Week 1: History and concept of Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Week 2: Using discretion on social media sites
The Lifeboat Project’s mission is to raise awareness of the issue of human trafficking and empower the lives of survivors through longterm aftercare, residential programs, and education. The agency accomplishes its mission by providing life-long care to adults and mothers with children who have been trafficked.
The vulnerable populations the agency serves includes trafficked mothers and their children, sex trafficking victims, labor trafficking victims, and survivors in the community. It is important to note that some younger mothers bore children out of their trafficking situations. This brings further concerns around exploited mothers (parents) and the effects of exploitation on their children.
Keeping mothers and their children unified in safe housing with positive opportunities for growth in the community along with individual and family mental health counseling is key to prevent re-victimization of mothers and exploitation of children. According to one study, nearly a third (31 percent) of the respondents knew of the death of a child whose mother was trafficked or in sex work, and the majority (89 percent) reported that some daughters are trafficked into prostitution. The median estimate of percentage of daughters who are trafficked was 50 percent.
In 2021, The Lifeboat Project, Inc expanded our reach as we started housing more homeless trafficked mothers and their children and homeless mothers whose children have been trafficked. We are one of a few agencies in the United States to do so and the only one in Central Florida. Statewide, only five safe houses, a total of 28 beds, are available to survivors. Long-term residential housing options are needed with after care. Shelter services are provided for adults only and are short-term. Those who escape or are rescued from trafficking situations are facing a new life and often suffer PTSD with coexisting substance abuse issues. Many have aged out of available programs, and other existing services do not consider this a highrisk population. Homeless trafficked mothers with children are not able to stay together as a family due the limitations of the current emergency shelters only serving adults. Due to the nature of the unpredictable circumstances of trafficking situations, domestic violence shelters for mothers with trafficked children are not appropriate. Once rescued, mothers and their children require a safe housing environment, medical, mental health, dental care, and educational/vocational opportunities as immediate necessities.
The Lifeboat Project incorporates the housing-first model of homeless/ housing engagement, which puts the emphasis on moving mothers and children into low-barrier housing and then provide the necessary mental health care, wraparound services, and support with targeted case management to keep families unified —100% of mothers and their children are homeless upon entering program services, and 100% of the mothers and their children benefit from services from The Lifeboat Project, Inc. are low-to-moderate income earning below 80% of Area Median Income or are impoverished meeting the definition of 200% below Federal Poverty Guidelines. Learn more at www.thelifeboatproject.org.
WORLD MOVIE PREMIERE
The free movie premiere of “Not For Sale” will be held Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at City of Destiny Church in Apopka. The narrative feature depicts how the hospitality industry in Florida is winning the battle against sex trafficking.
NOT FOR SALE: FLORIDA is an inspiring new narrative feature film depicting how the hospitality industry in Florida is winning the battling against sex- trafficking.
The film from JCFilms and The Lifeboat Project, Inc. stars actor Dean Cain, the host of the event, and depicts true stories of human trafficking crimes. The goal is to make our communities safer, more informed, and vigilant to this growing epidemic in human trafficking in Florida.
“Films change the culture, and we’re going to keep making films until we change the culture on human trafficking in Florida,” said Jason Campbell of JCFilms Studios said.
Dress to impress, as everyone will walk the red carpet. The film may not be suitable for children under 13.
