March 2022 Newsletter

You Can Be the Difference in Someone's Life!

There are two great opportunities to have an impact on trafficking victims by helping them through our organization, Join the Movement. 
First: Become a volunteer advocate who provides support and crisis counseling at a hospital or law enforcement agency. Training is March 24th and 31st.
Second: Hear from a sex trafficking survivor at our April 8th gala at Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan.
More information about both is below.

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JTME Upcoming Events

​Volunteer Advocates Needed to Help Trafficking Victims

What if you could help someone get through the worst day of their life? Would you do it?
That is what it means to be a volunteer advocate in Walworth County for someone who is the victim of a crime such as human trafficking, sexual violence or domestic abuse. Advocates are special people who are trained to provide crisis counseling and help a victim through the process of being checked out at a local hospital.
The advocate also provides support if the victim wants to report to law enforcement, although some victims choose not to, which is their right.
“It is an amazing gift to be able to help someone through the process of making sure their body is OK after a traumatic incident,” said Heidi Lloyd, former director of a domestic violence and sexual assault support center in Elkhorn. Two years after retiring, Lloyd continues to help victims as a volunteer.
Join the Movement, a Walworth County-based advocacy group for victims of sexual and domestic crimes, is offering training to prospective volunteer advocates. Join the Movement focuses on victims of human trafficking and sexual assault.

What does being a volunteer advocate include?

Initial training requires two in-person, three-hour sessions the evenings of March 24 and March 31 at an Elkhorn-area church. Cost is $30. Pre-registration is required.
Additional training to build skills will be offered monthly at no cost.
“Volunteer advocates are a critical piece of our efforts to increase services for victims,” said Dawn Heath Fiedler, founder and president of Join the Movement. “No one should have to experience the trauma of sexual violence alone, whether it’s from human trafficking or rape.”
Anyone wishing to help local survivors and connect with a group of like-minded, passionate people should contact Dawn Fiedler at [email protected] or call her at 262-347-1491.
In addition to completing training, volunteer advocates must be 18 or older, fill out a volunteer application and pass a criminal background check.

Trafficking and sexual assault can affect people of any age, gender, sexual orientation and/or ethnicity.
If you can’t volunteer but would like to support our mission financially, please go to jtme.org or send a donation to Join the Movement, PO Box 133, Elkhorn, WI 53121.
Qualifications for Volunteer Advocates:

• 18 years of age or older
• Possess a valid driver’s license and have available transportation
• Able to respond in person at the Aurora Lakeland Hospital or one of the law enforcement agencies in Walworth County
• Available telephone with call waiting so emergency calls are answered immediately
• Must be able to able to pass a background check after filling out a volunteer advocate application.
• Volunteers must be willing to participate in medical and/or legal advocacy trainings. The training prepares volunteers to handle crisis calls and assist survivors of recent sexual assault at hospitals and law enforcement agencies.
• If interested, please contact Dawn Heath Fiedler by phone at 262-374-1491 or via email at [email protected] for an application or questions..

​There’s still time to get tickets for our April 8th event
Our first-annual gala and fundraiser is just around the corner. It's Friday, April 8, but if you haven’t gotten your ticket yet, don't worry. There is still time.
 Although we call it a “gala,” don’t let that scare you. As long as you come prepared to learn about human trafficking and dress like you’re headed to the office, you’re fine. There's no need for ball gowns or fancy suits.
The event theme is A Garden Party. Tickets are $75 each. That includes a cash bar, hors d’oeuvres and desserts at 5:30 p.m., followed by a survivor's presentation at 6:30 p.m. April 8th at Lake Lawn Resort, 2400 Geneva St, Delavan. For tickets, go to jtme.org/fundraiser.
The featured presenter, Theresa Flores, will talk about her experience being a Michigan high school student during the day while being blackmailed into sex trafficking at night. Flores is the author of the book “The Slave Across the Street: The True Story of How an American Teen Survived the World of Human Trafficking.”
The event will also include a robust silent auction with lots of items to spruce up your home or give as gifts.
Join the Movement would like to thank our generous presenting sponsors: Kunes RV/Auto/Trucks/ Commercial and Lake Lawn Resort.
As Flores shares her story, she talks about the tell-tale signs and personal toll of human trafficking. She talks about how young people are drawn in or tricked into servitude, and what can be done to help those people escape that life. She’s an inspiration and example for all of us.

In The News

Join the Movement Opens an Office on March 7th!
For the first time since its inception, Join the Movement will have a real office.
When Join the Movement began five years ago as a grassroots effort to end human trafficking, it operated primarily out of the home of its founder and president, Dawn Heath Fiedler. But as of March 7th, JTM will have an office in the Lakeland Administrative Offices building on the hospital campus of Aurora’s Lakeland Medical Center in Elkhorn.
Fiedler said the move comes at just the right time.
“We are poised to do even more in our communities to help survivors of human trafficking as well as sexual and domestic violence,” she said. “Our goal is to continue to raise awareness and encourage prevention. Having office space to coordinate our efforts—especially right next to the hospital—will help us immensely.”
The physical address is W4051 County Highway NN in Elkhorn, although Join the Movement will continue to get its mail at PO Box 133, Elkhorn, WI 53121.
To schedule an appointment at the new office, please call Fiedler at (262) 374-1491.

Trafficking Occurs in Rural & Urban Areas
Any community can experience sex trafficking, whether it's a big city or a rural area with lakes and other amenities that attract tourists. Even Walworth County.

According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, people may be especially vulnerable to trafficking if they:

• Have an unstable living situation
• Have previously experienced other forms of violence such as sexual abuse or domestic violence
• Have run away or are involved in the juvenile justice or child welfare system
• Are undocumented immigrants
• Are facing poverty or economic need
• Have a caregiver or family member who has a substance use issue
• Are addicted to drugs or alcohol

Ways To Contribute

Sponsorship
Are you interested in becoming a one-time or ongoing sponsor of JTM? Please email us to find out how you can get involved in educating our local communities. Thank you!

Become a JTM Sponsor

Support Join the Movement Events Inc
Make a difference any time you are shopping on Amazon. Look for gifts at Amazon Smile to generate donations for Join the Movement Events Inc and check out our AmazonSmile Charity Lists to donate items we need most.

Our mission would not be possible without the generosity of our supporters. Please consider donating to this worthy cause and help us continue to fight sex trafficking across Wisconsin! 

CLICK HERE TO DONATE