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Homewood proclaims January Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month; survivors and advocates urge training
Summary
Mayor Alex Wyatt proclaimed January 2025 Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month at the Jan. 13 council meeting. A survivor's family member and local advocacy leaders urged awareness, collaborative responses and training for agencies and the public.
Mayor Alex Wyatt read a proclamation at the Jan. 13, 2025 Homewood City Council meeting designating January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month and urged community partnerships to prevent trafficking and support survivors.
The proclamation cites the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and global trafficking estimates and says the city is "committed to ensuring that those impacted by human trafficking receive services that are trauma informed and responsive to their individual needs." The mayor invited advocates and survivors to address the council after he read the proclamation.
Jasmine Deloach told the council she is the mother of a trafficking survivor and described the harm her family experienced. "My daughter was a trafficking victim. Guy got her and sold her through 5 different states and put on heroin and cocaine at 16," Deloach said. She said Homewood was one of the places traffickers took her daughter and urged the community to learn the signs and work together to prevent trafficking.
Mary Beth Thomas, executive director of Prescott House Child Advocacy Center, told the council that a multidisciplinary approach is necessary: "We can't do all the work ourselves. We collaborate together, and it's very necessary for us to work together. But we need you, and we need you to be able to stop abuse and human trafficking." Thomas encouraged training and pointed attendees to local resources, including TECA and Family Court, for available trainings and supports.
The council and advocates emphasized awareness, cross-sector collaboration and trauma-informed services as key elements of the city's approach to preventing trafficking and assisting survivors.
