National Anti-Trafficking Organizations:

Polaris 

Polaris is a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors.

Polaris, named after the North Star that guided slaves to freedom in the U.S., disrupts the conditions that allow human trafficking to thrive in society. From working with government leaders to protect victims’ rights, to building partnerships with the world’s leading technology corporations, they spark long-term change that focuses communities on identifying, reporting and eliminating trafficking networks.

National Human Trafficking Resource Center

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) is a national anti-trafficking hotline and resource center serving victims and survivors of human trafficking and the anti-trafficking community in the United States. The toll-free hotline is available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year in more than 200 languages.

1 (888) 373-7888

or text BEFREE (233733)

OHIO Anti-Trafficking Organizations

Central Ohio Rescue and Restore

provides a collaborative community response to human trafficking in Central Ohio through education, services, advocacy and prosecution.

Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force

formed to marshal the resources of the State of Ohio to coordinate efforts to identify and rescue victims, create a coordinated law enforcement system to investigate and prosecute human trafficking crimes, and to provide the services and treatment necessary for victims to regain control of their lives.

To learn more about human trafficking in Ohio, watch this informative video.

Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force Fact Sheet on Sex Trafficking

Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force Fact Sheet on Labor Trafficking

FAIR TRADE, CHOCOLATE & LABOR TRAFFICKING INFORMATION

Chocolate grown from the cocoa bean in tropical climates, often located in communities of extreme poverty, supplies 70% of the world’s cocoa. Impoverished people are especially vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers. Traffickers force these people to work in cocoa fields for endless hours by deceiving them with promises of a “better life” or proper wages and threatening their lives. Fair Trade workers are paid a living wage i.e. children don’t have to work to support their family and can attend school instead.

Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers.

How about adding a little bit of Fair Trade in your life? 

As more people buy Fair Trade, the demand for ethically-sourced product grows. As demand rises, more companies will switch to Fair Trade certification and create better working conditions in order to meet the demand. More stores will also start to supply those products. 

Here are two certifications that adhere to Fair Trade standards:

Fairtrade International has the highest standards for their products, all employees and producers are paid properly for their labor, therefore not exploited. This is the toughest certification for a company to get.

 Fair for Life assists certification in small communities. This certification considers the product to be socially responsible; adopting the typical fair-trade standards while adapting them to a local community’s situations.

5 Things You Can Do to Support Fair Trade

1. Host a Fair Trade Event where you offer samples of Fair Trade products such as coffee, tea, wine, and chocolate. Download our event kit from unicefusa.org/endtrafficking

2. Talk to your favorite companies about what they’re doing to address slavery and forced labor in their supply chain. Visit slaveryfootprint.org for pre-written letters.

3. Make your town, school, or workplace Fair Trade! Visit fairtradecampaigns.org for more information.

4. Choose Fair Trade chocolate when buying candy for holidays such as Halloween, Christmas, and Easter.

5. Buy products made by survivors of trafficking.

Resources on Fair Trade

1. Fair Trade USA: http://fairtradeusa.org/  

2. Fairtrade America: http://fairtradeamerica.org/

3. World Fair Trade Organization: http://www.wfto.com/

4. Fair Trade Federation: http://www.fairtradefederation.org/

5. Equal Exchange: http://www.equalexchange.coop/