COLORADO SPRINGS — One Colorado Springs organization helped assist survivors in the recent FBI human trafficking operation in Denver.
The FBI Denver Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force joined the nationwide campaign called "Operation Cross Country."
Over a two-day period in July, law enforcement rescued twenty-seven victims of sex trafficking in Colorado.
Reclaiming Hope is an organization located in Colorado Springs that offers resources to survivors of human trafficking through its mentorship program. They also help work with law enforcement across the nation by providing them with hope bags. Law enforcement is then able to distribute the bags to people they see who are in need of supplies and materials. On top of each Hope Bag are some high-protein and sugar snacks as well.
Reclaiming Hope gave hundreds of their hope bags to the FBI so they could pass them along to survivors of human trafficking. The hope bags were given to survivors of the recent FBI operation in Denver.
“We shipped hundreds of bags across the nation at the request of the FBI,” Hess said.
Sues Hess is the Executive Director of Reclaiming Hope. Hess said each black bag is full of 30 different items.
Reclaiming Hope has given over a thousand hope bags and has sent them to all fifty states.
“Our investigators do not have the budgets to provide hoodies, athletic pants, underwear, and hygiene items,” Hess said.
Reclaiming Hope relies heavily on volunteers and the generosity and donations from people in Southern Colorado. The bags are full of items like a hair brush, comb, pick, shoes, clothes, toothbrush, chapstick, lotion, a blanket, and even a stuffed animal.
“Band-Aids to help with the blister they have gotten from wearing stilettos or from wearing shoes that are not their size,” Hess said.
They even include a handwritten note with a kind message on it.
“The note is just something they can go back to time and time again to remind them that their future will be different than the past and that they have reason to have hope and they have value,” Hess said.
Hess said the stuffed animals are often carried with the survivors for a long time. She mentioned survivors have a long road to recovery and these small items are just the first step.
Tessa is another organization in Colorado Springs that helps support people who are recovering from human trafficking.
The Human Trafficking Program Manager for Tessa, Bailey Thiry, said Tessa offers services primarily to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. They started a Human Trafficking Program in 2019 because they saw a need in the community.
“Based on the fact that people were coming in and describing things that were happening to them that we were like, that doesn't fit specifically in domestic violence. This is different. So everyone really tried to learn a little bit more about trafficking and what that looked like,” Thiry said.
Thiry works alongside two other case managers who focus primarily on survivors of trafficking as well as exploitation in both labor and sex trafficking.
Tessa also has a safe place for survivors to stay. They provide them with case management so people can look for a good job, get an ID or some sort of identification, and help connect them with any support service they need.
Thiry said human trafficking is an issue in Southern Colorado
“The numbers are increasing, unfortunately,” Thiry said. She said this is because of two reasons.
“We're seeing these numbers increase likely because there are higher numbers of this going on, but also because the community is becoming more educated on this issue. and that makes survivors more willing to come forward and receive services, more likely to report, more likely to identify the people doing this,” Thiry said.
THERE ARE A LOT OF MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING. One of the most common ones is that human trafficking is mostly random kidnapping. Both Hess and Thiry said abductions and kidnappings into trafficking do not happen often.
“Survivors most likely are trafficked by the people that they know. They're not kidnapped or abducted. It's not nearly as violent, and it does. It happens here,” Thiry said.
Instead, most people who are trafficked are used and taken advantage of by someone they know.
“One of the girls who was recovered in the Denver operation in July was trafficked by her father because he wanted drugs. That happened in almost every neighborhood in America today,” Hess said.
Another misconception is that trafficking can only happen to children.
“Every gender of every age can are being trafficked,” Thiry said.
According to Thiry, labor trafficking is a big problem even bigger than sex trafficking.
“It's actually a misconception that sex trafficking is the largest thing. It's actually labor trafficking. Labor trafficking makes up 68% of cases that you see worldwide. Yes, females are trafficked more than men, but men are absolutely trafficked, both in labor trafficking as well as sex trafficking. Again, all genders, all ages, all socioeconomic statuses,” Thiry said.
Thiry said it is important to address this misconception. Tessa provides services to everyone, not just women or children.
“While traffickers might target certain populations, it's really anyone who can be affected, which is difficult to hear, but it's the reality of it,” Thiry said. “We don't discriminate on that. We will serve anybody. We will provide case management to anybody. Any survivors of any type of trafficking or exploitation, we definitely want to provide our services,” Thiry said.
Traffickers typically target vulnerable people.
“Youth, youth in foster care specifically, the homeless population, those who have mental health concerns, or addictions, those who have been previously victimized,” Thiry said.
Hess said it's a process of manipulation.
“So they are grooming them and getting them to a point where they can take them and entrap them through their relationship,” Hess said.
Hess said human trafficking is unlike any other crime because it is something that can be sold multiple times.
“In Denver pre-COVID, a pimp could earn $32,000 a week selling girls,” Hess said. “Drugs and guns are sold once, but a body can be sold over and over again,” Hess said.
Hess encourages parents to have trusted adults in their kids' lives. She said it is normal for kids to fight with their parents. Hess said it is crucial for kids to have other adults in their lives who they can go to who are trustworthy and good people.
Moreover, Thiry encourages people to be less judgemental.
“Try not to judge, you might hear some dark things, but this person is a survivor and has gone through traumas that we can't even understand. So really just being a listening ear, being someone that they can lean on, and connect them to resources,” Thiry said.
Reclaiming Hope will continue to make hope bags and walk side by side with survivors to help them recover.
“When your own family are the people who use and abuse, it's hard to rebuild trust, but our volunteers are here to help them be able to trust others again,” Hess said.
Both organizations said they were there to help anyone who was struggling.
Tessa has a 24/7 safe line people can call, 719-633-3819.
If you are a survivor of trafficking or want to report a crime you can call; 1-888-373-7888.
“At Tessa, one thing we really pride ourselves on is we are completely confidential. We are only mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect. Otherwise, survivors can come to us and they don't have to worry about who we're going to tell. We never pressure anyone to report things that have happened to them to the police. We will not talk to the police if they don't want us to. We won't talk to any family members. They don't have to tell us names of their abusers or their traffickers. So that's something we really pride ourselves on is the fact that people can come to us and feel safe telling their stories to us,” Thiry said.
To find a way to help, volunteer or donate visit Tessa or Reclaiming Hope websites.
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