Someone Like Me Episodes

The National Foster Youth Institute reported 60% of child trafficking victims recovered through FBI raids in 2013 were from foster care or group homes. When we look at vulnerability and its role in trafficking, talking about prevention is to consider foster care and the kids who are in it.

So today's episode features a conversation with Bethany Christian Services in Middle Tennessee, a private foster care agency who works with the Department of Child Services here in Tennessee to recruit and train foster families. Their partnership with End Slavery Tennessee has brought an idea for a new program specifically for training families to care for trafficked youth.

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Trafficking survivors may not have had opportunities to build work experience, so offering ways to gain this experience is essential to their healing and thriving.

In this episode, Stacy and Leslie talk with Lauren Carpenter, co-founder of Branded Collective, an employer of many survivors from End Slavery Tennessee. Branded Collective not only sold jewelry that helped fund survivors and their healing journey, but provided jobs for survivors, to ready them for the workforce.

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When we talk about serving survivors, even if you aren’t working directly with them, it’s important that we know why Trauma Informed Care is essential in fighting human trafficking. You’ll hear about the principles of Trauma-Informed Care and specific examples of how ESTN utilizes them in the organization.

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Season 2 kickoff for Someone Like Me with this live launch originally broadcast March 12, 2021 on Facebook Live. Leslie Eiler Thompson hosts with executive producers Marissa Brownell and Stacy Elliott and producer Gregory Byerline, including live Q&A.

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This is a special bonus episode where we honor the legacy of our founder... Derri Smith. She tells her own story and also how the plot developed into what we now know as End Slavery Tennessee, going beyond sound byte answers and taking us on a grand journey – from Derri’s personal trauma to her dedication to serve the survivor community to organizing strategically and intentionally as a faith-based organization to the trauma-informed care staff and safe house currently in full operation – all contributing to Tennessee’s ranking as the #1 state in the nation for fighting trafficking of minors.

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