The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
‘Suitcases to freedom’ collected
Wildwood Cultural Center hosts those packing suitcases to aid Harriet Tubman Movement
Thrivent Community - Chagrin Valley members packed “suitcases to freedom” July 28 at the Wildwood Cultural Center in Mentor.
The recipient of the suitcases is the Geauga County-based Harriet Tubman Movement, a non-profit that assists human trafficking victims.
The Harriet Tubman Movement started in 2015. Director Laura Bartchak said the group started out doing awareness events for human trafficking, but then they met their first survivor and realized how hard it was to get them connected to services they need.
“So after walking with her for a while it was a need—a gap in services—we were called to fill,” Bartchak said, “between identifying a survivor and getting them on their long-term journey to freedom.”
Bartchak said immediate services survivors need can include safe shelter, medical attention, drug detox and medical/dental services.
“That’s what we really address and our long-term goal is to get them long-term, generally residential restoration programs,” she said. “Those address their trauma, so trauma therapy, addiction support, educational opportunities, life skills, job skills.”
Bartchak they’ve assisted about 80 survivors over the past three years.
“Our referrals come from law enforcement, hospitals, homeless shelters, drug rehab centers, we’ve had pastors identify (victims), so from a variety of sources,” she said. “We’ve identified a couple ourselves on the street, but most of the time we’re getting a referral.”
Karen Suttman, a financial professional at Thrivent Financial, said she heard about the Harriet Tubman Movement through a pastor friend.
“He came in and was talking to me about it in
my office and I was very moved by what they were doing and what they were trying to do,” Suttman said.
Her company allows them to identify organizations “that could really use a leg up,” she said.
Donations were collected at Thrivent’s Willoughby and Stow offices. Items included suitcases, clothing, gift cards, personal care and hygiene products, and coloring books (for both adults and children).
Suttman said donations were collected from employees and their friends and family, but they also received a good response from a Facebook post.
“People I didn’t know dropped stuff off too,” she said. “How generous people are is always proven to me every time I do this. There’s a bunch of very generous people in the world I think we forget that because we hear so much bad news, but you do something like this and you see people really come together for a good cause.”