Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Human Trafficking topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Douglas County proclaims January 2025 Human Trafficking Awareness Month; Willow advocate outlines services
Summary
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 22 adopted a proclamation naming January 2025 Human Trafficking Awareness Month and heard from a local advocate about how trafficking typically appears and services available in the region.
The Board of County Commissioners of Douglas County on Jan. 22 adopted a proclamation declaring January 2025 Human Trafficking Awareness Month and urged residents to support survivors and prevention efforts.
The proclamation notes that human trafficking is a modern form of slavery and that trafficking — including sex and labor trafficking — occurs in Kansas and can affect people of any gender, age, socioeconomic status, race or location. It cites Kansas law’s statutory definitions for commercial sexual exploitation of children and aggravated human trafficking and urges community leaders and residents to prioritize prevention and support for survivors.
Zoe Barlow, domestic violence and human trafficking advocate at The Willow, briefed the commission after the proclamation was read. “The Willow provides shelter, support, and services to survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence in Douglas, Franklin, and Jefferson counties,” Barlow said. She described trafficking as often “emotional and psychological restraints” rather than the kidnapping scenarios portrayed in movies, and said traffickers commonly exploit vulnerabilities such as lack of housing, weak support systems and food insecurity.
Barlow told the commission that The Willow’s human trafficking program serves the three-county area plus nine additional counties in northeast Kansas, and that in 2024 the organization provided services to 21 survivors, including safe shelter, court advocacy and case management. She said survivor perspectives are important to shaping prevention and recovery programs.
The proclamation lists local organizations named as partners or leaders in anti‑trafficking efforts in the county, including Lawrence Police Department, Bert Nash, LMH Health (Lawrence Memorial Hospital), Lawrence Community Shelter, University of Kansas, Baldwin (Bridwell?) and local school districts and the Willow Domestic Violence Center. (The proclamation text as read includes a list of organizations “including, but not limited to” those agencies.)
Adopted by the commission on Jan. 22, 2025, the proclamation urges citizens to report suspected trafficking, support survivors and participate in community prevention and education efforts.
