Wrapping up another successful year, the Zonta Club of Sanibel/Captiva has dispensed $15,000 in grants and funds to support its mission of improving the status of women both locally and globally.

At the club’s annual holiday party at Ellington’s on Thursday, December 16, before a crowd of nearly 70 Zonta members and their guests, president Darla Letourneau presented checks for $2,500 each to two organizations selected by club members for special assistance this year: Making It On Purpose, which operates under the auspices of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Fort Myers, providing emotional and practical support for young women transitioning out of foster care; and the Transitional Living Center (TLC) at Southwest Florida Addiction Services, also in Fort Myers, which provides education and support for women in recovery from addiction. The recipients also took home gaily-wrapped holiday gift packages for the program participants, assembled by club members.

As well as financial support and seasonal gifts, Zonta members offer to both programs on a volunteer basis mentoring, training in social, practical and job-seeking skills, collections of clothing and household goods, and (for the young women) social outings.

In addition, checks for $2,500 each have been forwarded to Partners for Breast Cancer Care, a Fort Myers-based organization that provides mammograms and other diagnostic procedures for low-income women, and to Planned Parenthood of Southwest Florida, to provide continuing education and outreach. The club also submitted a total of $5,000 to Zonta International, principally to support the organization’s ambitious Anti-Trafficking Project in Boznia-Herzgovina. The club recently adopted the topic of trafficking in women for study and support both locally and internationally.

The Zonta Club of Sanibel/ The Zonta Club of Sanibel-Captiva is a service organization of professional women working together to provide hands on assistance, advocacy, and funds to strengthen women’s lives on the islands, in Lee County, and around the world through Zonta International. Additional information is available at www.zontasancap.com or by calling Ginger Parker on 466-5100.

Zonta President Darla Letourneau with Judi Woods, founder and CEO of Making It On Purpose,
and Rosemary Boisvert and Linda Peterson of the TLC administrative staff.

December 6, 2004

ZONTA CLUB LEARNS ABOUT MODERN DAY SLAVERY IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

When you think of someone who is on the front line in the battle against modern day slavery or human trafficking, you might not conjure up images of someone like Anna Rodriguez, but once you hear her speak, you know she’s been there. A roomful of Zontians and special guests heard Anna speak last Wednesday morning, as she gave evidence to the fact that human trafficking is happening in our own backyard.

Ms Rodriguez retired from the Collier County Sheriff’s office after ten years as a victim advocate to work full time on human trafficking. This fall, she launched the Immigrant Rights Advocacy Center, consulting with local law enforcement and the Department of Justice. Her goal is to set up centers around the state to identify and assist victims. For now, she wants to raise awareness of trafficking in our area.

Anna told us stories of cases where she found men, women and children brought into slavery in the agricultural business, domestic situations, the hospitality industry, and the sex trade. Usually through fear and intimidation, the traffickers have a hold on these people’s lives and most victims think there is no way for them to escape. They are convinced they owe money, or their families are in danger or the victims themselves are in trouble, plus the traffickers hold their identification papers. Often, too, they do not speak English and do not know where to look for help.

One case Anna pursued aggressively brought her to the attention of President George W. Bush and the Attorney General. This case was part of the inspiration for the T-Visa designed only for victims of trafficking. It was a case of a husband and wife right here in Southwest Florida who thought they owned a young woman named Maria. She worked for them picking tomatoes and was not given any money. In addition, the husband raped her. It was only through Anna’s persistence that Maria was freed from this situation. Maria is now happily married with two children. Anna and Maria were invited to the White House for the bill signing ceremony for the legislation that created the T-Visa. Anna’s courage and compassion in rescuing victims of human trafficking was recognized by the President this summer at the National Training Conference on Human Trafficking held in Tampa.

Zontians also learned statistics about human trafficking every ten minutes; a person is brought into this country as a slave. Children represent 50% of trafficked persons. It is now the #2 crime in America, behind drug smuggling. By next year, they expect it to be #1. The problem to date is that modern day slavery has not gotten the attention of law enforcement and average citizens. And that, Anna says, works to the advantage of the traffickers. If Anna has her way, it won’t be as seemingly invisible in the future.

Anna will be teaching a class, Human Trafficking in Florida, through the Renaissance Academy of FGCU on the island Thursday evenings in February. Call 239-590-1095 for more information. Members of Zonta will also be attending Human Rights and Struggle for Fair Food conference on Martin Luther King weekend sponsored by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Interfaith Action of Southwest Florida.(657-8311 for information) The Zonta Club of Sanibel-Captiva has begun an educational process which includes research into local and global trafficking issues and inviting leaders of local organizations which work in the area of human trafficking to speak to club members. The preliminary information and strategy regarding anti-trafficking in Lee County and the region is on the web at www.zontasancap.com.