Algonquin fundraiser to fight human trafficking
Donate bras, buy jewelry and learn how to defend yourself - all while making a difference in the lives of women and girls. Three nonprofits that combat human trafficking will come together at a fundraiser May 21 in Algonquin.
Green Tara Project out of Oakwood Hills will offer free "assault avoidance" classes and self-defense workshops for women and girls, the latter requiring fundraiser tickets.
WAR Chest Boutique of Naperville will sell jewelry mostly made by human trafficking survivors in the U.S. and countries including Ghana, Nepal and Egypt.
Free the Girls, a nonprofit based in Indiana, will hold a bra drive with the goal of helping survivors of human trafficking start their own secondhand clothing businesses.
People can donate new and gently used bras of all sizes and styles, including sports bras, nursing bras, and camisoles.
Fundraiser organizer Belle Staurowsky, founder of Green Tara Project, said she's been a longtime admirer of the other two organizations.
Green Tara Project trains women and girls in self-defense in India and at domestic violence shelters in the U.S.
"I thought this would be a great way to come together and raise awareness, and make this accessible, basically, to the public in a very low-key way," Staurowsky said. "Human trafficking is a very off-putting subject, but if you ask somebody to buy some jewelry or donate a bra, it's much more accessible, while doing good at the same time."
There have been nearly 1,600 victims in cases that indicate human trafficking since 2007, according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center.
Sex trafficking and domestic work are the most common scenarios.
The Naperville store is a retail arm of Women At Risk International, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit, said manager Missy Hoekstra-Hecht. The group funds safe houses, as well as occupational and educational training for victims and those who are at risk of being victimized, she said.
Free the Girls provides job opportunities for survivors of sex trafficking in developing countries.
After being rescued from human trafficking, girls and woman need help in becoming economically independent to ensure the cycle doesn't repeat itself, Staurowsky said. "WAR and Free the Girls are targeting critical economic empowerment to make sure these survivors can earn a meaningful living and not just eek out an existence," she said.
"You Can Put the POW in EmPOWerment! - A Fundraiser to Support Human Trafficking Survivors" takes place noon to 5 p.m. May 21 at Lifetime Fitness, 451 Rolls Road, Algonquin.
The assault avoidance classes at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. will focus on identifying predatory behavior, such as when someone offers a woman help with carrying groceries and then becomes insistent upon refusal, Staurowsky said.
The self-defense workshops at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. will teach striking and escape techniques, and possibly rape escape techniques if there aren't any really young participants, Staurowsky said.
Preregistration is recommended for the self-defense classes.
Tickets are $15 plus a processing fee. Visit eventbrite.com/e/green-tara-project-fundraiser-tickets-24601354313. For more information, visit greentaraproject.com or email belle.staurowsky@gmail.com.