WISCONSIN IS
NOW
HOME
TO A
% NATIONAL
ORGANIZATION'S
FLAGSHIP
% SAFE
HOUSE
FOR
SUFFER
!
SURVIVORS
OF SEX
% TRAFFICKING.
% WHY SUCH
HOUSING
IS
SO
BADLY
% NEEDED.
% WE
CHECK
IN
WITH
PRESIDENT AND
% CEO
, ELIZABETH MELENDEZ FISHER
% GOOD.
% THE
MISSION
OF
HER
ORGANIZATION?
% TO
END SEX
TRAFFICKING
AND
WORK
% ON
AWARENESS, OUTREACH.
% THANK
YOU
FOR
BEING
HERE.
% >> THANK
YOU.
% >>
ACCORDING TO
YOUR
WEBSITE,
% CHICAGO IS IN
THE
TOP
FIVE
% CITIES FOR SEX
TRAFFICKING AND
% MILWAUKEE HAS BEEN DEEMED
THE% "HARVARD FOR PIMPS."
% WHAT
DOES
THAT
MILWAUKEE
% DESIGNATION
MEAN?
% >>
ISN'T
THAT
CRAZY?
% IT'S
SOMETHING THAT WAS OUT
% THERE THAT THIS
IS A
PLACE
WHERE
% PIMPS WILL COME
TO
LEARN
BECAUSE
% SOME
CITIES
ARE
MUCH
MORE
% ADVANCED ON
FINDING
AND
CLEARING% OUT
TRAFFICKING
OR
SOME
AREAS
% THAT
THEY
SAY
WE
DON'T
BRING
% GIRLINGS
!
GIRLS
HERE.
% LAW
ENFORCEMENT IS
ALL
OVER
US.
% THE GREAT
THING
THAT WE CAN
SAY
% IS WE
WERE
EXCITED TO
SEE
THAT
% STAT BECAUSE
WE'VE
OPENED
THIS
% AMAZING HOME
AND
WE
WILL
TURN
% WISCONSIN
INTO A
SOLUTION
% CENTER.
% BECAUSE
VULNERABLE
CHILDREN ARE
% EVERYWHERE.%I DON'T
THINK
PEOPLE
REALIZE
% THAT SEX
TRAFFICKING
IS
NOT
% TAKEN
IN
INDONESIA, BUT
KIDS
IN
% OUR
MIDWEST.
% I GREW U
P
IN
CHICAGO.
% IT'S
AMAZING
WHAT'S
HAPPENING
% UNDER
EVERYBODY'S
NOSE.
% >>
YOU
DESCRIBE TOO
THAT
% CORRIDOR BETWEEN
CHICAGO
AND
% MILWAUKEE
IS
PARTICULARLY
KIND
% OF
DANGEROUS
FOR
EXPLOITATION
% AND SEX
TRAFFICKING.% >>
WELL,
WHAT
HAPPENS
IS
IF YOU
% HAVE A LITTLE GIRL
AND
IT
ALWAYS
% COMES
FROM
SOMEONE THAT
WAS
% KEEPING A SECRET
OF
CHILDHOOD
% SEXUAL ABUSE.
% THEY
WERE
LIED
TO
AND
C
OERCED.
% IF
THEY RUN
AWAY
AND
THEY'RE
OUT
% THERE
LOOKING,
RUN
TO
CHICAGO,
% TRAFFICKERS ARE
LOOKING
FOR
% VULNERABLE
CHILDREN.
% THEY
SAY,
HEY,
I
BET
YOU'RE HUNG
% RILL?
% I'LL
L
OVE
YOU.
% I
BET
YOUR
PARENTS
DIDN'T LOVE
% YOU.
% THEY CALL THE
PIMPS
NOW
ROMEO
% PIMPS
BECAUSE
THEY
LURE
THEM
IN.
% THEY
SELL
THEM
ONE
NIGHT HERE% AND
BACK
AND
FORTH
FROM
CHICAGO% TO
MILWAUKEE.
% THINK
OF
ALL
THE
ACTIVITIES
AND
% THE SPORTS AND
THE
VENUES
THAT% WE HAVE.
% >>
SO
MEANWHILE YOU HAVE
REBUILT
% THIS
SAFE HOUSE
AND
YOU
CALL
IT
% THE
FLAGSHIP.% >>
FLAGSHIP
HOME.
% >>
DESCRIBE THAT FOR
US.
% >>
IT'S
AMAZING.% THERE
WAS A
GENEROUS
GROUP
THAT
% DONATED THIS HOME
TO
US.
% IT'S
7700
SQUARE
FEED.
% IT
HAS
20
BEDS
AND
GIRLS
ARE
% HAVING
SERVICES NOW
AND
IT'S
% GOING TO
BE FILLED
UP
IN
THE
% NEXT 30
DAYS.
% AND
LITERALLY IT
WAS
GIVEN
% THINKING THIS WAS
GOING TO
BE A
% QUICK TRANSFORMATION AND
WE
HAD
% TO
GUT
IT DOWN
TO
STUDS.
% SO THE
PHOTOS
YOU
ARE
SHOWING,% IT IS
TRANSFORMED.
% WE DO
HAVE A
COLOR
PALATE
% BECAUSE A GIRL FROM THE
STREETS,
% SHE WALKS
IN
AND
SHE
CAN'T
% BELIEVE SHE
GETS
TO
LIVE
HERE.
% ATMOSPHERE
ELEVATES.
% THEY
CAN'T
GO BACK
TO
THE
% STREETS
AND
SEE
THINGS
THE
SAME.
% WE
TRY
TO
MAKE A
BIG
IMPACT
WHEN
% THEY
HIT
US
FOR
THE FIRST
TIME.
% >> WHAT
DO
THEY
NEED
MOST?
% >>
THE
Y
DON'T
BELIEVE
THEY'RE
% WORTH
IT.
% RESIDENCE CHEL
!
RESIDENTIAL IS
ONE
PROGRAM.
% EVEN THOUGH
SHE'S
BEEN ON
THE
% STREET
SINCE SHE WAS
12
OR
14,
% SOLD
FOR
SEX
15
TO
40
TIMES A
% DAY, THESE
13,
14,
15-YEAR-OLDS
% ARE SOLD.
% THESE
ARE
AMERICAN GIRLS
BOUGHT
% BY
OUR
OWN
MEN.
% LITERALLY SHE
IS
TOLD THIS
IS
% ALL YOU'RE
WORTH.
% THIS IS
YOUR
VALUE.
% SO
OUR
OUTREACH TEAM
THAT'S ON
% THE STREETS AND
IN
THE
JAILS
AND
% IN
THE
COURTS
BETWEEN HERE
AND
% MILWAUKEE AND
ALL OVER
THE
STATE
% ARE
REACHING OUT
TO
THESE
GIRLS.
% WE WILL
CHASE A GIRL
FOR
TWO
% YEARS
TO
HELP
HER
BELIEVE
% THERE'S MORE FOR
YOU.
% SHE DOESN'T BELIEVE IT.
% SO
COMING
IN
TO
DREAM
AND
HOPE
% AGAIN.
% THEN WE
HAVE
EVENTS
LIKE
% RESTORING A
CHILDHOOD THAT WAS
% STOLEN.
% >> HOW
LONG
CAN
THEY
STAY?
% >> ONE TO
THREE
YEARS.
% SUCH A BIG NUMBER OF
OUR% GRADUATES
ARE
ON
STAFF.
% FIRST TIME
IN A
HEALTHY
% COMMUNITY.
% IT CHANGES
EVERYTHING.
% 100%
OF
THEM
GET
THEIR
GED.
% WE DON'T
GET
THEM
UNTIL
THEY'RE
% 18.
% SO
THEY HAVE
BEEN ON
THE
STREETS
% AND
ABUSED
SINCE THEY WERE
% CHILDREN.
% AN
18-YEAR-OLD
IS
% DEVELOPMENTALLY STILL
12.
% HORSE
THERAPY,
PUPPY
THERAPY.
% ONE GIRL
IS
LIKE
I
COULD
SING.
% I
NEVER
KNEW I
WAS
MUSICAL.
% BEAUTIFUL.%>>
WHILE
YOU
ARE
IN
WISCONSIN
% YOU
ARE
MEETING
WITH
OUR
% ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
% TO WHAT
END?
% >>
TO
SHARE
THE
LEGISLATION HAS% BEEN
WAITING
FOR
OUR
HOME
TO
% OPEN.
% IT WAS
GIFTED
TO
US
ALMOST THREE
% YEARS
AGO.
% NO
ONE
KNEW WE
WERE
GOING TO
% HAVE TO
GUT
IT DOWN
TO
STUD.
% WE
MISSED
THE
LAST
LEGISLATION.
% NOW
IT ALL
TURNED OVER.
% SO THIS I
S
OUR
FIRST
MEETING
TO
% SAY
WE'RE
HERE,
WE'RE UP AND
% RUNNING,
JUST
INTRODUCE HOW
% COMMITTED WE ARE TO
STANDING
AND
% TURNING WISCONSIN
INTO
THE
% NATIONAL
SOLUTION
CENTER.% >>
WAS
THERE
PARTICULAR
% LEGISLATION OR WAS
IT
JUST
--
% >>
EVERYONE
TURNED
OVER.
% WE
KNEW
THE
LAST
GOVERNOR
AND
% ATTORNEY GENERAL
AND THEY
WERE
% VERY
EXCITED
FOR
OUR
HOME
TO
% OPEN AND
THEY
TERMED
OUT
BEFORE% WE
OPENED.
% WE'RE
HOPING
THERE'S
THE
SAME
% ENTHUSIASM TO GET
INTO
THE
STATE
% BUDGET.
% WE NEED A LOT
OF
SUPPORT.
% WE
TYPICALLY
HAVE
400
VOLUNTEERS
% PER MARKET.
% IT
TAKES
MILLIONS A YEAR
TO
RUN
% ALL
OF
OUR
PROGRAMS AND
GETTING
% IN
THE
STATE
BUDGET WOULD
BE
% FANTASTIC.%>>
IF
PEOPLE
NEED
MORE
% INFORMATION?
% >>
SAY
!