Per Presidential Proclamation, January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. At CCHT, we believe this month of focused awareness offers the opportunity to engage, educate, and inspire our community to combat abuse and exploitation. Ultimately, we hope to move our communities beyond basic awareness, toward purposeful action. With this in mind, we are thrilled to have partnered with a number of local businesses and organizations to offer a variety of awareness events. We hope that you will join us in both attending and spreading the words about these opportunities. 

Human Trafficking Dialogue 
Thursday, January 4th Breakfast at 8:45 AM, Meeting at 9:10 AM 
Progressive Missionary Baptist Church 
2727 E 25th St. North 
Open to Ministerial League and Community   

Hosted by the Greater Wichita Ministerial League, this panel discussion will feature representatives from the CCHT, 18th Judicial District, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), The Governor’s Social Services Policy Council, and Pure and Simple Health Education, Inc. 

Wichita Women in Health Professions Human Trafficking Awareness Month Event
Tuesday, January 23rd at 5:30 PM 
KU School of Medicine, Sunflower Room
1010 N. Kansas 
Free and Open to the Public 

Hosted by the Wichita Women in Health Professions, this event is intended to raise awareness about human trafficking and local initiatives to best prevent and identify abuse and exploitation. Panelists include representatives from the CCHT, Forensic Nursing Services Via Christi Hospitals Wichita, Inc., Hope Ranch for Women, and the Wichita Family Crisis Center.

Love Not Lockup: A Documentary Screening of One Survivor’s Story Followed by Discussion with Producer Dan Birman and Kansas Civic Leaders
Thursday, January 25 at 5:30 p.m. 
Hughes Metropolitan Complex
5015 E. 29th Street North
Free and Open to the Public. Food provided by Chick-Fil-A. 

Perhaps you read the social media posts by Rihanna, Jada Pinkett Smith, or Kim Kardashian that went viral in December; or the headlines that hit every major news outlet—Cyntoia Brown is Shamefully Typical of How We Treat Child Sex Trafficking Victims. With a long-term commitment to ensuring victim-centered/survivor-led anti-trafficking responses that lead to the holistic prosperity of individuals who have overcome abuse and exploitation, CCHT is at the forefront of changing this “shameful” reality.

Sentenced to life in prison at the age of 16, Cyntoia’s past reveals a common thread of sexual abuse and exploitation among young survivors of sex trafficking. Furthermore, her incarceration is representative of the ineffective response efforts set-forth by our systems of care and justice for the most vulnerable and marginalized in our community. Instead of receiving much needed support and services, survivors are charged with crimes that occurred as a direct result of their victimization and under the duress of their exploiter. Because of this, Dan Birman is using his gift of film production to not only advocate for the freedom of Cyntoia, but to improve system responses for all youth who have survived personal and institutional cycles of trauma—including those in Kansas whose stories of survival may not make national news.

We are thrilled to host producer of “Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story,” Dan Birman along with Kansas Civic Leaders in a discussion of how “Cyntoia’s Story” can serve as an instrument of change for the countless others across America who are further harmed by our systems of care and justice. With a commitment to serving our own Kansans, leaders will engage in curious exploration and critical conversations regarding the criminalization of individuals who have survived sex trafficking.

Sponsored by Ulrich Museum of Art and the Central and Rock Chick-Fil-A. 

4th Annual Anti-Trafficking Conference
Breaking Down Barriers: Understanding the Complexity of Human Trafficking
January 26th, 2018 
Hughes Metropolitan Complex
5015 E. 29th Street North
Registration Required 

Our fourth annual collaborative Multidisciplinary Anti-Trafficking Response Conference is designed to intentionally engage multidisciplinary professionals, civic and faith leaders, and interested community members in anti-trafficking efforts. Attendees will be challenged to examine the pressing issues in the anti-trafficking movement, from criminalization to long-term prosperity responses. This year’s conference will feature a diverse group of experts in the field of human trafficking who will cover a variety of topics in our breakout sessions. In addition, we will feature to two nationally renowned keynote speakers, Judge Catherine Pratt and Judge Robert Lung. Judge Pratt was appointed as a commissioner in the Los Angeles Superior Court in 2006 and became a judge in 2016. She has been assigned to the juvenile delinquency court since July 2007 and in January 2012 began supervising the STAR Court, a collaborative, victim-centered court that provides services to juveniles who have been commercially sexually exploited and are on probation for prostitution or related charges. Judge Lung has served on the bench for over 15 years in the 18th Judicial District of Colorado and he currently presides over a criminal/juvenile/domestic docket. In addition to his responsibilities as a judicial officer, Judge Lung provides presentations nationally on the subjects of human trafficking, childhood trauma, recovery and resiliency. Special guests and awardees, Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Stephanie Russell with Wichita Laser Clinic, will also join us in exploring more effective responses to combating abuse and exploitation. 

Human Trafficking and Sexual Assault: Protecting Our Community 
January 27th from 10:00 am to 12:00 PM 
Fairmount Coffee Shop
3815 E 17th St N
Free and Open to the Public Hosted by Community Operations Recovery Empowerment, this event is intended to raise awareness, promote education, discuss impact, and advocate for the prevention of human trafficking and sexual assault. CCHT will join experts from across the city to share information and answer questions from those attending.