Coalitions

About The Coalitions

If you represent a coalition and either want to update your listing or add it to this list please reach out to gbelitsos55@gmail.com.

1. CENTRAL IOWA SERVICE NETWORK Against Human Trafficking (CISN) – Central Iowa

The CISN was founded by Dr. George Belitsos in 2011 in order to promote collaboration and coordination between anti-trafficking organizations in Central Iowa. For 12 years, the CISN met monthly and drew together anti-trafficking advocates within Central Iowa. Its primary purpose was information sharing and awareness. It was not a working group that took on projects. It was made up of advocates, non-profits, state agencies, survivor treatment facilities, and law enforcement. As of August 2023, the CISN merged with the North Iowa Coalition to form the North and Central Iowa Coalition Against Human Trafficking.

Contact: Melody Stone, prairiemelody@gmail.com, (808) 430-5710

2-3. CHAINS INTERRUPTED/ UnChainED Coalition – Cedar Rapids region

Chains Interrupted hosts the UnChainEd Coalition, which is a community coalition in Eastern Iowa that comes together to fight against human trafficking. It is open to the public – individuals, community organizations, and businesses. Each meeting connects people, allows them to network together, provides education on a subject surrounding human trafficking, provides local, state and national updates, volunteer opportunities, and assigns action steps for members to complete.

Contact: teresa@chainsinterrupted.com
Website: http://www.chainsinterrupted.com

4. SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS HUMAN TRAFFICKING COALITION – Clinton

Contact: communications@clintonfranciscans.com

5. SOUTHWEST IOWA COALITION ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING – Based in Council Bluffs

The Southwest Iowa Coalition on Human Trafficking was formed in 2017. All organizations participating in the coalition are cooperating organizations; however, Jennie Edmundson Hospital Foundation, Catholic Charities, and the two Council Bluffs Rotary Clubs have taken leadership roles. The coalition consists of the following organizations: Ameristar, Catholic Charities, Charles E. Lakin Campus, CHI Mercy Hospital, Council Bluffs Centennial Rotary, Council Bluffs Noon Rotary, Council Bluffs Police Department, Seven Counties that make up the Fourth Judicial District, FBI/Victim Advocate, Harrah’s, Heartland Family Service, Hope Net Ministries, Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital, Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office, Pottawattamie County Victim Witness Coordinators, Promise Partners, Salvation Army, Visiting Nurses Association, Women’s Center for Advancement of Omaha and Women’s Fund of Omaha. Several community members and independent professionals also serve as members of the coalition.

We established a steering committee to lead the work as well as seven committees in the areas of Community Awareness/Marketing, Community Presentations, Hotel & Motel Training/School and Youth Education, Conference, Fundraising, Law Enforcement, Medical Training, and Services to Survivors, to plan goals and objectives. We are now in the process of evaluating/prioritizing those goals and will then set up appropriate committees to implement them.
The Coalition meets every other month.

Contact: cpotter@catholiccharitiesdm.org
Website: https://swiaht.org/

6. ATTACKING TRAFFICKING – Davenport

Attacking Trafficking is a faith-based volunteer organization located in Davenport dedicated to ending human trafficking in all forms and providing hope and healing for survivors. We seek to accomplish this through awareness, education, and advocacy. We are a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 and have existed since 2011.

Until 2019, Attacking Trafficking had been providing community presentations and working with local legislators as needed to improve the Iowa HT code. We have shifted our focus away from the in-person presentations in favor of the many excellent online trainings available, though we have recently created presentations for those in the medical field. Our last major awareness campaign involved a collaborative effort with Free the Girls, where 3500 bras were collected and sent to survivor networks in third-world countries. There, the survivors learned how to become entrepreneurs and become financially independent.

Within the last year, we’ve sponsored a bus ad in collaboration with the Congregations of the Humility of Mary to raise awareness about the buyer’s role in human trafficking. Our annual prayer service in January featured a retired police detective who spoke on human trafficking in Davenport. Our meetings involve input from survivor advocates from Braking Traffik. We will again collect emergency items for survivor backpacks in support of their work. We are also working with local financial institutions on ways to help survivors establish financial credit.

We have established a fund to assist survivors with emergency housing funds not addressed by local short or long-term programs. We’ve named this Nora’s Fund, in honor of one of our charter members who died in 2019.

We meet monthly by Zoom.

Contact: attackingtrafficking@gmail.com
Website: http://attackingtrafficking.org

7. DES MOINES HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE – Des Moines and Polk County

The task force was formed in 2011 with its purpose being “To create awareness of human trafficking in the community and to act to end it not only in Iowa but nationally and internationally”.

Some of the things the task force has done to achieve this are: 1) Trained 75 hotels and over 300 employees on what to look for and what to do if trafficking in a hotel is suspected. 2) The Iowa Legislature passed a bill in 2019 requiring all businesses that provide lodging to have their entire staff trained on what human trafficking is and what to look for and how to report it. Failure to do so would prevent them from doing business with entities paying with public funds. Our group collaborated with the Iowa Dept. of Public Safety as they developed a training video for this program. The Task Force in conjunction with other NAHT coalitions also developed a training video which is posted on the Dept of Public Safety’s website for hotels and motels to use. 3) Each summer we go to the State Fair and place stickers on all the portable restrooms telling people what to do if they suspect trafficking is occurring around them. It also gives a victim the numbers to call or text if they want to get help. 4) The task force works and supports many of NAHT’s programs. For instance, we have a representative on the Legislative Committee, which develops a list of bills NAHT feels should be a priority to get introduced and passed during the current session. The committee calls upon all task force members to contact their legislators when a call to action is required. 5) This past year we worked with the Secretary of State’s Office to help them develop the Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT) program. 6) A Task Force subcommittee was formed to assist in getting the Des Moines metro area cities to develop ordinances regulating Massage Businesses. There was great concern that many of these businesses were merely a front for illegal sexual activity. The majority of cities surrounding Des Moines did get ordinances passed and many illicit massage businesses moved from the area.

Contact: Shirlee Reding at shirlee421@gmail.com cell: (515)-778-6724

8. TRI-STATE COALITION AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SLAVERY– based in Dubuque; serves part of NE Iowa, SW Illinois, and NW Wisconsin

The Coalition, begun in 2014 by members of the area Catholic communities of women religious, has expanded to include women and men dedicated to the elimination of this dehumanizing crime. The Coalition “engages in education and advocacy to eradicate human trafficking. Members cooperate with other organizations with similar goals.” In addition to presentations to numerous religious and civic groups, the Coalition has trained the city’s bus drivers and some rural police staff. Thanks to a grant, the Set Me Free program has been implemented in the schools as students learn in grade-appropriate ways about both sex and labor trafficking.

Utilizing public media, the Coalition has sponsored billboards and a bus wrap. Participation in events has included a booth at the Dubuque County Fair, showing a film during January’s Human Trafficking Awareness Month, a 5K run at the University of Dubuque, a table at the recent Juneteenth celebration, Dubuque Farmers’ Market and Kennedy Mall. Members have also done hotel/motel training for the past several years and participated in the video production team for the state’s hotel/motel training mandate. Currently, members are encouraging participation in the Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT) initiative by offering assistance with the learning component to those businesses who have signed up and encouraging others to sign on.

Each year, we work with city and county governments for proclamations in January. During the past year, we have also developed a website and Facebook page. We are grateful to have been one of five awardees of the NAHT’s Outstanding Anti-Trafficking Service Award in 2022 presented by Governor Kim Reynolds. We are allied members of the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and the US Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking.

Contact: tscaht@gmail.com
Website: https://humantraffickingiowawil.com/

9. JOHNSON COUNTY HUMAN TRAFFICKING COALITION – Iowa City and Johnson County

Our mission is to encourage community awareness of human trafficking and strengthen the support of survivors in our community through collaboration with local service providers. We provide community and professional educational activities throughout the year and upon request. We have participated in awareness campaigns that include radio ads, Coralville Mall window displays, support of speakers, and film showings.

Contact: jchtcinfo@gmail.com
Website: http://humantrafficking-ia.org
Facebook: http://facebook.com/jchtcinfo

10. L.A.S.T. WATCH COALITION – Marshalltown and Marshall County

Contact: lastwatchgroup@gmail.com

11. NEWTON SAYS NO TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING – Newton

Contact: newtonsaysno@gmail.com

12. SIOUXLAND COALITION AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING – Based in Sioux City

The Siouxland Coalition Against Human Trafficking is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 started in 2014. Our mission statement is “To work toward abolishing all forms of human trafficking through education, advocacy, and collaboration”. Our main focus in education is prevention. We give presentations and training throughout our area. If distance or the needs of the group require someone outside our Coalition to give the presentation, we find a qualified resource. We have tables at local community events with some giveaway items, a question wheel, and handouts. We have held conferences on human trafficking and one on the porn epidemic and how it relates to human trafficking. We have had billboards on human trafficking. We do TV and radio interviews throughout the year and have developed PSAs for radio and TV. With permission, volunteers place stickers and posters about human trafficking in area businesses, schools, and agencies. We have a self-guided exhibit (440 sq. ft.) that can be displayed in schools, churches, and other places for a week at a time.
In January, National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we engage local city/county governments by asking that they issue a Proclamation (that we provide) acknowledging the month. Last year we had some businesses light up in blue (dark blue is “the color” for human trafficking) for January.

We are an allied member of the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and have a volunteer trained as a facilitator of their DPS-authorized hotel/motel training. We are working to encourage the involvement of businesses in and to provide the “learn” section of the Iowa Businesses against Human Trafficking (IBAT) initiative. We work with the Set Me Free Project to provide training in various local schools. We encourage activities such as the Red Sand Project for schools and youth groups.

Meetings are the second Tuesday of the month at 6:00 pm, January-June and August-November, and are open to the public.

Contact: scahtinc@gmail.com
Website: http://siouxlandagainsttrafficking.org

13. NORTH AND CENTRAL IOWA COALITION AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING – Based in Mason City

Melody Stone founded the North Iowa Against Human Trafficking in 2021. The Central Iowa Service Network Against HT/MS merged with the North Iowa Coalition in August 2023. This merged coalition has now expanded its service area from 9 to 23 counties. We changed our name to the North and Central Iowa Coalition Against Human Trafficking (NCICAHT). The coalition consists of community citizens and professionals promoting prevention, education, intervention, restoration, and justice within a 23-county service area. Our mission is to raise awareness and provide prevention and education, professional training, advocacy for legislation, restoration for justice, and survivor services. Using our unique skills, there is something each volunteer can do to impact and eliminate human trafficking. The NCICAHT is an allied member of the NAHT. Coalition through Zoom meetings are on the last Tuesday of each month from noon to 1:00 pm. New members are always welcome. Our Zoom number to join meetings is 761-717-7885.

Contact: Melody Stone, prairiemelody@gmail.com, (808) 430-5710; Lyna Debner, lynadebner@comcast.net, 720-988-5835

14. Wapello County Coalition Against Human Trafficking – Based in Ottumwa

This is the newest Iowa Coalition (founded by the Ottumwa Rotary Club in 2023). They draw anti-trafficking advocates from a Southern 6 County area. They hold monthly Zoom meetings and they have held anti-trafficking programs in the community and schools.

Contact: Megan Logan, megan.logan@ottumwaschools.com

15. Polk County Commercial and Sexual Exploitation of Children Multi-Disciplinary Coalition (CSEC) – Based in Des Moines and Polk County

This group meets monthly and its membership is limited to the following groups: Law Enforcement, County Attorney’s Office, Department of Public Safety-Office to Combat Human Trafficking, DHHS, Juvenile Court Services, Blank Star Center, and the US Attorney’s Office.

Contact: Rachel Frommelt, Rachel.Frommelt@unitypoint.org, 515-224-3323