OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Soon you’ll see red sand filling cracks in the sidewalks of Ocala’s downtown square. You might step over the red seams and not think twice about it. But organizers of the Red Sand Project hope it causes you to stop and think about the countless men, women and children who they say are “trapped in modern day slavery.”
At Ocala’s First Friday Art Walk on Friday, Jan. 5, from 6 to 9 p.m., you will be able to be an active participant in the Red Sand Project and help raise awareness about human trafficking.
“The whole idea with the red sand is a participatory art project. What people will do is get a little cup of red sand and help us fill cracks in the sidewalks,” said Rev. Mary Delancey. “We want people to create an image of caring and support for people that often fall through the cracks. That is the idea of filling the cracks.”
Delancey is a deacon at Ocala’s Grace Episcopal Church. She ministers to teenage girls who were victims of human trafficking. She is also on Ocala’s human trafficking task force.
She says larger cities like Miami, Tampa and Jacksonville have more cases but those on the front lines know communities in north-central Florida – like Ocala and Gainesville – are prime targets because of their proximity to major interstates and also high-profile events that attract visitors.
What is human trafficking?
In January 2000, Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act which created a legal definition for human trafficking. It’s broken down into three parts known as the “Action-Means-Purpose (AMP) model.”
Ocala’s human trafficking website explains it like this: “Human trafficking occurs when a perpetrator, often referred to as a trafficker, takes an Action (induces, recruits, harbors, transports, provides), and then employs the Means of force, fraud or coercion for the Purpose of compelling the victim to provide commercial sex acts (sex trafficking) or labor/services (labor trafficking).”
Myths & Misconceptions
According to Ocala’s human trafficking website, there are many myths and misconceptions about human trafficking.
“Many believe that human trafficking involves transporting victims in or out of country; the largest proportion of those trafficked never cross their countries’ borders. Many believe that victims of human trafficking are snatched off the street by strangers; although this can happen, it happens in 1-10% of cases, with the largest proportion of victims recruited through the internet or by persons know to them,” it states on the website.
Florida ranks #3 in the country for reported sex trafficking cases according to Created Gainesville, a non-profit agency established in 2012 to heighten local awareness of the issue.
One of the ways the group does that is by speaking to groups and educating them on the issues; and how to prevent people from being exploited.
“Trafficking usually begins with a trusted adult who misuses their power and manipulates the vulnerabilities of a young person, promising them the world. This could include the role of a romantic partner, parental figure, or protector,” said Alison Ungaro, Created Gainesville Founder/Executive Director. “As the trafficker meets whatever need or void, the victim is unknowingly accumulating a debt that can never be paid off. This debt, combined with fear and shame, is what the trafficker uses to their advantage to sell their victim on average between 15-40 per day to johns. Traffickers are strategic and methodical as they earn the trust of their victims, while slowly breaking down boundaries and causing their victims to lose trust in anyone who could help them.”
Ungaro says most victims in Ocala and Gainesville are “from our state or community and most likely attended school and participated in activities that are in our own backyard. However, there is a rise in establishments like illicit massage parlors in North Central Florida which preys upon victims who are not legal citizens. This creates an added measure for traffickers to control, create fear, and prevent victims from running and trying to obtain help.”
Created Gainesville hopes to have a packed audience for an upcoming event in Ocala. Ungaro will share how Created Gainesville works to end sex trafficking and restore victims. The event titled “Healing and Creating a New Future” will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at the Central Christian Church at 3010 NE 14th St. from 6 to 8 p.m.
That event and the Red Sand Project are just a few of the events organized in January for National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text *233733. You can also submit a tip online here.