Stritch’s
Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) will host and
co-sponsor an event, “Human Trafficking: Modern-Day Slavery” this Sunday, Dec.
2, from 1-3 p.m. in the Nancy Kendall Theater. A reception will follow.
The event, sponsored by the Archdiocese of
Milwaukee, will feature commentary by human trafficking survivor, author and
advocate Theresa Flores, founder of S.O.A.P. (Save Our Adolescents from
Prostitution), an outreach that distributes thousands of bars of soap with the
National Human Trafficking Hotline number and key identifying questions free to
motels.
Flores travels
the U.S. sharing her story of trafficking and slavery while living in an
upper-middle class suburb of Detroit. At age 15, she was drugged, raped and
tortured for two long years, all while living at home and attempting to keep
her family safe. She attended school during the day alongside her abusers, only
to be called into ‘service’ late each night while her unknowing family slept.
Involuntarily involved in a large criminal ring, she endured more as a child
than most adults will ever face their entire lives. Read more here.
Today, Flores is a sought-after
international speaker on human trafficking. She has trained child services
workers, judges, and probation officers; and lectures at universities, middle
schools and high schools nationwide. She has been a licensed social worker for more
than 20 years, and was appointed to the Ohio Attorney General’s Commission on
the Study of Human Trafficking in 2009. She has testified before the Ohio House
and Senate in support of human trafficking legislation, and her efforts were a
major part of the success of SB235 being passed into law in 2010. She was
recently recognized by Ohio Governor John Kasich and received the COURAGE Award
for her work in human trafficking.
Flores is featured by the
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Museum in a traveling exhibit
entitled Invisible Slavery, and has published two books, “The Sacred Bath”
and “The Slave Across the Street.” The audio version of her latest book was
recently nominated for The 2011 Audie Award. Her story has been seen on Nightline,
America’s Most Wanted, The Today Show, and MSNBC. She also appears in Kidnap + Rescue,
a Discovery Channel TV series.
Those with questions
may contact Sister Adele Thibaudeau, OSF, at athibaudeau@stritch.edu
or (414) 410-4151.