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Mark Your Calendar:
Oct. 1 - Backpage Research project begins - Lindsy, Amy and team
Oct. 2 - 5:30 pm - Living To Go Church - Hendersonville - Karen, Scott and Catherine
Oct 4- First of four weekly sessions of training for Spring Hill police force - Bucky, Patty
Oct. 8 - John School
- Sue Foster
Oct. 12 - Prevention Program training in Boston- Derri
Oct. 17 - 2:00 - Lipscomb University Social Work Students/Staff - Karen
Oct. 20 - 6:30pm - Hermitage Church of the Nazarene - Derri
Oct 22 -
Nashville Ride for Refuge, biking event to raise funds--EVERYONE- YOU!
Oct. 24- 27 International Teams Leader's Meetings - Derri Smith
Oct. 26 - 1:00- 2:30 -Rutherford Coalition Against Child Abuse - Karen, Dana
2:45-4:15 Law Enforcement Training- Bucky, Patty
Oct. 28 - Vol. State (2 classes) - Karen
Nov. 11 - Vol State- Melanie
Nov. 15 -16
Mid-Cumberland Regional Dept. of Health - Dana
Nov. 17 -
South Central TN Council on Children and Youth - Patty
Nov. 19 - Introduction to Criminal Justice Class - ITT Institute - TBD
Nov. 30 - Middle TN NASA (Social Workers) - Sue
Volunteer Group Meeting Times
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For all our site links, and contact info, click here
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Did You Know?
| The NEW Tennessee human trafficking hotline help number is 855-55-TNHTH
Program it into your cell phone! |
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Formatted by
Jenny Vazquez
Edited by
Simone Lavallee |
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Last Mon. each month
Nashville Green Hills: Susan
Third Mon. each month
Franklin: Bucky
First Mon. each month
Third Sat. each month
Second Mon. each month
Chattanooga: Lexie
Every other Tuesday Jackson: Jamie bi-weekly, starting Oct. 10th |
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We do a lot with a little. | |
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Tennessee Hotline Release 
Big news! Today (Oct. 1) is the startup date for the Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline, a new service from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI.)
Save 855-55-TNHTH in your cell phone for easy access if you spot and want to report a possible trafficking victim.
And it gets even better! Margie Quin and her staff at TBI also created excellent materials to accompany the hotline number. Information cards will be distributed to every police car and every Department of Children's Services (DCS) and Child Protective Services (CPS) caseworker in the state!
In addition to a recommended protocol, the card lists direct service providers to victims, including End Slavery TN.
This is truly a cause for celebration for all of us abolitionists. Before you go off to party, check out the card here.
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The "Gulp" Side of This
Thrilled as we are by these great strides towards a slave free Tennessee, there is an aspect that has me gulping.
You see, we already have an increased flow of requests for victim aid from both federal and local law enforcement agencies. And in every case, thanks to generous donors, we've been able to come through and provide emergency funds for emergency situations.
A call from ICE this week for funding for specialized medical care for a local survivor has once again depleted our emergency victim aid fund, (affectionately known as 'The Next Call account'
With our contact information in the hands of every police car in the state, as well as with DCS and CPS, we expect the number of calls for help to rise exponentially. Which is great, right? More victims are being rescued and helped! But it also means we can't keep going on as we have, making pleas for help with each call. We need regular monthly givers to keep this account full.
Please don't wait for 'someone else' to do this. If everyone who reads this newsletter gave $1 or $5 a month we'd be in good shape! These girls and women (and occasionally boys and men) are counting on us. They've been through enough. Please- let's not let them down. Stop right now and just do it. It'll make a whole lot more of a difference than spending it on a latte.
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Ready to RIDE! 
The clock is ticking, excitement is rising and the time is almost here! It's Ride for Refuge month-Oct. 22nd is the day.
It's your last chance to join the fun. To get a taste of the Ride day, check out this year's video.
To see what we are riding for and to join a team, check this page out.
To volunteer (we need a bunch more!) go here and look for the great big letters at the top of the page that say VOLUNTEER!
And please sponsor us! We're pouring our time and sweat into this, because we CARE about victims of human trafficking and the targeted kids being exploited (2 a minute!) Choose any team on this page and click "Give."
On behalf of the voiceless ones we serve, THANK-YOU!
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| New Groups in Chattanooga and Jackson
Replicating abolitionists is part of ESTN's mission. We've brought people, churches and other organizations together to start their own work in other parts of the state. And now we're delighted to announce that we've expanded our regional volunteer groups to Chattanooga and Jackson, Tennessee.
Jamie Blurton is a tireless abolitionist who, within weeks of  arriving at Union college, became known as "the human trafficking girl." She speaks about the issue in every class and she's started a volunteer group in her church, meeting every two weeks. If you live in the Jackson area, she'd love to hear from you!
 Lexie Smith is passionate about ending slavery and preventing youth from being trafficked. She's our go-to person in Chattanooga and her group is meeting every other week. If this is the area you call home, get in touch!
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Patty, Dana and Scott's Debut
Speaking of replication, it's at the heart of ALL we do. The training aspect of our work is a great example. Karen Karpinski has taken the lead by continually adapting her talks to the needs of each audience she presents to. As a result, she is in constant demand as a speaker and trainer of new speakers. 
Patty Fawver, made her debut as an ESTN presenter this month at a gathering initiated by the State Human Resource Office. Patty said "I asked in the beginning how many knew much about Human Trafficking and no one raised their hands. I asked at the end how many felt more well versed, and I think just around everyone raised their hands." That's what we like to hear! Thanks to Terri Lawson, our contact for this event, who also provided photos.  Dana Montgomery made her debut as an ESTN presenter speaking to the Rutherford County Public Health Department about human trafficking from a medical point of view.
Dana is Director of the Rutherford County Health Departments and a great example of matching her area of expertise with her abolitionist work. Scott Hardesty also made his first presentation to the  Charlotte Road Baptist Church. The small weekday group was so appreciative to learn about human trafficking that they want to bring him back for a presentation to the entire church congregation. Scott has worked in several types of ministries and it's great to see him use his skills to connect with church congregations. Dana, Scott and Patty already have more presentations lined up for the future (see the events calendar to the left.) |
Urban Ministries On Sept. 25-28, I had the pleasure and privilege of presenting to ITeam's urban workers from around the US and Canada.
These faithful people devote their lives to serving in some dangerous, challenging and needy locales, bringing love and light into communities laced with gangs, violence and despairing people. These are also places where amazing sharing, community and joy can be found. Virtually every ITeams urban worker encounters human trafficking. Some said that the police know about it but look the other way. It was good to start the process of sharing our experience and resources with the purpose that each of these communities will one day be slave-free.
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Keep It Simple
Brittany Bertoli played volleyball with her friends at Drakes Creek Park last week and then they went out for frozen yogurt. She invited loads of people through Facebook and provided  music and water at the event.
But she wasn't satisfied with just a fun day (though it was LOTS of fun.) She told the players about human trafficking in Tennessee and what ESTN is doing about it. And she asked for a $10 donation to play.
Everyone had such a great time that they're doing it again soon. Smart Brittany. She kept it simple and fun, while raising awareness and funds.
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The End Slavery in Tennessee mission is to foster slave-free communities through prevention, education and community engagement.
We're part of the global work of International Teams, a Christian mission in which 1,200 people serve on multi-national teams in over 60 countries, coming together to serve the oppressed: The poor, the slave and the blind.
We'd love to have you join us. Together, let's end slavery!
Derri Smith
Director of Anti-Slavery Ministries
and of End Slavery in Tennessee
International Teams - US
615-290-5714
derri.smith@iteams.org
Bringing people together
to end human trafficking and slavery
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