June 2021 Newsletter

Prime Timers learn about exploitation of senior citizens.

Join the Movement provides training for professionals such as first responders, teachers and law enforcement on how to spot the signs of human trafficking and how to help victims. We also provide awareness and prevention materials at events for children through senior citizens. All of these are provided free, but there are costs.

Help support our efforts to educate the public so that human trafficking can end. Every donation is used locally. Thank you for your consideration.

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In The News

JTM advises seniors to watch for scams
Sometimes even those closest to senior citizens are out to take advantage. Watching for scams was one of the ideas presented by Dawn Heath-Fiedler, founder and president of Join the Movement Events. She spoke recently to the Prime Timers group and guests at Calvary Community Church in Williams Bay.

Care takers, friends and even family have managed to divert money, valuables, prescription drugs and other assets from senior citizens in Walworth County over the past few years, according to news reports. Some scams start out as phone calls from strangers pretending to represent a credit card company, a bank or a utility provider. Seniors are advised to never give out their credit card or bank information to callers.

Fiedler said not everyone is out to exploit our most vulnerable citizens. "We encourage seniors to ask questions and get a second opinion," she suggested.

To schedule a discussion about senior exploitation or human trafficking, contact Join the Movement at [email protected].

Join us at DAS Fest in Elkhorn Aug. 13th
Are you ready for some bratwurst and polka dancing? DAS Fest comes to the Walworth County Fairgrounds in Elkhorn from Friday, Aug. 13th, through Sunday, Aug. 15th. DAS Fest means "the festival" in German. This fun festival will have Old World charm plus food, beverages, music, culture and more. Join the Movement will be hosting an event at DAS Fest on Friday. Watch our July newsletter for more information. And in the meantime, find your dirndls and lederhosen to make sure they still fit! 

Is Walworth County vulnerable to trafficking?
With its picturesque lakes and rolling farm fields, Walworth County doesn’t look like it would be attractive to sex traffickers. But the truth is trafficking is almost everywhere. The only way NOT to find it is to not look for it.

What makes Walworth County vulnerable to traffickers? Here are a few facts:

Any city or county with an Interstate highway nearby is vulnerable because it’s easy for traffickers to flee the area quickly. They can be in another state, which means a different law enforcement jurisdiction, within an hour or two. Interstate highways also offer high-speed, multi-lane getaway access. Sometimes, by the time someone has reported a suspicious situation in one location, the trafficker has already moved to the next location.

Tourism brings many good things, and Walworth County is fortunate to have lakes and other attractions that draw large numbers of vacationers and day-trippers. Tourist crowds also increase the demand for sex trafficking, as some people see the time away from home as an opportunity to do something inappropriate with lower risk that family and friends will find out.

Gentlemen’s Clubs, also known by the less flattering term “strip clubs,” are notorious for attracting people interested in having sex for money. Not all clubs, of course. And many of the sex sales are more apt to take place in the parking lot than the actual business establishment. Clubs are a well-documented magnet for sex trafficking nationwide.

Truck stops are another trafficking magnet. There sit scores of trucks filled with drivers who spend much of the day alone in their rigs, until they stop for food, a shower and/or gas. Traffickers believe that some of the drivers will pay for companionship.

Rest stops are often a similar target. Walworth County has two rest areas on Interstate Highway 43.

Do all of these factors mean that sex trafficking is happening right here in Walworth County right now? No. But it does mean that the conditions are ripe for sex trafficking on any given day. Public records show arrests have been made and suspicious activities have been reported.

If you see unusual activity that looks like sex trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office at 1-262-741-4400.

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