery from porn and other unhealthy coping mechanisms.
She also shares about a NEW online study for women based on the book she is writing, Women Struggling with Pornography beginning March 5 - April 23, sign up for this or other great studies on the Authentic Intimacy Website.
As Part II of our impactful "Let's Talk About Sex!" series, we invited Dr. Doug Rosenau, a therapist, theologian and author whose personal mission is exchange how sexuality has been taught through external behaviors with deep heart attitudes.
Doug unpacks how traditional purity culture has largely focused on "how many ways can you say don't?" and physical virginity, rather than a framework of living life in community, aiming to love and respect others.
He encourages singles to bring their sexuality to a community setting in a healthy way, explaining that while there is a "costly obedience" of choosing to abstain from certain behaviors, there is also great reward in doing so.
Doug's new book Single and Sexually Whole will be available June 1, check out this and his other fantastic books at Amazon.
This first episode in our monthly series focusing on taking the shame out of sex. To kick things off we are joined by business partners and spouses Keelie and Austin Reason, whose marriage blog Love Hope Adventure seeks to point couples towards true and lasting intimacy with each other.
They'll unpack how introducing porn or even romantic comedies can set unrealistic expectations for relationships and how re-shaping the way we talk about sex can lead us to view it in a more healthy way.
Their site features free worksheets ranging from sexy "Truth or Dare" game to "Top Date Night Ideas," as well as their "5 Foundations for Intimacy in Marriage Course."
A first for our podcast, we'll hear the incredible story of how John Turnipseed, a former pimp, drug dealer and gang leader of the most notorious gang in Minnesota was transformed into a community leader, pastor, speaker and agent for change.
John unpacks how childhood abuse and normalized gang culture shaped him into a hugely notorious gang leader, and shares what he believes to be the number one indicator if someone will end up in a life of pimping, gangs, or prostitution and the "greatest issue facing the world today."
John also serves as Director of The Center for Fathering and Vice President of Urban Ventures, a 21-year-old non-profit set in the heart of the same Minneapolis gang territory that John and his family terrorized and acting President of MADDADS (Men Against Destruction Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder)
To learn more about the important work he is doing visit his website at: https://johnturnipseed.com/
Today's episode highlights the importance of building a network of advocacy as an intrinsic part of restorative justice.
To answer this we asked Kara Doan, Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer of Restoration 61 - an organization that provides trafficked victims emergency housing and support - her views on why these partnerships is vital to supporting and reaching victims and how to best begin building them.
Today we chat with Adri Neitzke, Founder of Trafficking Justice and now Law Enforcement Officer in Nevada.
Adri tells us the story of how her experiences with trafficking abroad became the origins for Minnesota nonprofit Trafficking Justice.
She also shares about her remarkable journey of discovering her calling in the field of anti-trafficking and encourages those trying to find their own that it is a non-linear process and may involve pursuing opportunities, taking risks, and trying on different hats, but the result - she assures is worth it.
To kick off the New Year we invite James Puckett (LPC, NCC, CSAC, MAC), whose counseling expertise lies in in several areas ranging from trauma and stress-related disorders, addiction, human trafficking , domestic violence, suicide and self harm.
James is also a professor of Psychology at UW-LaCrosse, his approach with students is to help apply what they learn in the classroom to their future career. Much of this he attributes from working in the field with at-risk individuals, to see more than a label and responding with empathy.
He also shares his recommendations for "banking up resiliency," in the face of hard situations, sharing about personal tragedy he experienced this past year and how it re-shaped him.
Today we interview Jennifer Lyons, Shelter Coordinator for Bridge to Hope, whose unique background has allowed her to walk through several parts of the trafficking journey.
Listen as Jennifer shares how her own experience as a trafficking survivor equipped her as a Deputy to identify inmates who had been trafficked which then informed her role working with victims of domestic violence as a Shelter Coordinator.
Visit this link if you'd like to donate to Bridge to Hope
Or check out their Amazon smile page for needed donations.
Traffickers across the nation are cherry picking victims from prisons and jails with incredible ease and often never getting caught. How and why is this happening?
Hosts John Pulley and Cat Jacoby highlight "The Trap" an investigative documentary by The Guardian, which delves into how female prisoners across the US become victims of human trafficking and pimp-controlled prostitution.
Watch The Trap: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2018/jun/29/the-trap-sex-trafficking-american-prisons
Listen to The Trap: https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2018/aug/17/the-trap-tale-of-human-trafficking-the-story-podcast
Today's episode features Genise Hope, author, foster mom and survivor of childhood sexual abuse. She shares about her book Raising PEARLS (Prepared, Empowered, Armored, Restored, Loved & Secure Children) and how to best utilize it when talking to your kids about protection from abuse or abduction.
Genise explains how dealing with her own childhood trauma as an adult became a necessary part of becoming a foster parent. She gives important reminders for those interested in fostering children and what to expect.
Resources for Foster Parents:
- Genise's website
- Adverse Childhood Experiences
- SAFY
Today we hear from John & Jennifer McBride who have used their influence in the business world to not only train their employees about human trafficking, but to intentionally foster an atmosphere that generously gives back.
The two share about benefits for businesses who support the issue of human trafficking and their tips for making the most impact through both company culture and financial giving.
If you'd like to partner financially with Fierce Freedom visit: fiercefreedom.org/donate
This episode is both a past look at some of our favorite highlights and moments from the past year, and an exciting look towards some future developments, including sneak peaks of our new weekly video series Fierce Parenting and a new toolkit entitled "The Faces of Human Trafficking" launching 2021!
Our financial partners allow us to continue this work and to them we want to say a big thank you from all of us.
If you'd like to become a partner with us visit: fiercefreedom.org/donate
Victims of trafficking carry with them a combination of severe psychological and physical health problems. Which is why it is almost certain that a victim will interact with a medical professional during their experience at some point.
We invited special guests, Nurse Practitioner Paula Fortin, and Fierce Freedom Survivor Advocate Amanda Casey to share their expertise on the subject and recommendations for those in the medical community to recognize and help victims.
Amanda also shares how her experience as a trafficked woman led to interactions with medical professionals and what she wishes could've been done for her.
Both guests discuss the importance of encouraging healthy physical boundaries in a clinical setting and the home, and how to screen for trafficking in teens.
Click here to download Fierce Freedom's handout for the medical community with important reminders, warning signs, resources, and possible screening questions.
Today's episode features guest Rachel Thomas, an author, speaker, educator, survivor of trafficking and member of the National Advisory Council of Human Trafficking.
Rachel shares some highlights from the The President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF) as well as her how her unique story of trafficking and exploitation ultimately led her to creation of Ending the Game, a curriculum that works to reduce recidivism in trafficked victims by breaking bonds of attachment to traffickers and “The Game” lifestyle.
She also is debuting her new "Cool Aunt" video series geared towards educating youth and teens about "the life" and how they can keep themselves safe.
https://www.thecoolauntseries.com/
https://endingthegame.com/
As part of Fight the New Drug's campaign #NoPornNovember we wanted to highlight their FREE 3-part series which unpacks porn's effect on the brain, heart, and world.
The series does a great job of explaining the science behind porn addiction, and begins a dependency in the individual, leading to disconnection from those around us and ultimately with our world.
Host John Pulley relates these effects to his own journey through addiction and what it looked like for him - and both hosts give some insight as to how an affected individual can move towards a recovered and healed life.
To view this documentary visit: https://brainheartworld.org/
Today's episode shines light on the global entity of Pornhub - the largest purveyor of user-generated porn in the world. Helen Taylor, Director of Outreach and Intervention for Exodus Cry, unpacks the problems with the site, which has been under fire for hosting content that promotes and profits from the real rape and abuse of women and children. She explains how this has become a trafficking hub, feeding demand of progressively violent sexual acts all under the guise of being a philanthropic org who cares.
Helen shares about the call to action her organization Exodus Cry has taken after hearing so many real accounts of exploitation, named "traffickinghub."
She and her associates are calling for Pornhub to be held responsible for hosting such horrific, damaging content in which one 15-year-old victim said "gave her a life sentence."
To join the 2 million strong who have signed this petition and support Exodus Cry, visit their website: https://traffickinghub.com/
We are joined by Garry McIntosh, Director of Donor Relations for Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), an organization that exists to rescue children from sex trafficking and sexual exploitationand has already rescued over 4,000 victims and assisted in the arrests of 2,300 traffickers around the globe.
Garry talks about the unique origins of O.U.R., which was started by former Homeland Security Special Agent Tim Ballard, who left his post to lead an elite squad of former US law enforcement officers on missions to hunt down human traffickers and bring them to justice by partnering alongside local law enforcement.
In addition to providing extensive training for law enforcement by providing digital forensics technology, intelligence sharing and special investigative tools - one of O.U.R.'s core strengths rests in the value it places on aftercare for victims.
Listen to hear more about how you can get trained and partner with O.U.R.'s mission by visiting their website:
https://ourrescue.org/
In honor of Indigenous People's Day, we're honored to have Lisa Heth who is the Executive director for Wiconi Wawokiya, Inc. (Helping Families) a domestic violence shelter on the Crow Creek reservation and Founder of Pathfinder Center, a place of refuge for victims of human trafficking.
Lisa shares about how the roots of colonialism has led to collective historical trauma and injustice that the indigenous population still experience today. Lisa also shares about the rehabilitation at Pathfinder Center, whose unique programming honors culturally sensitive indigenous lifeways that reintroduce food sovereignty, and sand-tray storytelling.
To find out how you can support Lisa's work with Pathfinder Center visit: https://www.pathfindercenter.org/
In less than a year, Precision Pipeline has trained over 1,500 employees to spot the signs of human trafficking in the field, but they're just getting started.
Guests Rachel Johnson, Public Relations Manager and Lindsey Mattson, Manager of Creative Services for Precision Pipeline will share how they used their knowledge and passion to influence an entire organization to fight trafficking by partnering with advocacy groups on both a local and national level, integrating employee training, and becoming a resource for others in the industry.
They'll also tease some exciting future developments regarding this training and share insights for any other organizations that want to implement this training successfully into the ethos of their business.
Rachel Johnson: rachjohnson@precisionpipelinellc.com
Lindsey Mattson: lmattson@precisionpipelinellc.com
We are joined by Executive Director Jenny Almquist, and Survivor Advocate Amanda Casey who will share a recent story of a successful victim placement - the origins of which took place over 2 years ago at a Fierce Freedom training of local law enforcement.
Together we'll unpack why this is a success story rather than a "rescue," what challenges were overcome and how you can partner with us so we can continue to walk alongside both victims and survivors on their journey towards healing.
Please visit this link for more information on how to partner with us at Fierce Freedom.
For this episode are joined by Eddi Beaty, who has been going into legal Nevada brothels and porn conventions for the last 6 years.
Why? To speak truth and restore value to men and women, painting a picture of what their life could look like.
Join this important conversation as we also discuss the rampant "pornification" of our society and find out how pickles helped someone leave the porn industry!
For information on leaving the adult entertainment industry:
http://harmonygrillo.com/treasures/
https://awakenreno.org/
https://hookersforjesus.net/
For resources regarding overcoming porn addiction:
https://www.xxxchurch.com/
Other resources: https://sharedhope.org/ https://courageworldwide.org/
Thinking errors, we all have them. But how do we come by them and how are they used to continue perpetuating rape culture?
Join us with guest Jess Teresi, who is an advocate, speaker and survivor of childhood sexual abuse, as she unpacks how our learned behaviors give way to a society where dehumanization and desensitization of others is normalized - ultimately feeding into exploitation and trafficking.
If you want to connect with Jess or learn more about her work, you can visit her website, jessicateresi.com, or her Instagram page @jessicateresi_speaker where she posts daily tidbits, and on Facebook @lifebeyondthelies
Join hosts John Pulley, Cat Jacoby, and Fierce Freedom Executive Director Jenny Almquist as they highlight John and Jenny's upcoming breakout session for the 17th International Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference, September 23-25.
They will share new approaches you as an individual or organization can use to combat demand and invite men to the fight that go beyond old methodologies that fail to get at the heart of demand.
Sign up to hear their full session and other amazing speakers for this virtual conference by visiting:
https://www.traffickingconference.com/
The deadline to sign up is September 15th.
As many schools go virtual this year, students are far more susceptible to experiences with cyberbullying, sextortion, and sexual grooming online.
Parental Monitoring Software is a great tool to help you keep your kids safe as they browse the web or use their devices. Amanda Casey joins us to explain what to look for when choosing a filter that will best fit your family's needs as well as her recommendations for integrating them organically.
For a breakdown of the top parental monitoring filters visit:
https://www.safewise.com/resources/parental-control-filters-buyers-guide/
This episode touches on some of the kooky conspiracies that have been saturating social media and circulating our news feeds.
Hosts John Pulley and Cat Jacoby unpack why these posts actually do more harm than good and share 5 real safety tips for families as kids go back to school.
Recommended resources:
- Fierce Freedom "Sugaring" podcast, and grooming video.
- Darkness to Light -Training on preventing child sexual abuse
- CyberTip Report - Reporting online child sexual abuse
Join us for this episode which features frank and open dialogue with former sex buyer John Pulley and Amanda Casey, sex trafficking survivor, and Survivor Advocate for both Fierce Freedom and Trafficking Justice as they discuss their personal experiences in the church.
Listen as they each dive into the most important things they feel churches and faith communities of today need to know when engaging with the "other" which may include sex offenders, or trafficking survivors and victims.
To view Amanda's full story and experience visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek8DMrRpgKA
For today's episode, we chatted with Alisha Siemens, CEO and Co-Founder of Shema Apparel, a clothing company who is prioritizing sustainable impact over profit.
Alisha shares her company's ethos to empower and employ the most vulnerable and survivors of human trafficking, as well as offsetting carbon emissions through environmentally sustainable practices.
She believes that clothing should tell a story of the people who crafted it, business should be a catalyst for change, and that social impact is the primary measure of success, not profitability.
You can support this amazing company by purchasing clothing at https://shemaapparel.com/ and by following social media @shemaapparel
Without looking, do you what country the shirt you are wearing is from? The average American now generates 82 pounds of textile waste each year and yet we are so disconnected from who is making our clothing, which is often produced by means of forced labor and environmental devastation.
For this episode we are joined by Aaron Brice, Co-Founder & Director of Ambient Inks, a printing company that develops, designs & manages conscious merchandise for artists, brands & organizations.
Aaron shares how his experience on a trip to Haiti helped shape him as an industry leader to shift towards social responsibility and ethical fashion.
Further Resources:
To find out how many slaves work for you visit: https://slaveryfootprint.org/
To find out who is making your clothing visit:
https://www.fashionrevolution.org/
For a list of certified ethical businesses visit:
https://bcorporation.net/
To become an ethical business leader in sustainable fashion visit:
https://www.commonobjective.co/
Listen as hosts Cat Jacoby and John Pulley unpack the Netflix series Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, and discuss 5 important lessons about trafficking we can all take away from it.
As part of our series bridging the fight against the international slave trade with the domestic, we invited Jonah Traaseth, Executive Director for Spero, which is an organization based in Minneapolis that works to fight human trafficking by connecting donors to vetted nonprofits fighting trafficking globally through community and economic development.
Jonah recalls taking a big leap of faith from working a sales job to now traveling the world telling the stories of organizations in New Dehli, India and Romania who are fighting trafficking in their communities and connecting them to donors in the states.
Learn how you can get involved with Spero's amazing work through a vision trip, their yearly gala or donation by emailing jonah@spero-nonprofit.org.
For this week's episode, we invited Justice Race Director and Fierce Freedom Office Manager Carrie Swartz to talk about this year's upcoming all-virtual Just Us for Justice Race!
Carrie takes us through the history of the race, how it has evolved over the years and discusses all the exciting highlights from this year's virtual race as well as ways you can get involved.
Sign up to run, walk, or donate at cvjusticerun.org to help support Fierce Freedom and our mission of ending modern-day slavery.
As part of our series linking international trafficking with the domestic, we invited special guest Jeremy Kraus, Co-Founder, President and Chief Development Officer of Thrive Rescue.
Jeremy shares about his calling to the streets of Pattaya Thailand, one of the "sex tourism" capitals of the world where children as young as infants are exploited by tourists who are essentially given free reign to act out any and all sexual fantasies on the vulnerable.
Jeremy will also talk about the experience of opening a rescue home to bring trafficked children off of the streets, and how Thrive's impact has truly equipped them to go from victim to victor.
Learn more about Thrive Rescue's mission and how you can donate of get involved by visiting https://thriverescue.org/.
For today's minisode hosts John Pulley and Cat Jacoby will spill the tea on "sugaring" a hugely popular trend that involves one partner (sugar daddy) financially supporting the other (sugar baby), often in the form of cash, gifts or trips.
We'll discuss the deceptive marketing of sugaring, and how it can quickly escalate to trap vulnerable groups in an exploitative situation.
Finally we'll discuss some steps you can take as a parent, student or professional to bring awareness about this trend that truthfully ain't so sweet.
Further reading:
https://elevate-academy.org/what-they-dont-tell-you-about-sugaring/
https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/the-dangers-of-sugar-dating-exposed-by-college-student/
https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/student-debt-is-being-weaponized-to-entice-college-students-into-sugar-dating/
https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/the-bitter-truth-about-sugar-dating/
For many individuals the grooming process of exploitation begins in the home, perpetrated by a family member or another adult who has been given access to the child. According to The Counter Trafficking Data Collaborative nearly half (41%) of victims were recruited into trafficking by a member of their family or a relative.
This week we are joined by guest Cheryl Voyles, an author and survivor of familial trafficking, as well as a former board member for Fierce Freedom. She recalls her experience of incest at the age of 4, explaining how this played a role in grooming her to be trafficked by her parents for many years until she finally “aged out.” Cheryl also shares how these experiences “shattered her” leading to complex physical and psychological issues she continues to wrestle with today.
Due to her life experiences, Cheryl has been advocating for victims of trafficking for 12 years, her heart is to help others who may relate in any way to her situation. She is currently working on writing a book as well as a trauma related website for individuals who have been impacted by sexual violence – www.askmesurvivor.com.
For today’s episode, we invited Stephanie Page, Founder & Executive Director of Stories Foundation to share her thoughts amidst the recent events sparked into flame by the racial injustices rampant in our country.
Please join us as we honestly and authentically grapple with some of the tough questions we are being faced with as well as an amazing opportunity to step into the sometimes uncomfortable but critical work of examining our own prejudices, acknowledging our role in the painful narrative of our collective humanity, and moving towards a place of repentance as we seek to understand the “other.”
To learn more about Stories Foundation and the work Stephanie is doing, visit storiesfoundation.org
We also want to say thank you to those who allow the space for us to have these important conversations like this. We want to listen and grow so if you have feedback or suggestions for us please email podcast@fiercefreedom.org
In honor of our 15th episode we invited Dr. Celia Williamson, named one of the top 30 most influential social workers alive today, with over 25 years of anti-trafficking experience.
Celia discusses her exciting new project, The Emancipation Nation Network – a free, rapidly growing network to equip and connect various professionals working for freedom and justice. This network includes topics, discussions, anti-trafficking events, and shared resources all in one place, a complete game changer for those in the movement to more effectively use our “collective power” in a community-based setting. Become a member today by visiting https://members.emancipationnationnetwork.com
Celia also shares many important lessons she has learned in her 25 years of experience such as, “money and power are good,” because they allow advocates the ability to continue in the fight while finding a “seat at the table” of important conversations. She also says that while “ego is death to collaboration” respecting oneself and taking opportunities to elevate your work is key to the mission’s success.
Visit https://celiawilliamson.com/ to learn more about Celia’s projects including: The Emancipation Nation Podcast, The Emancipation Nation Network, her book, A Seat at the Table: The Courage to Care About Trafficking Victims, as well as the upcoming Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference.
During this pandemic, a virus isn’t the only thing that has spread rapidly. Domestic violence hotlines are breaking new records, lighting up both globally and nationally.
On this podcast episode Angie McIlquham, Director of Sexual Assault Victim Services at The Bridge to Hope breaks down the direct correlation between COVID-19 life and these alarming new statistics, explaining why this is “prime time” for an abuser.
Angie also breaks down privilege and asks us all to check ours, seeking to understand how hard it is for a victim of physical or sexual violence to leave an abusive situation and how to engage with a victim in a way that empowers, rather than seeks to control them the same as an abuser would.
If you want to get ahold of Angie or Bridge to Hope contact their non emergency number 715-235-9074 or by calling their 24 Hour Hotline: 1-800-924-9918 or text 715-505-3640.
If you or someone you know is in an abusive situation, please don’t hesitate to get help today.
National Domestic Violence Hotline Call1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522
Available 24/7. Can connect callers with local resources and immediate support. Also available through online chat tool.
National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-4673
Provided by RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). Available 24/7. Also available through online chat tool.
Crisis Text Line Text HOME to 741741
Available 24/7 for victims of abuse and any other type of crisis.
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-422-4453
Available 24/7 in 170 different languages.
Office on Women's Health Helpline 1-800-994-9662
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Abuse: https://www.wcasa.org/
End Abuse WI for Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse: https://www.endabusewi.org/
Nearly 100 million viewers worldwide have tuned into Netflix’s Tiger King – which showcased cartoonish characters involved on both sides of animal welfare, including big cat rights activist Carole Baskin and tiger trafficker Joe Exotic. But did this cult series only scratch the surface of animal trafficking?
To find out more we bring in venerated animal welfare expert Professor Carney Anne Nasser, whose work has been featured on CNN, Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, The New York Times and ABC’s Today Show. Carney Anne is also the attorney who pitched the wildlife trafficking case against “tiger King” Joe Exotic – leading to his arrest and sentence of 22 years in prison for multiple animal crimes. In this episode, she will lead us through the top 10 things we can learn about trafficking from Tiger King.
The exciting conclusion to Part I of John Pulley’s journey from a sex buyer to a leader in the anti-trafficking movement. John will share what happened after he entered a teen chat room as an adult, the differences between brotherhood and accountability and when he realized that his actions had contributed to modern-day slavery.
John will also share what it was like to share his story onstage to hundreds of (mostly female) anti-trafficking advocates and survivors for the first time and how it led him to Fierce Freedom. Finally, John casts a vision of hope for others may see themselves in a piece of his story – laying out the vital first step to healing.
If you’d like to connect with John you can email him at pulley@fiercefreedom.org. To learn more and attend ManAlive Expedition visit https://manaliveexpedition.com.
Today’s two-part episode features our very own John Pulley – gifted speaker and Donor Relations for Fierce Freedom. First, we’ll have a little fun getting to know John (who knew he had a hidden talent!) and then dive into his unique journey through an addiction to porn, which ultimately led to becoming a buyer of sex, losing his marriage and hitting rock bottom.
As part of our “Men In the Fight” podcast series and in honor of our 10th episode (whoohoo!) we welcome special guest Gene McConnell, who for nearly 40 years has been speaking on the topic of shame, including its role in the perpetuation of human trafficking and addiction and its impact on one’s personal perception that effects all other relationships.
On today’s podcast, Gene unpacks a vital message about the critical need we all have for intimacy, shedding light on true intimacy versus the illusion of intimacy. He also explains that while shame disavows us of the notion that we are a candidate for love and true intimacy, the way out of addiction is building real intimacy and true connection. This is reflective in the ethos of Gene’s organization Authentic Relationships International, which is grounded in teaching individuals to build and maintain healthy relationships in marriage, in the workplace and community.
Finally, Gene casts a powerful vision for what he’d like to see in the future, emphasizing the necessary cultural shift that needs to take place. He believes by changing the collective mindset that shames addicts into going underground to consume pornography secretly – we may encourage them to come out boldly and to run towards true intimacy. He imagines that if one individual can be part of the continuation of exploitation, what can one person do who has been redeemed from that life?
If you’d like to support Gene, stay informed about the important work he is doing, schedule a presentation, or attend an upcoming event with ARI, you can find out more by visiting http://www.authenticrelationshipsint.com/
As part of our “Men in the Fight” episode series, we are joined by Anthony, the Founder and Executive Director of 611 Network, an international network of people and organizations committed to seeking the spiritual and physical freedom of REAL people enslaved by human trafficking.
Anthony highlights some of 611’s exciting projects including the 611 Artist Collective that celebrates the “resurrecting power of the arts,” by incorporating an international gathering of artists “committed to using their gifts and skills to inspire, create, and awaken the body of Christ to engage in the fight against the Goliath of Human Trafficking.”
Anthony also shares about the critical importance of men standing up as leaders against pornography, trafficking and exploitation as well as his own transformation from an atheist to a leader in the “Holy Spirit-led Abolitionist Movement.”
For more information on the work Anthony is doing with 611 Network, please visit www.611network.org. If you are an artist and want to learn more about the 611 Artist Collective, contact info@611network.org.
We are joined by guest Emmy Myers, founder of Lacey's Hope Project, trafficking survivor, business leader, public speaker and source of knowledge and inspiration for others.
In this episode, Emmy will share with listeners the reality of her experience being trafficked from the suburbs of Wisconsin, which led to the creation of Lacey’s Hope Project, a 501c3 to help end the social justice issues of sex trafficking and represent the promise of change, restoration and healing. She also shares her views on current state legislation in WI and demand’s role in the perpetuation and magnitude of trafficking.
Since the inception of Lacey’s Hope Project, Emmy has had the opportunity to speak with 15,000 people across multiple states about recognizing those who are being affected by sex trafficking, as well as how to be part of the solution. In addition to founding and leading Lacey’s Hope, Emmy is also a certified Crisis Intervention Specialist, Caregiver and Executive Director of two local assisted living facilities
Did you know it is estimated that 30-40% of all trafficking victims are male? Guest Lisa McCormick joins us in the studio to share about her son Jeffrey, a 17-year-old boy from rural Wisconsin recruited into a sex trafficking ring out of Madison and exploited until his death in September 2016. She unpacks not only her unique perspective as a parent but shares her own journey coping with a “parent’s worst nightmare.”
McCormick also gives resources for parents and mentors such as Convergence Resources “Through the Eyes of a Parent” which gives legal, health, emotional support for families, and SLOTH – “Supporting Loved Ones Through Hardship” to help equip parents as they support their child or loved who is going through immense adversity. Through her work, Lisa walks alongside parents, grandparents, caregivers and all others, giving hope that they are not alone in this journey.
If you want to connect with Lisa, reach out to Fierce Freedom at podcast@fiercefreedom.org or shoot us a message on social media.
Join our riveting conversation with Nancy Yarbrough who is a survivor of trafficking, author, and advocate for change.
Yarbrough is also the founder and Executive Director of the Milwaukee nonprofit Fresh Start Learning, Inc. where she provides resources, services and “purpose-filled purses” to women and children who are victims of sexual exploitation.
Called by some a "Modern-Day Harriet Tubman," Yarbrough explains how all of us have vulnerabilities, and tells of how she was able to exit a life of slavery, now using her gifts and voice to help others find freedom.
You can buy her new book "Exodus: Where New Beginnings Happen,” at http://nancy-theexodus.com/
Contact Nancy at Fresh Start Learning Inc. by emailing fsl.inc4314@gmail.com or by calling 414-800-2629
In this episode we are joined by Dawn Fiedler, Founder and President of Join the Movement to Stop Human Trafficking, Professional Speaker and Board Member for Treehouse Childhood Advocacy Center, and New Beginnings APFV (Association for Prevention of Family Violence), Elkhorn Rotary Club and Assistant Governor for Rotary District #6270. Dawn, who is an incredible advocate for change and a digital safety expert, will highlight the work she is doing for Wisconsin as well as strategies to protect your children in a digital age.
Together we’ll also unpack why large sporting and tourist events lead to a huge swell in trafficking as Dawn explains her involvement in End It Wisconsin, an initiative ahead of the 43rd Ryder Cup, this year held in Kohler WI. This event is known as the “Superbowl” of human trafficking for golf – as there are already more than 150,000 hotel reservations. She’ll also briefly discuss strategies the Greater Milwaukee HT Task Force is taking ahead of the Democratic Nat’l Convention.
For resources from Join the Movement to Stop Human Trafficking including their social media toolkit, or questions for Dawn, please contact her directly at jointhemovementevents@gmail.com.
Amanda Casey is the Director of Just Advocacy for Trafficking Justice based in Minneapolis. She is also survivor of trafficking and exploitation, speaking to groups about her own experiences and advocacy work with both victims and survivors.
She is also the author of "Keeping it Real: One mom's conversations with her daughters about the reality of exploitation" available on Amazon Spring 2020.
Some highlights from the episode include things Amanda wishes the church knew about the experiences of trafficking survivors, instilling healthy boundaries in kids from a young age, and the importance of seeking personal healing and authenticity.
You can connect with Amanda via email at amanda@traffickingjustice.com
Join our conversation with Mike Kaether, an activist, father of ten, Director of Domestic Freedom at Bridgepoint Mission Center in WI Dells, and the Founder of Journals For Freedom. Mike tells us about his journey of first uncovering the truth of human trafficking and the grip it took on his heart as a father.
Now he works to educate others about this horrific problem as well as creating beautiful leather bound journals, with each purchase benefiting groups that are fighting human trafficking both locally and abroad.
Visit his page to learn more: journalsforfreedom.org
Did you know it is estimated that illicit massage parlors generate $2.5 billion annually? Join hosts John Pulley and Cat Jacoby as they are joined by guests Lieutenant Ryan Dahlgren of the ECPD and Massage Therapist Dawn Cripe to uncover the truth behind this multi-billion dollar industry. Learn the warning signs, the action law enforcement has taken, and how to report this crime.
There is no better way to launch the Fierce Freedom Podcast than by interviewing Founder and Executive Director Jenny Almquist. Jenny will tell the story of how she first heard about human trafficking, how she started fighting to reach those who are victims of human trafficking, the success stories of Fierce Freedom, and how you can make an impact.