Selah Freedom and The Selah Way Foundation Endorse Bill Filed to Combat Human Trafficking in U.S.

SARASOTA, Fla., Sept. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A national Florida-based anti-sex trafficking group named Selah Freedom and The Selah Way who endorsed a new Bill introduced yesterday in Congress says it is a major leap forward in the war against human trafficking and exploitation in America. The bipartisan "Human Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Training Act of 2019" would provide $75 million in grant funding over a five year period to non-profit organizations and schools in cities in America to develop and implement curriculum for training students, teachers and school personnel to "understand, recognize, prevent and respond to signs of human trafficking."

If passed, the Bill, introduced by Congressmen Vern Buchanon (R-Fl) and Alcee Hastings (D-FL) would be the first of its kind in history aimed at educating children in grades K-12 about the risks and warning signs of human trafficking and provide protection and support of millions of young people who are at risk of being victims of these crimes.

"Congressman Buchanan has been a champion for our organization in the state of Florida and now using his platform to implement the much-needed Human Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Training Act of 2019," says Elizabeth Melendez Fisher Good, founder of Selah Freedom/Selah Way, whose organization targets major sex trafficking cities in Chicago, New York City, Atlanta, LA, DC, Miami and Sarasota. "Education in our schools is key to recognizing the signs of human trafficking and exploitation, and the implementation of curricula will surely be a positive, monumental effort in helping to eradicate this horrific abuse in America."

Grass root efforts to introduce the Bill began in 2017 when Buchanan and Hastings hosted a Florida delegation meeting focused on the growing problem of human trafficking within the state. Since that time, headlines have swirled around the recent case of Jeffrey Epstein's lenient plea deal and how it is a blatant example of how human trafficking survivors can fall between the cracks of supports and services while abusers receive protection and absolution.
The legislation has been endorsed by the Selah Way Foundation, Selah Freedom, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), ECPAT-USA, and the 3Strands Global Foundation.

About Selah Freedom/Selah Way:
Selah Freedom leads the nation in service provided to sex trafficking survivors and the Selah Way Foundation is a national network with the mission to end sex trafficking and bring freedom to the exploited through three initiatives and strong programs: Prevention, Protection (1st responder training) and Provision(safe housing). Selah Freedom actively confronts the issue of sex trafficking and is being upheld as the model for how to effectively bring solutions to survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation.

SOURCE The Selah Way