Hi - I'm Guy. I am an attorney that practices in PA, and NY. I am a former sex crimes prosecutor and my day-to-day cases are almost exclusively helping survivors of sexual abuse get justice. My team and I are ready to help.
Human trafficking is a problem that Philadelphia and the surrounding areas have yet to tackle. Thankfully, there are many local organizations that work tirelessly to eliminate human trafficking in our area. Read on to learn how these 4 Philadelphia anti-human trafficking organizations are working to make our communities safer.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sex trafficking, you should tell the police as soon as it is safe for you to do so. If you would prefer not to speak to the police, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. You can also contact us by form, or call at 866-577-2786 for a free and confidential consultation.
Our sex trafficking attorneys represent the victims of such traumatic events.
This religiously based non-profit believes in the idea of a covenant between humans and God, and that this covenant requires humans to take care of one another, and to provide safety and shelter to children with unconditional love. Their efforts help keep children off the streets, and help children who have been trafficked discover shelter and freedom.
Covenant House’s Street Outreach team travels in vans 4-5 days a week in the city and stops to talk to youths. The van is stocked with blankets, water, food, clothes, and hygiene materials so that they can provide basic care to youths in need that they encounter. The Street Outreach team’s goal is to make youths aware that Covenant House is a free and kind outlet they can use if they need it.
Located at 31 E. Armat Street Philadelphia, PA 19144, the Crisis Center provides no-questions-asked shelter to up to 51 youths per night.
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Many trafficked youths do not have the skills necessary to survive, and so Rights Of Passage (ROP) aims to teach these skills to youths. With classes on cooking, financial independence, and time management, Rights Of Passage provides the education youths need for independence. In addition, youths enrolled in ROP must make deposits into a savings account, complete community service, and pay “rent.” Rent is later returned at the end of the program so that they can use it to pay for their own housing when they strike out on their own.
Covenant House also has a teen-focused health clinic, educational services that help youths assess their skills and channel them into a career, and chairs the Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition.
Located at 123 South Broad Street in Philadelphia, Women’s Way is a non-profit that advocates for progressive rights for women and girls. Their mission is to protect women and girls suffering from human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. Over the course of their 38-year existence, the organization has leveraged $23 million to help regional women and girls. They specialize in grants and advocacy for women and girls and have made it their mission to be the powerful voice these people need. Lastly, they also chair the Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition and have partnered with Polaris Project.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital resident physician Dr. Kanani Titchen noticed that in conversations with fellow doctors, many did not believe that sex trafficking was a prevalent issue in the United States, let alone the Philadelphia area. So Dr. Titchen decided to conduct a survey to gain more insight into why doctors were unaware of this rampant issue. What she found was that doctors were not being educated on what to look for to detect if someone has been trafficked into sex work.
From this realization, the PATH toolkit was born. It is an online resource for medical professionals to learn about the warning signs, how to intervene, and how to direct trafficked people to the resources they need.
Also a religious organization, FREE’s mission is to advocate for those who cannot do so for themselves. Their goal is to educate communities, leaders, and educators about what human trafficking looks like.