Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report

July 1 2021 - June 30 2022

A Note from the Executive Director

At times team SHAN has felt as though we weren’t sure of our place in caring for survivors of human trafficking. Our survivor care pillar has seen the most change over our 11 years. But this year confirmed we’re on the right track. Together we invested over $35,000 in a dozen survivors who truly are thriving in their communities. We are humbled and honored to walk alongside them as they complete degrees and pursue dreams. Two of them have completed masters degrees!

Another major investment in those affected by human trafficking was purchasing Columbus’ private John School. Rebranded as the Solicitor Education Program, the class provides a restorative justice option for first time solicitation offenders.

We couldn’t pour into those affected by human trafficking without your continued support and encouragement. Thank you for joining our vision of seeing all those impacted restored, welcomed into community, and thriving.

Courtney Schmackers, Executive Director

EDUCATE

We cannot respond appropriately to an issue as complex as human trafficking without first having a right understanding of what it is, how it happens, and who it impacts. SHAN believes education opens minds to care for all those impacted by human trafficking and can be a catalyst for connecting community resources with organizational needs.

In 2021-22 99 community members participated in our Anti-Human Trafficking Training. 25 people joined our live training and August while 74 people tuned in to our virtual training offered in November (33) and February (41). Participants still got the opportunity to connect with our network of partners through a charette or panel.

Virtual trainings offered an accessible way to continue to equip corporate and community groups with the information to identify and report suspected cases of human trafficking. 292 community members tuned in to 14 off-site training programs.

In partnership with the Harry C. Moores Foundation and Xcelerate Media SHAN adapted our time-tested Anti-Human Trafficking Training curriculum specifically for pre-teens and teens. The course launched in August 2021 with over 100 individuals accessing the content over the course of the year.

Labor trafficking is more difficult to identify, but still very much present in our community. We augmented the 20-minute labor trafficking segment from our training and expanded it into a 90-minute course. We hosted our second labor-trafficking specific training virtually in January 2022 and 12 people tuned in.

The second Fair & Free Workshop at Gravity in Franklinton combined our labor trafficking curriculum with a vendor fair and food truck. 25 participants considered how they might specifically respond to human trafficking while connecting with 19 local vendors.

Photos by Erika Flugge Photography

This specialty course equips people looking to work closely with those impacted by human trafficking. In partnership with the Columbus Care Coalition SHAN offered one training in March which prepared 42 participants to respond holistically. Participants are ready to directly serve those impacted by human trafficking through SHAN’s care programming.

ADVOCATE

We recognize the importance of both micro and macro level responses to tackling human trafficking. SHAN acts as a resource to organizations by advocating for policy and partners so that those impacted by human trafficking have access to the best community resources. Together we are able to connect and meet needs in creative ways.

Human trafficking is complex and requires a collaborative approach to holistically care for those impacted. We continued our connective efforts in the following ways:

312 hygiene items were gathered and distributed to partner agencies
19 partners participated in the Fair & Free workshop
SHAN equipped Sanctuary Night volunteers through their June 6th volunteer training

Courtney shared about SHAN’s mission and programs during a City Council meeting (remarks start at 9:29) as SHAN was mentioned in a City of Columbus resolution recognizing January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month. SHAN joined the Ohio Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Initiative Data & Research and Demand Reduction Subcommittees to connect with state-wide agencies in creating a response to human trafficking.

CARE FOR THOSE IMPACTED

Our vision is to see all those impacted by human trafficking restored into society. We act as a resource by providing support groups for survivors, thrivers, and solicitors. Our hope is to not only care for those who have already experienced exploitation, but to prevent human trafficking before it ever starts.

Thirteen survivors of human trafficking attended She Has A Name’s Dream Sessions to discover what comes next. Four Dream Scholarships were awarded for a total of $11,324.

She Has A Name awarded 7 financial scholarships for a total of $32,934. We granted our first out-of-state award to a survivor who has since graduated with her Masters degree in business administration.

Photos by Lunar Pine Creative

SHAN gathers thrivers monthly for social and spiritual support. In October the group took a day retreat that included food, candle making provided by Studio 614 and pedicures thanks to the W Nail Bar!

We have the honor of providing spiritual support for women recovering from addiction at Lower Lights, a path that often overlaps with sex trafficking. Twice a month, Hope Presbyterian and Chroma Church provide warm meals that we share together. After, we explore who Jesus is through prayer and Bible study.

We've supported the ladies through so much over the years including incredible lows and highs. The candle picture denotes a life lost through relapse, our team has never been through this before.

Together with Complete Education Services LLC we offered one John School in July 2021. In October we purchased the program, renaming it the Solicitor Education Program (SEP). We hosted two additional programs in December 2021 and April 2022 thanks to Veritas Community Church’s Short North and Tri City campuses. A total of 143 people completed the program. Net proceeds totaling $3,833 were reinvested into our survivor scholarship programs.

Financial Stewardship

We are grateful for the continued investment from our community: your gifts fund freedom! The following figures represent our financial health during our 2021-22 fiscal year from July 1st, 2021 through June 30th, 2022. This year’s financial loss was covered by pre-pandemic savings that allowed us to continue to operate all of our programs and retain all four staff members. While we adapted to fewer in-person fundraising events and lower grant investments we experienced increased interest in scholarships for survivors of human trafficking. After awarding 2 scholarships in 2020-21, we awarded 12 in 2021-22! Additionally we purchased Columbus’ private John School, an investment that enabled us to retain greater revenue from future schools. In the coming year we look forward to funding even more college degrees and dreams, refining our Solicitor Education Program to foster lasting change for those arrested for purchasing sex, and reimagining our signature fundraiser event.