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
GIRLINGSGIRLS 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 UP IN CHICAGO.
IT'S AMAZING WHAT'S HAPPENING
UNDER EVERYBODY'S NOSE.
>> YOU DESCRIBE TOO THAT 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 COERCED.
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 LOVE 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?
>> THEY DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE
WORTH IT.
RESIDENCE CHELRESIDENTIAL 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 IS 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