Justice Hope Freedom Podcast

Kristin Gibowicz was yoga certified in 2003 and has over 6,000 hours of teaching and training experience in many styles from power yoga to yin yoga.   As founder and lead trainer of Living Soul Institute, a yoga school in Colorado, they integrate the richness of yoga tradition with Christ-centered spirituality and they provide teacher certification and continuing education training. https://www.kristingibowiczyoga.com/  

Dr. Steve Tracy is the President and International Director of Mending the Soul Ministries whose mission is to bring restoration to people world-wide who have experienced abuse. He is the author of several books, including Mending the Soul: Understanding and Healing Abuse. His writing and ministry are focused on sexuality, abuse, and social justice. Steve and his wife Celestia spend 6-8 weeks every year ministering to trauma survivors in East Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  http://mendingthesoul.org/    Published July 8, 2020

Dr. Adebimpe Adewusi is a Child Abuse Pediatrician at CARES Northwest. She has a special interest about the issue of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), problematic sexual behaviors, and medical neglect cases.  We discuss what signs of sex trafficking and exploitation that pediatricians can look for when seeing a patient.  If you are a physician and would like to take one of her trainings, email her at aadewusi@lhs.org.   Other Resources - CARES Northwest  Call To Safety, Oregon Department of Human Services Published June 23, 2020  - This episode is sponsored by Village Church 

Stephanie Powell, Executive Director of Journey Out and is a retired Police Sergeant for 30 years and is the author of My Choice, My Body, My Rules on found on Amazon.  Journey Out is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit whose mission is to help victims of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking leave a life of abuse and violence, overcome their fears, and empower them to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.  We also discuss how this time of COVID-19 is impacting victims of sex trafficking and exploitation.  https://journeyout.org/. Published on June 3, 2020  

Jessica Muñoz is the is the Founder and President of Ho`ōla Nā Pua.  Tammy Bitanga is the Community Advocacy & Outreach Coordinator. Ho`ōla Nā Pua, meaning ‘New Life for Our Children,’ was founded to shine light into dark voids of violation, placing the health of Hawaii’s youth at the center of their mission and vision for their community. They are committed to the prevention of child sex trafficking and providing care for children who have been exploited. Ho`ōla Nā Pua (HNP) is dedicated to creating a community where children are safe and have the ability to embrace their bright futures.  HNP offers integrated programming that reaches over thousands of youth and community members and stakeholders across the state of Hawaii annually, but is considered a national partner and a rising standard in the global effort to stop sex trafficking, permanently.  https://hoolanapua.org/    24/7 Starfish Hotline 808.222.1872; National Human Trafficking Hotline 888.373.7888.   Published on May 27, 2020.

Kristen A. Jenson is the author of the best-selling Good Pictures Bad Pictures. Why should you talk with your children about pornography? Because otherwise someone else will! The Good Pictures Bad Pictures series of read-aloud books can make a difficult conversation easy! She is the founder of Protect Young Minds, an organization dedicated to helping parents empower their kids with tools to resist and reject pornography.  https://www.protectyoungminds.org/ Published May 20, 2020

Kristin Choitz, is a Ministry Developer with One Collective in Chongwe, Zambia. Her heart is for women and girls to have opportunities to grow spiritually, emotionally, and economically.  She invited our Justice Hope Freedom Ministry to Zambia to train women how to facilitate a sex trafficking curriculum with their girls. They want the girls to know the truth about sex trafficking and their worth and value in God’s eyes.  Published on June 10.

Major Rachele Lamont, is the Territorial Coordinator for Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, The Salvation Army—Canada & Bermuda Territory. She used to serve in Greece.   We explore what she experienced while working on the ground with individuals who were vulnerable to being sex trafficked and exploited in Greece. The Salvation Army- Canada and Bermuda: http://www.salvationarmy.ca/ The Salvation Army- United States of America: https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

Sam Black is the Vice President of Business Development at Covenant Eyes (covenanteyes.com), which provides resources designed to help you and those you love live free from pornography. We discuss how viewing pornography changes your brain, the power of screen accountability, and the challenges and triggers of being physically isolated because of COVID-19.        

Open Doors USA is a community of Christians who come together to support persecuted believers in more than 60 countries.  Elizabeth Miller and I discuss the challenges of persecuted women around the world and how it can present itself for some who are sex trafficked. Open Door USA https://www.opendoorsusa.org/  Open Door Canada https://www.opendoorsca.org/

Joel Shapiro, J.D. is the Executive Director and Andrea Lampert, J. D. , is the Lead Attorney & Center Coordinator of the Trafficking Law Center in Portland, Oregon. TLC provides pro bono legal services to human trafficking victims & survivors for criminal expungements, name changes, restraining orders, limited criminal charges and family law issues, and civil cases against their trafficker(s) or institutions that facilitated their exploitation.  For special or out of state cases, they refer client survivors to their participating pro bono attorneys for immigration, complicated criminal charges, and complex family law issues. They coordinate with lawyers in their network to assist with representation in jurisdictions outside of Oregon.   Trafficking Law Center - https://www.traffickinglawcenter.org/ Victims in need of assistance should call the National Human Trafficking Hotline to obtain a referral.   (888) 373-7888 or Text: 233733

Asha Taitt is a 17-year old African American high school student on the East Coast who was disturbed that a lot of black girls were going missing, unfortunately being caught up in being sex trafficked and exploited and no one was talking about it.  She is using her photography talent and skills to highlight the issue of sex trafficking and exploitation of black girls in her photo exhibit "Lost Girls" on her Instagram page @taitttakesphotos. 

Brian and Melissa Leak are the European Liaisons on the issue of sex trafficking with WorldVenture.  They focus on equipping and mobilizing Christians across Europe to engage in the fight against sex trafficking There is a vital need for Christians to become aware of the sex trafficking issue and our responsibility to act. Their ministry is: 1) to create this awareness; 2) to equip believers to engage in anti-trafficking ministries; and 3) to connect believers to anti-trafficking ministries that are an ideal fit for their passions and skill set. Learn more at https://hopeforabolition.com  Below is the study that Brian referenced during the interview about legalization and trafficking: Cho, Seo-Young and Dreher, Axel and Neumayer, Eric, Does Legalized Prostitution Increase Human Trafficking? (January 16, 2012). World Development, 41 (1), 2013, pp. 67-82. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1986065 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1986065

Pleshette Fontenet is the Director of Membership for The Junior League of Portland.  The Junior League of Portland is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.  They work to end the cycle of violence against women and children.  https://www.jlpdx.org/ They created the documentary, Waiting For The Light (https://vimeo.com/84125940) which exposes the scope and impact of sex trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Portland, Oregon.  

As a therapeutic foster care & advocacy Corporation, Youth Unlimited Inc.'s mission is to provide youth with a safe space to begin their next steps in life. YUI staff are qualified professionals with many years of experience working with youth and families in the child-welfare, behavioral health, and in juvenile justice programs.  April addresses what YUI is doing to work with youth, what challenges in the system have been and how youth in the foster care system are vulnerable to being sex trafficked and exploited. Youth Unlimited Inc. https://www.yuioregon.net/ Interviewed on April 5, 2019

International Justice Mission is a global organization with a plan to eliminate the slave trade everywhere. Richard Lee is a sought-after speaker on issues of justice and the Church, speaking at churches across the nation for the last 20 years. His passion for speaking has taken him to be on the TEDx stage, where he presented "Slavery Still Exists. Here's How to End It.”  In his role as director of church mobilization for International Justice Mission, he works with pastors and churches to deepen engagement with the biblical call of justice and the work of IJM. Through preaching on Sundays and forming partnerships with churches, he aims to keep the issue of justice as a part of discipleship in the Church. Interviewed on March 26, 2019 

A Students Perspective on the Transgender Community and What Makes Them Vulnerable To Being Trafficked

Door to Grace offers loving services and vital resources to girls who are between the ages of 14- 17, survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, and preparing to leave "the life". You can learn more at www.doortograce.org.

The Gresham Chamber of Commerce held a panel discussion on the issue of sex trafficking.  JR Ujifusa, Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney and Mike Gallagher, Officer with the Portland Police Bureau address prosecution, investigation, demand and cracking down on buyers.  This discussion was recorded by MetroEast Community Media in Gresham, Oregon and published on June 27, 2016.

An interview with Joe Bergeron about how to influence and change laws & policies.