Hello DCSMS, Spring is in full bloom! If you’d like to see your anti-human trafficking news or event promoted in this weekly newsletter, send all information to [address removed] by Tuesday at noon.

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GET OUT THERE

NEW - Thursday April 30, 7:00pm at Asbury United Methodist Church, 11th & K St. NW DC.  Please join us for a conversation with Lauren Taylor, Founder of End Slavery Now and Outcry, and the announcement of our new Co-Lead Organizers for DC SMS!  Lauren will begin with a brief, "from End Slavery Now to Outcry," explaining the inspiration for the new Outcry platform. She will then talk more about Outcry and how we can use it as a tool to organize the community in our fight against human trafficking. More details here.

REMINDER - Sunday April 26, was the first meeting for ‘In Plain Sight: 31 Day Devotional and Study Group’ in Clarksville, MD hosted by Voices for Freedom Ministry Group (V4F) from Grace Community Church in Fulton, MD.  This study is for those interested in a faith-based journey to understand God’s heart for all of the vulnerable and broken within our world, including victims of human trafficking. For more information please contact Noel Whitfield ([address removed])

Additional meetings on May 3, May 17, May 31, and June 14, 7-9 PM each time.

REMINDER - Since April 27, Online registration has been open for the 4th annual Governor’s Conference on Combating Human Trafficking in Maryland to be held May 28, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM at the Catonsville Campus of the Community College of Baltimore Co, 800 S. Rolling Rd, Baltimore,[masked]. At this event, hosted by the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention (GOCCP) and the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force (MHTTF), state and national experts will present specialized topics for law enforcement, prosecutors, government agencies, victim service providers, community advocates, and other important groups. Register online at www.goccp.maryland.gov. Please monitor the GOCCP website for additional information up to the launch of online registration.

REMINDER - On Saturday May 9, get active with RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) for the second annual “virtual 5K” event, “Lace Up For RAINN”. That day, people across the country will lace up their sneakers and travel 3.1 miles for survivors. A virtual 5K is different than a traditional race, in that it not limited to a single location or route — you can run no matter where you are, worldwide. Whether you’re a runner or cyclist or just enjoy a nice walk, the virtual 5K allows you to support survivors and get your friends and family in on the action.  Learn more about DC-based RAINN and the Virtual 5K here.






GET INFORMED

NEW - Senate Approves Stalled Human Trafficking Bill! Last Wednesday April 23, the Senate finally moved past a nearly 6 week delay to approve the bill and bring it one step closer to law.  The bill will now need to be worked out with the House, which passed another version of the legislation that did not include a victims’ fund, among other differences. Read the full story here.

NEW - Loretta Lynch, sworn in as new attorney general, vows fight against human trafficking. Read the story here.

NEW - Not familar with the particulars of the new bill, the Justice-for-Victims-of-Trafficking Act? Read a section-by-section analysis here created by the hard workers at Shared Hope International.

NEWS AND OPPORTUNITIES

NEW - Internship Opportunity!! Restoration Ministries has an opening for their 2015 Summer Intern during the month of June to help with their website redesign. Since 2003 Restoration Ministries has been engaged in the healing of sex trafficking survivors by building relationships with trafficked women and girls through Bible studies, spiritual retreats, mentoring, and support groups. For more information and to apply click here.

NEW - Interested in helping more young adults become more engaged in the anti-modern slavery movement?  Are you familiar with mtvU’s Against Our Will Campaign? The Against Our Will Campaign was launched in September 2011 in partnership with Free the Slaves, GEMS, and Polaris Project.  The campaign amplifies America's college students' efforts to end modern-day slavery in the U.S., and empowers them to learn more and get involved.  The Against Our Will Campaign name, reflects the simple fact that this violation of our most basic human rights is against the will of the college students mobilizing around the issue, against our will as a free society, and against the will of those trapped in modern-day slavery.

See the website here or look for the #AgainstOurWill hashtag on Twitter.

REMINDER - Take your activism to Twitter! For those weeks where it seems there is too much going on, you can continue to strengthen the movement by taking just a minute to join the numerous #humantrafficking discussions on Twitter. Ritetag is a website that will help you decide the best and most powerful hashtags to help your voice be heard! See the results for #humantrafficking here.

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