(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today addressed his inaugural Human Trafficking Summit called Hope in Action, which focused on connecting those combatting human trafficking across Ohio.
“Our job together is to build roads — a highway of hope, a right-of-way to redemption … a freeway to freedom,” Yost said. “Our promise is that we will build that road and make sure they need never walk it alone.”
The summit’s featured speakers including Dr. Elaine Richardson, a professor at The Ohio State University and a survivor of sex trafficking, and Senator Teresa Fedor, who is considered the state’s preeminent legislative voice in the fight to combat human trafficking.
Workshops conducted throughout the day featured educational sessions, success stories, lessons learned and best practices, all designed to end human trafficking in Ohio. Among the organizations that shared success stories were the Renee Jones Empowerment Center of Cleveland and RAHAB Ministries of Summit County, and anti-human trafficking task forces from Central Ohio, Cleveland and Mahoning County.
The summit was supported by American Electric Power and the Salvation Army of Central Ohio.
Attorney General Dave Yost’s Human Trafficking Initiative works to end labor and sex trafficking in the state by building awareness, empowering Ohioans to take action in their communities, helping victims and ensuring that traffickers and johns are brought to justice.