Local Soroptimist Branch Holds Human Trafficking Awareness Event

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The Centralia-Chehalis branch of Soroptimist International has hosted seminars on a variety of topics over the years, all with the aim of educating and empowering women and girls in the Twin Cities and across Lewis County.

Wednesday evening, the nonprofit will play host to a pair of Vancouver-based organizations for an event centered around an aspect of society that Soroptimist member Peggy Hammer called uncomfortable, a little bit awkward, but very important: human trafficking.

Representatives from the National Women’s Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation (NWCAVE) and the Human Trafficking Task Force of Clark County will give presentations beginning at 6:30 p.m. followed by a question and answer session at the V.R. Lee Community Building in Chehalis. A social reception with local resources such as the Human Response Network will take place at 6 p.m.

Three members of the local Soroptimist International chapter, including Hammer, are on the board of directors for the HRN. The event is free to attend.

“We felt this was a topic we wanted our members to be more aware of,” Hammer said. “I think people would be very surprised, because they tend to attribute it more to very large cities. We tend to think it happens somewhere else, but it can happen even in a rural area. It’s important for us to be aware of it in our own communities.”

Hammer pointed to arrests  made during a prostitution sting conducted by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Patrol last April at a truck stop south of Chehalis as an example of localized human trafficking. “Operation Human Freight” resulted in 10 arrests and identified five female victims of prostitution, according to previous reporting by The Chronicle.

Chief Deputy Dusty Breen of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office told The Chronicle in April that previous sting operations conducted on Craigslist received about 70 emails.

Michelle Bart, president and co-founder of NWCARE, said Wednesday’s presentations are meant to serve as a workshop of sorts for members of the public to receive a basic understanding of what happens along the Interstate 5 corridor.

Bart also serves as communications chair for the Human Trafficking Task Force of Clark County. Task force chairperson Kay Vail is expected to be in attendance Wednesday, as are representatives of local law enforcement agencies.

“The Soroptimist International people in Chehalis wanted a Human Trafficking 101 sort of presentation,” Bart said. “We’ll be presenting a couple of case studies where the child was found and had been trafficked, as well as some cold cases where, unfortunately, they haven’t been found. January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness Month, so we felt this would be a good time to do it.”

Susan Weckesser, president of Soroptimist International of Centralia-Chehalis, said Monday that the event isn’t meant to jolt or frighten the public, but to educate Lewis County residents on ways they can be part of the solution. She expects about 50 people to attend the presentations.

“We’re going to be talking about recognizing and preventing (human trafficking) as well as what kind of services are available out there for people who feel they are being exploited,” Weckesser said. “The goal is to help people be more aware of what happens so we can be positive influences on our community.”

Anyone who feels they have been the victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or human trafficking is urged to call the Human Response Network at 360-748-6601 or 1-800-244-7414.