Happy Holidays! This year has been a busy year and a year of new opportunities. It has also been a difficult year in many respects, but the Institute was able to operate well during this economic downturn. Our education and outreach programs are strong and effective and our work load in outreach is greatly expanding. The Institute is fortunate to have a great group of high school and college volunteers and an active Board of Directors, providing both valuable program assistance and direction, respectively, to help us carry this additional workload.

Our national professional training pilot program with the Covenant House is progressing well. The Institute staff trained Covenant House Atlantic City, New Jersey, this past spring and we’re scheduling the next training session for early next year in Atlanta, Georgia. As part of this pilot program, we are in the final stage of developing two manuals; one for intervention staff on how to identify human trafficking victims and provide assistance, and the second manual directed to victims and survivors of trafficking. The Survivor’s manual is an insightful, encouraging and practical guide with steps to help transition youth and young adults back into mainstream society.

Here is an excerpt from a letter we received from Covenant House Atlantic City after training their staff:

“Dear Alexis,

It is with pleasure that I am writing to you today. Covenant House Atlantic City can't begin to

thank you again for such an intriguing and educational human trafficking training this past

month. The hands on experience that Ed, Frank and you brought to the training was very

instrumental in understanding why human trafficking has become such an important topic to

bring awareness to. Although human trafficking has gotten more attention in recent years, our

young population has been battling this crime for much longer and it is only necessary for our

staff to truly understand how our youth are becoming involved in these criminal circles…

We truly appreciate your support and are very thankful that you were able to come to Covenant

House Atlantic City…Thank you again for such a heart felt and enlightening training experience!

Sincerely,

Veanna Knoeller

Covenant House Atlantic City

June 5, 2009”

The Institute’s preventative education program, funded through the Connecticut Office of Victim Services, is flourishing. This year, we have reached out to over 550 students and adults in-person. We focus on small classes and groups of adults in order to better facilitate questions and provide attendees with valuable information. For students, this consists of tools on how to avoid sexual predators and traffickers, online and in their communities. For adults, our education program teaches them how trafficking occurs in their communities and how adults can intervene in suspected cases of trafficking, thus becoming the eyes and ears of their community. Here is an excerpt from a letter we received from St. John’s Episcopal Church in Niantic after a lecture we gave:

“Alexis,

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you so much for today.  Both you and Mr. Barnaba are incredibly special people and I am grateful to have met you both.  The forum was very well received despite all we had going on at church today. 

The statistics and facts were truly sobering. 

Sincerely, Sandy Clarke”

In July, the Institute’s outreach program centered through New London’s Community Meal Center received international attention with a grant through the British-based Body Shop Foundation.

Outreach through a soup kitchen is a unique program that is proving to be a powerful intervention technique. Outreach staff members have a better opportunity to reach out to youth and young adults who are at-risk or who are being exploited in a safer environment, such as a soup kitchen.

Recently, outreach staff members have seen an increase in mothers with very small children. One such woman is Alicia,[1] who gave birth to a healthy baby boy one month ago. Alicia was 2 ½ weeks to her due date when she met outreach staff. She had little but the clothes on her back and was living in a shelter. Her mother, who lived close by, was willing to help watch the baby when it was born, but did not have the money to buy the baby clothing or supplies.

Thanks to Julie Riggs and Kathy Molusis (and her friends), both active supporters of the Barnaba Institute, Alicia’s baby boy has bags and bags of new and gently used clothing and baby supplies. And because of generous individual donors like you, the Institute was able to purchase several boxes of diapers to help Alicia.

The intergenerational consequences of homelessness, prostitution and trafficking are detrimental to families and communities. But the Barnaba Institute is making a dent in this national issue, one person and one family at a time.

But the need is urgent and getting worse and we need your help. The Institute has successfully operated on a smaller scale for the past year, but we see an opportunity in 2010 to expand and grow to meet the increasing needs.

The Board[2] of the Barnaba Institute has pooled in excess of $5,000 as a matching challenge to you. Please consider making a donation today (Click here to make an online donation)– in any amount - and your gift will be matched by the Board through December 31^st. Appreciated securities are also accepted; please contact Alexis at 860-447-2060 to inquire about this option.

Thank you for your time and for your past financial support.

Best wishes,

Alexis Taylor Litos, Executive Director

CWNY Toasts Women in the Anti-Trafficking Movement