Rotary Club wins award from governor, IAHT

Organization to be honored for fighting human trafficking

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The Rotary Club of West Liberty will be honored in January as one of five key honorees in the state setting the pace in doing great work in the prevention of Human Trafficking, a new world-wide priority project of the international organization. The group has been selected to receive an Outstanding Anti-Trafficking Service Award.

Taking the lead in Rotary District 6000, the West Liberty civic organization will be honored Jan. 14 at the Iowa State Capital Building by Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery (IAHT), it was learned Tuesday, Dec. 15, at the weekly meeting of the organization, announced by Dr. George Belitsos, a member of an Ames Rotary Club as well as chair of the IAHT.

Led by chairman Tom Barr, the local club has set the pace in the district by hosting fundraisers specifically for the prevention of Human Trafficking, hosting educational events at the local schools and throughout the community, recognizing Human Trafficking World Day events and creating dual language rescue stickers placed in local businesses to help victims.

The work may be just the first steps for the organization in fighting the crimes that are fluent along the interstate highway systems in sex trafficking, kidnapping, and labor trafficking, something Barr believes may be happening in the West Liberty area due to the influx of immigrants from countries south of the United States.

“We have a lot of heroes in Iowa,” said Belitsos, complimenting the club for their work, noting “it’s people like you” who have helped make the community more aware of the problems that exist, possibly saving lives and curbing victim numbers in Iowa.

Belitsos said the fight against Human Trafficking is overwhelming, noting there are an estimated 4.3 million victims worldwide and an estimated 500,000 criminals, of which only .08 percent are brought to justice.

He said law enforcement can only do so much, working on a $350 million worldwide budget while the criminals investing in the trade are making billions of dollars selling young people into slavery and sex.

The local Rotarians, excited about winning the honor and wanting to do more, talked about passing on their knowledge to other neighboring clubs, instituting a program into the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Award conference, getting the West Liberty High School Rotary Interact club more involved and sharing their rescue sign program with other clubs throughout District 6000 and the state along with bringing more hotel education training to the local area.

Belitsos said the state is making progress year after year in getting more support and funding to help the fight, resulting in changes in legislation as well as convictions from the Iowa District Attorney General’s office which has taken a more serious role.

The IAHTS representative called the club “incredible” and said if every Rotary Club was as dedicated to fighting human trafficking as the West Liberty Club, it wouldn’t take long to solve the problem in the world.

District governor Erna Morain complimented the club in “inspiring others,” pointing out human trafficking destroys a lot of lives – especially young, defenseless women who may have run away from home, are homeless or victims of substance abuse, lured into the halls of human trafficking by money, drugs and possessions. The average age of a victim is 15.

Former State Senator Maggie Tinsman, who served Iowa for 18 years in the senate, retiring in 2006, also spoke at the virtual meeting to Rotarians.

She learned, through her work in Washington that Iowa didn’t have some of the right laws to convict human trafficking criminals, noting she went after female legislators and others ears that would listen to her plea to get laws passed and realize because of Iowa’s geographic position in the nation, it is on a railroad for the crime as well as an ideal place to “hide” victims because of it’s rural dynamic.

Now on the advisory council of Breaking Traffik, a project of Family Resources of Davenport, she said another law passed in the state requires hotel owners to train and certify their employees about human trafficking, noting that has to happen before the state provides tourism funding grants.

Rotary President Bill Koellner said he was inspired by the ideas the local group came up with to help the cause.

Rotary, which was also behind bringing a branch office of the Muscatine County Salvation Army to the community last month, is finalizing a Red Kettle fundraising campaign in the community this weekend, raising funds by manning the bell with other community volunteers at Giri BP and Jeff’s Market.

Rotarians were also involved in Christmas Box distribution over the weekend, helping pack boxes of food and personal hygiene items for families in need during the holidays.

The organization won’t meet over the holidays, but will get back on a regular weekly schedule beginning Jan. 5 according to President Koellner when there will be a social gathering followed by a program on investing during the COVID-19 pandemic presented by an associate of Sara Sedlacek of Edward Jones.

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