Human trafficking is happening in communities across the country — including right at home in the Interlake.
The Joy Smith Foundation aims to educate and empower everyone to stay safe from human traffickers looking to lure our youth into the sex trade or forced labour.
And now more funds are available to propel that work forward in the Interlake, thanks to a recent donation from the Interlake Community Foundation.
On June 25, representatives from the Interlake Community Foundation presented a $200,000 cheque to the Joy Smith Foundation. Bob Beck, chair of the Interlake Community Foundation, said the cheque represented a grant from the Fund for Gender Equality.
“The Fund for Gender Equality was part of a partnership with Community Foundations of Canada and was supported by a collaboration between Community Foundations of Canada and the Equality Fund, with support from the Government of Canada,” he explained.
“The Joy Smith Foundation is a national not-for-profit registered charity that works to combat human trafficking across Canada. This grant will be used to fund programs specific to the Interlake. It is easy to believe that human trafficking does not happen in our neighbourhood but, unfortunately, with the reach of the internet and other access, it can happen anywhere.”
Joy Smith became a member of Parliament in 2004 and was instrumental amending the Criminal Code to strengthen sentencing for traffickers and expanding Canadian laws to have an international reach.
In 2011, she founded the Joy Smith Foundation to combat human trafficking.
“We’ve done a lot of work in the Interlake and it’s a very busy area,” Smith said.
“Often traffickers feel very strongly that it’s a good place to go and look for people with the fairs and the events that happen during summer. We want to make sure to prevent it.”
In total, about 93 per cent of Canada’s sex trafficking victims are born in Canada, according to the Joy Smith Foundation.
“A lot of rural areas don’t know about human trafficking, and yet it’s less than a kilometre away from every child because they have telephones and the internet in front of them all the time,” Smith said.
“Traffickers earn in excess of $280,000 per victim per year tax-free, so they feel it’s well worth their while. They do it for the money and the power over innocent people. The average age for entry into the sex trade is 13, but it’s not a job or a trade. It’s a horrible crime against very innocent victims.”
The $200,000 donation will allow the Joy Smith Foundation to continue its work specifically in the Interlake.
“We have produced really good results, and victims have restored their lives. We’ve gone into schools, community centres, churches — anyplace that will listen to what we’re doing,” Smith said.
“We also do a lot in terms of the sextortion issue where kids are blackmailed over the internet. It happens to both girls and boys, and so does human trafficking.”
Over the years, the Joy Smith Foundation has helped more than 7,000 human trafficking victims and their families to restore their lives. However, Smith stresses the importance of stopping human trafficking before it happens.
“We want to make parents and students aware. Our youth are smart, but they just don’t expect something like that to happen to them — and they’re in it before they know it. Young people have committed suicide because they’ve been so ashamed,” she said.
“Don’t be naïve and think this won’t happen to your family. It is very active in the Interlake, and it’s under the pubic radar. You can prevent it easily by finding out how the traffickers operate and how you can protect your family. Traffickers can be men or women.”
On Saturday, Aug. 17, the Joy Smith Foundation is hosting an event called Joy in Action in Birds Hill Park from 9 a.m. to noon. The family-friendly event is free to attend. Participants can sign up to walk, run or cycle while also raising funds.
“Everything is free because our main goal is to get people out to understand what human trafficking is and how to prevent it,” Smith said. “It’s a dark subject, but it will be a great family-friendly occasion.”
Learn more at joysmithfoundation.com or call the office to register for free at 204-691-2455. Donations to the Joy Smith Foundation can also be made through the website.
Similarly, donations to the Interlake Community Foundation help fund many worthwhile projects throughout the region.
“The Interlake Community Foundation is an important source of funding for charitable organizations in the Interlake. This program is one of the many programs we have been able to use to increase the funding available for our communities,” Beck said.
“We continue to grow and are celebrating 30 years this fall. In that timeframe, we have granted over $2.1 million to our communities.”
Learn more about the Interlake Community Foundation or make a donation at interlakefoundation.ca.
