Receive Occupational Training and counselling. Good afternoon. Id like to thank everyone for being here. The scourge of Human Trafficking is the modern day equivalent of slavery. Eradicating this horrific crime and helping its victims have been a top priority for president Trumps Administration and for the department of justice. I thank the president for his steadfast commitment to this issue, and i thank ivanka for her leadership and for hosting this meeting today. I also thank all the survivors and their advocates here for their courage and determination to end this evil scourge. In late january, a number of us were here for the white houses summit on Human Trafficking. We noted this year marks the 20th anniversary of the trafficking victims protection act, a law thats enabled great progress in this fight. I promise that the Justice Department would do everything in our power to stop Human Trafficking and to help survivors, and today im pleased to announce an important step in keeping that promise. The Justice Department is awarding more than 35 Million Dollars in grants to support housing for victims of Human Trafficking, the largest ever federal investment of this kind. These funds will help 73 organizations in 34 states to film an urgent need of to fill an urgent need of trafficking victims. When survivors are eliminated from the nightmare of trafficking, they face a new challenge, nowhere to live. Tragically the trauma from trafficking can give way to new dangers, with homelessness and result in revictimization by predators. No one should have to endure that heart break. Thanks to the funds awarded today and to the devoted organizations including many faithbased organizations, using them, survivors of Human Trafficking will be able to count on a safe place to stay and a real chance to restart their lives. The funds shall support multiple forms of shortterm Housing Assistance, including helping survivors make rent payments, covering utility bills, or security deposits or paying moving expenses. The three inspiring organizations represented here today will use their grants to help more than a hundred people, and the total number helped across the nation will be in the thousands. These grants, the first ever federal program dedicated exclusively to providing housing for survivors of Human Trafficking are part of approximately 100 Million Dollars in total grants that the Department Anticipates awarding this year to combat Human Trafficking. Aside from financial support, the department will continue to use the full force of our laws and our Law Enforcement resources to investigate, prosecute, and punish the people behind this cruel and criminal scourge. I thank all of you for your commitment to this righteous cause, and i look forward to hearing from you today. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Attorney general. We all appreciate how passionately youve championed this cause and been a true warrior for the survivors of Human Trafficking and for vulnerable populations across the country. Just last week, i was with your co chair of the missing and murdered cold cases that k force for miss Cold Case Task force for missing and murdered native americans, as we opened the first of seven offices. Today the second of the seven is being opened in grand rapids, south dakota. Thank you for your work in advocacy on behalf of those individuals as well. The president stated very early in the administration, it was only weeks after he had come to the white house, that he would put the full force and weight of this government behind ending Human Trafficking, arguably the gravest of human rights violations. Since then, the president has signed nine pieces of legislation into law to do exactly that. Funds have also been allocated and really show that this government is prioritizing and putting funds where it matters in the hands of those on the front lines, so just in this past year, in addition to the grants that well be talking about today, 70 million was added for enhanced prosecutions and 123 million for supporting the state and local governments as they further this work. All of this was over and above what congress had appropriated in the year prior. Doj Housing Assistance grants are absolutely critical, and the attorney general outlined some of the ways in which these grants will be used by the Great Organization that convened around this table in addition to 73 from numerous states across the country, a total after 35 Million Dollars in grants, and that really being just the beginning. But six to 24 months of housing support, including rent, utilities, critically counselling services, vocational education, and job training services, so many of the wraparound support items necessary to ensure that victims, survivors, can take their place back in society and resume resume their lives in the most supportive fashion possible. The Human Trafficking hotline has articulated the fact that Housing Assistance is the number one need, the Number One Service requested in all of these Human Traffickingrelated crisis cases. So this is targeting a specific need that has been highlighted for the department of justice. I think covid made the need all the more urgent. In many cases, victims find themselves sheltering in place, with their traffickers, without another option. So like with so many other things, covid has really underscored urgent [no audio] [inaudible] ivanka trump, thank you very much. Attorney general barr, thank you. My name is brooke rollins. I have the incredible blessing of working alongside ivanka and general barr and most importantly this president every single day as we work to lift all americans to a real shot at the american dream. This president from day one talked about he was coming to washington, most unlikely and unexpected president having never run for office as a private businessman from new york city to fight for all americans, but especially the forgotten men and women of this country, forgotten no more. And as we move forward, i think theres no doubt all of you ladies sitting around the table, and general barr, but all of you ladies sitting around the table, were standing on your shoulders. The work that you have done and continue to do in your homes, back in your states, in your cities, youre the real heroes here, and its just such an inspiring place to be at this white house, where we can work alongside you, work alongside ivanka with her leadership, general barr, and again this president , to really focus on those americans who need our help the most. When i look at the numbers, im astonished, 25 Million People around the world living in modern day slavery, 25,000 in america, the United States of america, most of those women and children since shelter in place, the calls to the hotlines have gone up 40 . This is a crisis, but it is a crisis that is solvable because of all of you who are here with us today. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know on behalf of this president and our Vice President and our entire administration, this issue doesnt drive the headlines. Other issues do. But im not sure there is a more important one than this, as we continue to fight for this country, but especially for people who cant fight for themselves and just need a leg up. So im so proud and so grateful to my colleague, heather fisher, who will say a couple of words. I believe this is right, but were the First White House to have a full time person working on Human Trafficking, republican or democrat. So kudos to our boss, the president. Kudos to heather for giving up another career to come in and join us to fight, again as general barr side, this righteous cause and ultimately to help thousands upon thousands and around the world millions of women and children and men who are caught in this terrible issue. With that, heather, please go ahead. Thank you all. im grateful to you all for prioritizing our efforts to address this monumental problem. A special advisor for Human Trafficking and im privileged he was invited as president and his administration in this room to be the first to assumethis role within the whitehouse. This year we celebrate 20 years of putting freedom first. Through the signing of the protocol and passage of the victims protection act of 2000, together we accomplished much in the antitrafficking field but we have much more to do. Mike carswell is a domestic policy to work across the various white house interagencies to continue driving forward the actions laid out in the present executive order on combating Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation in the United States. The president signed this executive order january 30, 2020 and housing for survivors of humantrafficking is outlined as a priority area in this executive order. In 2018 i participated in a nationwide Justice Sector initiative designed to increase Human Trafficking investigations and prosecutions. We contacted stakeholders in rural, suburban and urban areas all consistently identified housing for victims and survivors as a top need and gap. Stable and safe housing for survivors is a crucial component to overall stability for individuals who are aggressively reclaiming their lives after a trafficking experience. Often the lack of adequate housing puts survivors of Human Trafficking at risk of reexploitation. The efforts of the department of justice to fund housing for survivors of Human Trafficking addresses a significant gap in services. Today as ivanka said we celebrate leaders and ngos as the doj announces the grant recipients. During my 10 year combating Human Trafficking ive witnessed amazing accomplishments that survivors go on to achieve when they are provided with the appropriate services these housings so deserve. From survivor leaders to Victim Service providers Law Enforcement unity leaders, healthcare providers, educators, faithbased organizations and government officials we all have an important part to play in combating Human Trafficking. This is truly an all hands on deck strategic effort and the collaboration is key. Now id like to transition to our ngo providers and survivor leaders you see around the table for some of their remarks and id like to ask lawson from the Jordan CommunityResearch Center in Greater Cleveland to share about their work to provide transitional housing to women in their community. Greetings everyone. I feel honored and privileged today to serve and advocate for women who have been trafficked exploited and muted. I myself being trafficked as a young adult understand the trauma and shame associated with how you are viewed and sometimes not supported due to false perceptions of who and what you are. Many people ask me where the name jordan comes from. In this context jordan symbolizes the river people had to cross over to get to canaan which represented prosperity and freedom and whats more interesting is the stronger ones had to prepare the way for the others before they can possess their own inheritance. Jordan crc provides Holistic Service as a means for transformation with love. I accept this grant on behalf of women who are in need of housing, treatment and spiritualsupport to recover, stabilize and heal not just for themselves but their children. You are creating a social enterprise that will not only provide shelter but jobs and opportunities for advancement. I am grateful and honored to participate in this roundtable with advisor trump , attorney general barr and others are here to represent theircause. The ub inspired to affect change by remembering the others who may not know that they have a voice. I tell the ladies i today, passion will provide a platform and with god all things are possible to those who believe. 19 for this opportunity and the other opportunities to come. Thank you for your efforts, 16 years ofsustained efforts in this area and we are so grateful for your leadership. Next ill turn to the joint Community Resource center, if you would mind providing a few remarks as well. [inaudible] im not only here for myself but im also here to represent many voices and many faces. I am a victim of Human Trafficking. I was dehumanized, depraved, tortured, beaten, starved, threatened by knifepoint. If i did not do what they commanded me to do. I wasgiven drugs and became addicted. The fear and shame of my addiction kept me separated from my family and children. I was in a cycle of hopelessness, living on the streets, homeless and addicted and lost hope of receiving my life back. I was admitted into Human Trafficking court. This is where my life began to show hope. I asked to go to the jordan house for recovery. I was amazed that i received so much more. I received love and compassion. In a safe, stable environment where i could build myself from my foundation to an example of what jordan had to offer. I became a senior here to guide and love. The other ones coming up after me. I have a peers support certificate. I am studying to be amentor for the court system. I have a degree in services and i am grateful for this opportunity. Thank you cc for your hard work supporting other women in the cleveland area. We are grateful for sharing your time here today. We also welcome julia thomas, ceo for alternatives for schools for detroit michigan. We look forward to hearing more about your program to provide stable housing, counseling,educational opportunities , job readiness and life skills turning to homeless women ageof 15 to 22 and their children and i turn it over to you. Alternatives for girls were committed to helping homeless girls and women avoid violence and exploitation. Were helping them to explore and access resources, supports and opportunitiesto grow strong and to make positive choices for their life. We do this through three areas of service. Outreach,shelter and prevention. In 2019 alternatives for girls served almost 6000 girls and women who are street based outreach and the other services. We participate with Law Enforcement and Human Trafficking and then provide services to girls and women who are liberated in those areas. We provide Domestic Violence intervention, safety, counseling and a range of services to runaways and Homeless Youth as well as working with highrisk girls in the school age levels to help them to stay in school to provide leadership and support to their peers and to aim for college and careers that will stay ahead of the times. Michigan has a population of over 9 Million People and almost seven percent of them live in detroit. 52 percent of detroiters are women and 25 percent of them are youth under the age of 18. Last year just under 2000 detroiters were counted as experiencing homelessness and across michigan a total of 364 cases of Human Trafficking werereported. We know thats an underreported count. We absolutely know that. We also know that metropolitan detroit is an epicenter both in michigan and the midwest for Human Trafficking. Especially sex trafficking. We recognize there are intersections between homelessness and Human Trafficking. Our experience demonstrates that Affordable Housing along with a range of other supports are key components for strengthening the numbers of girls and women overcoming not just the trauma of sex trafficking but also the full range of challenges that we face in our detroit community. We are grateful to you sir attorney general barr and to advisor trump for your work in this area. We are tremendously grateful for this award from the Us Department of Justice Office of victims of crime and this funding will allow afc to house many girls and women who have experienced Human Trafficking and provide powerful support that will help them get on the path to healing, thriving and becoming. Leaders themselves. And contributing numbers to our community. We will use this funding well and it will have a tremendous impact on vulnerable girls and women in detroit who need us. We appreciate all your efforts for focusing on so many areas of this work, not only housing. Next id like to ask helga fernandez to share about her work in miami and areas for a number of years and you wouldnt mind giving us a few comments, wed appreciate it. I want to echo the gratitude to be invited around the table to have an opportunity to share with jordan and certainly all these courageous survivors