Forum focuses on combatting human trafficking

The diocesan Office for Human Life, Teleios and the American Association-Order of Malta, Cleveland Area, collaborated on a recent forum to combat human trafficking.

“Recognize, Respond, Restore: Our Role as Christians in Combatting Human Trafficking” brought the three groups together at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe for an awareness program that explored the realities of human trafficking and what can be done to respond to the issue as Christians.

A panel of experts representing anti-trafficking ministries, service organizations and public agencies addressed human trafficking and often-overlooked forms of exploitation within our communities. The panelists were Kwami Adoboe-Herrera, Mary Kate Waggoner, Deacon John Green and FBI Special Agent Jessica Dunkle. Carolyn Kinkoph served as moderator.

The forum included moderated discussion, questions and answers, table conversations and networking to help participants learn how to better recognize the signs of trafficking and to explore practical ways to respond through awareness, prevention, outreach and advocacy.

Adoboe-Herrera, a Togolese-born survivor of human trafficking, is an educator and a nationally recognized anti-trafficking advocate. He was featured in the September/October 2024 issue of Northeast Ohio Catholic magazine and his story was updated in the January 2026 issue. He is the founder and CEO of Teleios, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe housing and comprehensive, trauma-informed care for adult male survivors of human trafficking.

Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Initiative and leads the effort to build awareness, strengthen resources and advance public policy statewide. She also chairs the Human Trafficking Commission, a statewide network of anti-trafficking stakeholders. Waggoner works to identify survivors, provide trauma-responsive interventions and to address the driving forces that fuel human trafficking.

Deacon Green, who ministers at Holy Family Parish in Stow, said he has spent his life “going after the people the world walked past.” He founded and led Emmaus Ministries, a Chicago, Illinois outreach for men caught in prostitution and trafficking. Deacon Green also helped raise more than $8 million to serve men much of society had written off, a story he told in his book, “Streetwalking with Jesus: Reaching out in Mercy and Justice.”

Dunkle, an FBI agent, is assigned to the agency’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, primarily investigating crimes involving juvenile victims. She also serves on the Evidence Response Team.

Kinkoph is a human trafficking survivor parent, advocate and co-founder of the Alliance Against Human Trafficking. She is an advocate member of the Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars, a board member of Cleveland Missing and  a former member of the Health, Education, Advocacy Linkage (Heal) Trafficking Education and Training Committee. She is a doctoral candidate in urban studies and public affairs at Cleveland State University with a research focus on anti-human trafficking training.

Panelists defined human trafficking, explaining that it is a human rights, social justice, public health and criminal justice issue that occurs in the United States and around the world. It is defined by the United Nations as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception for forced labor or sexual exploitation.” Forum attendees learned that human trafficking is a $236 billion illicit industry with an estimated 50 million victims of forced labor worldwide.

In Ohio, there are 2,586 potential or confirmed survivors identified by participating agencies in the last five years. Panelists said victims are in local communities, including 211 survivors in Cuyahoga County and 27 survivors in Lorain County, identified by participating state agencies.

When asked what Catholics can do to help combat the situation, they said to be aware for possible warning signs, including signs of coercive control, noting people at higher risk such as immigrants, those living in poverty, undocumented people or those lacking strong social networks, those exhibiting signs of fear or trauma and people living in crowded or poor housing, those living at work, people who are often isolated or who have restricted movement.

Panelists said to respond safely rather than attempting a “rescue.” If a person appears to be in immediate danger, call 911 and ask simple questions like do you feel safe or would you like help. Also, share the national human trafficking hotline: 888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to 233733 (BeFree).

Tony Dipre, director of the diocesan Office for Human Life, established an anti-trafficking program and said his office has resources to help combat human trafficking.