Labor, Healthcare, and Trafficking During a Pandemic

May Greetings to our wonderful members! We hope this newsletter finds you well and provides some helpful resources and reflections for our ongoing work to end human trafficking and support survivors amidst this global pandemic. This month of May contains a few different themes that we would like to highlight in connection to human trafficking. 

May 1st was the International Day of Workers - an opportunity to give thanks to all who labor to create a better society and also reflect on the reality of slave labor which continues to persist in our world, impacting millions of people. This month's highlighted educational resource is our module on labor trafficking which helps us to realize our own complicity and ways we can take action to end labor trafficking and protect all workers' human rights. One sector of workers that has received much deserved attention and gratitude these past couple months are healthcare workers who are on the front lines of treating COVID-19 patients. The healthcare system is also often a first place of contact for survivors of human trafficking, and so this month's edition of Stop Trafficking Newsletter focuses on the connections between healthcare and trafficking. 

We also realize that we continue to live day to day through this pandemic which brings new challenges to our work to end human trafficking and support survivors. This month's member reflection looks at the impact of COVID-19 on survivors of human trafficking currently being served by LifeWay Ministries, and the importance of community to get us through this newest challenge. Our Executive Director was also recently quoted in an article by Catholic News Service on continuing to fight human trafficking during the pandemic. You can read the full article HERE.  Since May is also the month of Mary in the Catholic tradition, we are sharing as a prayer resource for this month Pope Francis' prayer to Mary during the pandemic.  

We know that most events for the foreseeable future have been cancelled, but if you are planning any activities, especially online, please let us know so we can add them to our calendar and share with others. I also encourage you to continue sharing resources with one another through the USCSAHT members' Google group. 

I continue to hold you all and your ministries in my prayers. 

In solidarity, 

Jennifer Reyes Lay, Executive Director 

 

Monthly Member Reflection

The Value of Community During the Covid-19 Pandemic

by Joan Dawber, SC

It is much more difficult to run the house as a healing community with the suspension of all volunteer assistance, external programming and changes in staffing. The living situation can become tense.. Read more

Stop Trafficking Newsletter

Human Trafficking and the Health Care System

Most victims of human trafficking have contact with a health care provider sometime during the time they are being trafficked. Despite this, up until recently many health care providers failed to recognize or address the signs of trafficking.. Read more

 

Train the Trainer Webinar 

If you missed our May 6th webinar on Train the Trainer: Best Practices for USCSAHT Presenters you can access a recording of the webinar by clicking the button below. Sr. Anne Victory, HM gave an excellent presentation on preparing speakers to give a Human Trafficking 101 presentation and best practices for content and engaging your audience. 

Join the USCSAHT Speakers Network

In conjunction with our most recent webinar posted above, USCSAHT is working on building up a speakers network of people around the country who are trained in giving Human Trafficking 101 presentations on behalf of our organization. If you are interested in learning more or joining this network please follow up with our executive director: jennifer@sistersagainsttrafficking.org.  

Share Your Photos for our New Website!

We are so excited for our new website which we hope to launch in June. Part of the new format for the website includes lots of images and less text. We need your help in sharing images of our members at work! Examples could include prayer services, presentations, conferences, direct services to survivors, and advocacy. Please be sure you have permission to share the image publicly on our website, and forward them to jennifer@sistersagainsttrafficking.org. Thank you! 

 

PRAYER RESOURCES

A Prayer to Mary during the Pandemic

By Pope Francis

O Mary, you always shine on our path
as a sign of salvation and of hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,
who at the cross took part in Jesus' pain,
keeping your faith firm.
You, Salvation of the Roman People,
know what we need,
and we are sure you will provide
so that, as in Cana of Galilee,
we may return to joy and to feasting after this time of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform to the will of God
and to do as we are told by Jesus,
who has taken upon himself our sufferings
and carried our sorrows
to lead us, through the cross,
to the joy of the resurrection. Amen.

EDUCATION RESOURCES

Labor Trafficking

This month in connection to International Worker's Day. we are highlighting our educational module on Human Trafficking and Labor available in English and Spanish.

As consumers we participate in labor trafficking by providing a demand for cheap products. Children, women and men, both in the United States and throughout the world, are trafficked and held against their will to provide us with the many goods and services we purchase on a daily basis.

Do what you can to eradicate the poverty that encourages people into the hands of recruiters. Advocate for safety measures for refugees and immigrants.

 

Thank Your for Supporting the Work to End Human Trafficking!

U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking is a 501-c-3 not-for-profit organization.

We welcome your tax-deductible contribution.

 

I PUT THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE 
IN MY CELL PHONE, WILL YOU?

 

US Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking
2039 N Geyer Road  | Saint Louis, Missouri 63131
267-332-7768 | jennifer@sistersagainsttrafficking.org

Follow Us

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser

Unsubscribe