>>
>> WELCOME BACK TO TAKE 5. I'M HERE WITH A GUEST WITH A TRULY
NOBLE CAUSE.
NOBLE CAUSE. A PROBLEM MANY OF YOU PROBABLY
DON'T KNOW EXIST.
AT LEAST NOT HERE.
IF YOU GO TO THEIR WEBSITE,
YOU WILL BE GREETED BY A BIG
BOLD MESSAGE.
BOLD MESSAGE. ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT IN SEATTLE,
HUNDREDS WILL BE SOLD FOR SEX.
AMANDA HIGHTOWER IS WITH REST,
REAL ESCAPE FROM THE SEX
TRADE.
TRADE.
TRADE. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE.
BEING HERE. >> GREAT TO BE HERE.
>> YOU HAVE BEEN DOING REALLY
IMPORTANT WORK SINCE 2009?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. 2009 IS WHEN WE GOT STARTED.
>> SO I WILL START THIS
CONVERSATION BECAUSE I KNOW A
LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING WAIT,
SEX TRAFFICKING IN SEATTLE?
THIS CAN'T POSSIBLY BE AN AREA
WHERE THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM.
BUT, I KIND OF WANT TO START
THIS BY SAYING WHAT YOU SAID
TO ME IN AN E-MAIL EXCHANGE.
WHICH IS THIS PROBLEM EXISTS
AND IT EXISTS HERE.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
WE WILL SEE OVER 500
INDIVIDUALS OVER THE COURSE OF
THE YEAR JUST COME THROUGH
REST WHO ARE TRYING TO EXIT
THE SEX TRADE, AND, WE BELIEVE
WE ARE JUST SCRATCHING THE
SURFACE.
SURFACE.
SURFACE. >> NOW TALK ABOUT THE VOLUME.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING.
WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
A COUPLE OF PEOPLE A YEAR?
IT IS MUCH BIGGER THAN THAT.
>> IT IS LIKELY IN THE
THOUSANDS.
THOUSANDS. THERE ARE OVER 100 WEBSITES
AVAILABLE WHERE YOU CAN GO TO
PURCHASE SEX IN SEATTLE AND
EACH OF THESE ADS ARE LINKED
TO A POTENTIAL VICTIM TO
TRAFFIC.
TRAFFIC.
TRAFFIC. THOUGH NOT EVERYONE IS
TRAFFICKED ON THE ADS THERE
ARE OVER 6,000 UNIQUE ADS
AROUND THIS AREA.
SO, WE ARE ESTIMATING
SOMEWHERE IN THE THOUSANDS FOR
POTENTIAL VICTIMS OF
TRAFFICKING OR PEOPLE
EXPLOITED IN THE SEX TRADE
LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT.
>> SO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT
YOU AND THE FOLKS AT REST DO
ON A DAILY BASIS.
>> WE PROVIDE A RANGE OF
SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT
IN RESPONSE TO THE VOICES OF
SURVIVORS TRYING TO GET OUT OF
THE SEX TRADE.
AND SO, WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY
HOT LINE THAT FOLKS CAN CALL
TO GET IMMEDIATE SUPPORT.
WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY SHELTER
AND A DROP-IN CENTER AND WE
PROVIDE ADVOCACY WALKING WITH
VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING AND
SURVIVORS TO HELP THEM TO
CONNECT TO HOUSING OR
EMPLOYMENT OR EDUCATION AND
REALLY KIND OF REACH THE GOALS
THAT THEY DECIDE THEY WANT TO
REACH AND WE HAVE A LONG TERM
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM AS WELL.
IT IS ABOUT PROVIDING A
SUPPORTIVE PLACE WHERE
SURVIVORS OF TRAFFICKING CAN
RECOVER FROM THE YEARS OF
TRAUMA THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED
AND FIND THE COMMUNITY OF
SUPPORT THEY NEED TO BELIEVE
THEY ARE WORTHY OF LOVE AND A
LIFE THEY REALLY WANT.
>> IF SOMEBODY WATCHING FINDS
THEMSELVES IN A SITUATION OR
KNOW SOMEBODY, YOU CAN TEXT
THE WORD REST TO (206)448-
4545.
4545.
4545. WE
4545. WE WILL KICK YOU BACK A LINK
TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THE
GREAT WORK THEY ARE DOING.
AND IN FACT, I DO WANT TO
REFERENCE THE FACT THAT WE ARE
OFFERING THE ABILITY FOR
PEOPLE TO TEXT US AND GET
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A UNIQUE
TWIST IN THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WONDER HOW
THIS WORKS.
THIS WORKS. YOU ACTUALLY MINE THE INTERNET
FOR PEOPLE WHO MAYBE NEED HELP
AND DON'T KNOW IT YET.
YOU DO IT THROUGH SOME
TECHNOLOGY THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY THROUGH VOLUNTEERSOVER MICROSOFT?
VOLUNTEERSOVER MICROSOFT? >> WE HELP TO BUILD THIS
APPLICATION.
APPLICATION. THAT ACTUALLY SCRAPES THOSE
PHONE NUMBERS FROM THESE
ONLINE ADS.
ONLINE ADS. ONE OF THE THE SURVIVORS ON
OUR TEAM CAN SEND OUT A MASS
TEXT MESSAGE TO THOSE NUMBERS.
REALLY JUST OFFERING COMMUNITY
AND SUPPORT AND INVITING THEM
TO CONNECT WITH REST IF THEY
ARE LOOKING FOR HELP.
WE HAD A WOMAN RESPOND
IMMEDIATELY TO THE TEXT SAYING
THIS IS PERFECT TIMING.
I JUST GOT AWAY FROM MY PIMP.
AND SHE WAS ABLE TO CONNECT
WITH AN ADVOCATE THE NEXT DAY.
SHE HAD BEEN TRAFFICKED FIVE
YEARS AND ISOLATED FROM HER
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
FAMILY. AND SINCE CONNECTING TO REST,
SHE HAS BEEN ABLE TO GET
STABLE HOUSING, GET A JOB.
SHE CELEBRATED A YEAR OUT OF
THE SEX TRADE AND I HEARD SHE
RECENTLY GOT PROMOTED IN HER
JOB.
JOB.
JOB. SO
JOB. SO WE LOVE BEING ABLE TO MEET
PEOPLE RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE AT
AND PROVIDE THE PATH IN A WAY
THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THEM TO
REACH THE GOALS THEY WANT TO
REACH.
REACH.
REACH. >>
REACH. >> WE ARE SHORT ON TIME.
BUT AGAIN, PEOPLE CAN TEXT THE
WORD REST TO (206)448-4545.
THEY WANT MORE INFORMATION.
BECAUSE, THERE'S A LOT THAT
PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE
WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING EVEN
IN THE STATE.
THERE ARE ONLY LIKE 20 BEDS
AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE IN THIS
SITUATION.
SITUATION. 13 OF THEM ARE WITH REST.
AND TOMORROW MORNING WOULD BE
AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE PEOPLE
CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT
YOU ARE DOING?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. WE ARE DOING A LIVE FACEBOOK
TOUR OF OUR DROP-IN CENTER SO
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND JOIN
US AT 9:30 A.M.
IT IS ALSO GIVE BIG DAY.
AND SO, IT IS A TIME TO
CELEBRATE BY GIVING BACK AS
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. >>
WELL. >> TEXT THE WORD REST TO
(206)448-4545.
(206)448-4545. AND WE WILL KICK YOU BACK SOME
MORE INFORMATION