Hannah's Vision 2016: Human Trafficking

Lori Cohen is director of the Anti-Trafficking Initiative at Sanctuary for Families Center for Battered Women's Legal Services in New York. Also an NCJW national board member, she will offer insights on how NCJW and coalition partners organized to fight human trafficking in other cities that hosted a Super Bowl.

The National Council of Jewish Women Greater Houston Section is partnering with Congregation Beth Israel Sisterhood and the Beth Israel Miriam Browning Jewish Learning Center to offer Hannah’s Vision 2016: Human Trafficking. This event will feature national expert Lori Cohen, local community activist Kathryn Griffin and Special Advisor to the Mayor of the City of Houston on Human Trafficking Minal Patel Davis.

Lori Cohen, Director of the Anti-Trafficking Initiative at Sanctuary for Families Center for Battered Women's Legal Services in New York, represents immigrant and domestic victims of human trafficking and conducts training sessions for the judiciary, law enforcement, legal and health care professionals, social service providers and community based organizations. Also an NCJW national board member, she will offer insights on how NCJW and coalition partners organized to fight human trafficking in other cities that hosted a Super Bowl.

Kathryn Griffin is founder of We’ve Been There, Done That, a program she designed to help prevent sex workers and drug addicts from returning to lives of crime. A reformed drug addict who turned to prostitution to support her habit, Griffin developed her program at the request of then-Sheriff Adrian Garcia to help women in the Harris County Jail build the self-esteem needed to stay off the streets. She has dealt with both abused women and women who were sold as children. She will share her experiences with traffickers and the trafficked.

The program will close with Minal Patel Davis, Special Advisor to the Mayor on Human Trafficking for the City of Houston, who will provide an update on local efforts forming to address the trafficking issues as we approach both the Final Four in April 2016 and Super Bowl 2017. She will also highlight what we can do, collectively and individually, to combat human trafficking.

Donations of nonperishable food, toiletries, or grocery store gift cards for the NCJW GHS Food Bank at the Trafficked Persons Assistance Program at the YMCA International Services branch are encouraged. The event is open to all and free to the public. Reserve your place for limited seating here.