South Florida Change Agents Mobilize on the Streets of Fort Lauderdale to End the Trafficking of Homeless Youth
Ark of Freedom Alliance mobilized modern-day abolitionists Saturday and Sunday, March 23rd and 24th to sleep-out on the streets of downtown Fort Lauderdale's MASS District during its inaugural "Night on the Streets: Ending the Trafficking of Homeless Youth", an arts & music festival, sleep-out and youth resource fair aimed at raising awareness around an evolving epidemic - the trafficking and exploitation of youth experiencing homelessness. Those who braved the elements included single mom's and their children, a medical doctor, human trafficking survivors and C-level executives and NGO thought-leaders.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 29, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- "Human trafficking is a hard subject to talk about for anyone," said Nathan Earl, Founder and Director of Ark of Freedom Alliance, "but when we begin talking about the trafficking of abandoned, runaway or thrown-away youth, it becomes too heavy for many to wrap their minds around, let alone take action to prevent it."
While the human trafficking epidemic can affect anyone regardless of age, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, faith, or country of origin, young people experiencing homelessness are at greater risk of exploitation and violence, according to Earl. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that as many as one out of every six young people abandoned, thrown away or otherwise experiencing homelessness will be exploited for sex and or labor.
"The reality is that our youth are under attack," said Earl, "Night on the Streets: Ending the Trafficking of Homeless Youth was conceptualized to intervene by educating the masses in a way that was digestible, responsible and action-oriented, while raising money to operationalize our street and school-based prevention."
Earl knows all too well about the vicious reality of life on the streets having survived trafficking and sexual assault himself as a young person caught up in the 'life' and losing his fiance to a violent crime in September of 2016 here in Fort Lauderdale. He and other survivors led a candlelight vigil to remember those lost to the trafficking epidemic while listening to the story of one LGBTQ young person who chose to sleep in a dumpster rather than face the dangers of sleeping in traditional adult homeless shelters.
Concurrently, service providers from across the tri-county area participated in a collaborative youth fair to identify and assist youth experiencing homelessness, substance abuse disorders, mental health challenges and other vulnerabilities that put them at greater risk for exploitation and violence.
National, state and local organizations supported the innovative, experiential event and accompanying youth fair. Underwriting and sponsorship investments were offered by Safe Shelter Collaborative, produced by Caravan Studios, a division of TechSoup; NBC 6 PRIDE, Clear Channel Outdoors, Heidi Schaeffer M.D. Charitable Trust; Holman Enterprises; Holy Cross Hospital; Children's Services Council of Broward County; Redefining Refuge; Zonta Club of Pinellas County; CHANCE program of Citrus Health Network; More too Life, Inc and the Behavioral Health Center at Memorial Regional Hospital, DoubleTime Digital, LCC Events and Tepino Branding. Hands on Broward served as the volunteer partner.
Attendees experienced a live art installation by world-renowned urban artist, Nathan Delinois, aka Nate Dee, live performances by Jenny Love and DJ Guy St-Jean, an eclectic assortment of food trucks, face painting and a scavenger hunt that educated participants about human trafficking as they played along. Night on the Streets: Ending the Trafficking of Homeless Youth raised just under $20,000 in its inaugural year with one child victim of exploitation identified. More information on the event can be found at http://www.NightontheStreets.org.
SOURCE Ark of Freedom Alliance
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