Southern Grit Advocacy

PREVENT, DISRUPT, AND END HUMAN TRAFFICKING THROUGH EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY.

ESTABLISHED THE SOUTHERN GRIT ADVOCACY FUND WITH THE WICHITA FALLS AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IN 2020 AND ADDED TO THE FUND IN 2021 FOR OPERATION AND PROGRAM SUPPORT AND TO PROMOTE THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IN THE COMMUNITY.

PREVENTION EDUCATION: IN 2021, YEAR TWO OF OPERATIONS, SOUTHERN GRIT ADVOCACY (SGA) COLLABORATED WITH YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS AND EMPOWERED APPROXIMATELY 2300 CHILDREN, AGES 5-12 ABOUT PERSONAL SAFETY, AND TEENS, AGES 13-17, ABOUT PERSONAL SAFETY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING, THROUGH OUR PERSONAL SAFETY SAVVY PROGRAM. CHILDREN LEARNED SKILLS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM ABUSE. TEENS GAINED INSIGHT INTO RECOGNIZING AND REPORTING EXPLOITATION, TRAFFICKING, HOW TO PREVENT IT, AND HOW TO GET HELP FOR THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. SGA BECAME A COMMUNITY EDUCATION PARTNER WITH THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN. THE PARTNERSHIP THROUGH THIS PILOT PROGRAM MADE THE ACHIEVEMENTS ABOVE POSSIBLE. SGA HOSTED TRAINING AND INTRODUCED PREVENTION EDUCATION CURRICULUM TO 10 JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES REPRESENTING THREE NORTH TEXAS COUNTIES. SGA PAID HALF AND NEGOTIATED A SCHOLARSHIP FOR HALF OF THE LICENSE FEE FOR PREVENTION CURRICULUM FOR THE WICHITA CO., TX JUVENILE PROBATION DEPT. WHICH MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR APPX. 200 STUDENTS TO GAIN TOOLS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE. ONE SGA VOLUNTEER DISCUSSED CAREERS AND RESOURCES TO FURTHER THEIR EDUCATION WITH STUDENTS AT THE WICHITA COUNTY JUVENILE JUSTICE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION CENTER.

TRAINING: SGA HOSTED, CO-HOSTED AND COORDINATED TRAINING FOR APPROXIMATELY 653 ADULTS INCLUDING HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WITH A SURVIVOR SPEAKER, LAW ENFORCEMENT, JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICERS, AND OTHER ADULTS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING, CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, AND HELPING VICTIMS WITH A TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE APPROACH.

A SECOND SITE LOCATION WAS ADDED TO MAKE ROOM FOR NEW STAFF. A PARTNERSHIP WAS FORMED WITH SHARED HOPE INTERNATIONAL AND THE FAITH-BASED UNIT WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERCICES TO SHARE THE FAITH-IN-ACTION KIT WITH CHURCHES TO FORM PARTNERSHIPS FOR PREVENTION EDUCATION, TO RAISE AWARENESS OF CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, AND OFFER TRAINING. PREVENTION EDUCATION: SOUTHERN GRIT ADVOCACY (SGA) CONTINUED AS A COMMUNITY EDUCATION PARTNER WITH THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN (NCMEC) FOR OUR PERSONAL SAFETY SAVVY PROGRAM REACHING 1577 STUDENTS. CHILDREN, AGES 5-12, WERE EMPOWERED BY PERSONAL SAFETY TIPS, WITH FREE NCMEC RESOURCES, TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM EXPLOITATION AND DANGER. TEENS WERE EMPOWERED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE TO RECOGNIZE AND REPORT RED FLAGS OF CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING (HT), TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, AND TO SEEK HELP WHEN NEEDED. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY PARTNERING WITH YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS AND NCMEC. SGA AND LOCAL TV STATIONS SPONSORED A 30-SECOND PERSONAL SAFETY CHECK FIRST SPOT PRODUCED BY NCMEC FOR ELEMENTARY-AGE STUDENTS THAT WAS BROADCAST ACROSS NORTH TEXAS AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA.

AWARENESS: THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS AND OUTREACH EVENTS IN NORTH TEXAS, WE RAISED AWARENESS OF HT AND PROVIDED WRITTEN INFORMATION ABOUT THE CYBERTIPLINE AND THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE TO 801 ADULTS IN-PERSON. WE USED SOCIAL MEDIA, ONLINE PLATFORMS, AND DIGITAL MEDIA TO EDUCATE, RAISE AWARENESS, AND PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR THE PUBLIC TO PREVENT HT AND CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, TO RECOGNIZE AND REPORT SIGNS OF IT, AND TO OFFER HOPE AND HELP TO SURVIVORS. COMMUNICATIONS ON THE SOUTHERN GRIT ADVOCACY FACEBOOK PAGE REACHED 6,814 PEOPLE. 90% OF 632 NEW USERS WITHIN THE USA ACCESSED RESOURCES THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AT HTTPS://SOUTHERNGRITADVOCACY.ORG.LOCAL TELEVISION, RADIO STATIONS, AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS RAISED AWARENESS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING WHEN THEY PROMOTED SGA HOSTED EVENTS WITH A POTENTIAL REACH OF MORE THAN 40,000 VIEWERS AND LISTENERS ACROSS NORTH TEXAS AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA.

TRAINING: 157 ADULTS WERE TRAINED TO RECOGNIZE AND REPORT SIGNS OF HT, ONLINE SOLICITATION, AND LEARNED HOW TO GET HELP FOR SURVIVORS WITH A TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACH.