We weren’t excited to leave our office at 487 W Shaw. We had it pretty good over there! Although less than two miles away from our previous space, we were hidden and this can be helpful in our line of work. Our gracious hosts at Aplos were growing quicker than they expected and simply needed the space they so generously gifted us, so the search was on again! Despite our reluctance to pack and haul our stuff again, we sensed God was up to something and we were on a mission to figure it out!
Eventually we called Zack Darrah, Director of Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries (FIRM). Fun fact – Zack and I shared an office at Fresno First Baptist for about two years, while CVJC was just beginning, and had no name…
Today, FIRM works with well over 10,000 refugees a year. This includes about 100 unique walk in clients a month in addition to case managers who see 500 clients a month. Although we do not know all the ways our work will intersect as we share a space off McKinley and Fresno Street, and do know a few things about how this all connects to our work as a Coalition. . . for starters,
Trafficking is an exploitation of someone’s vulnerability for personal profit.
I have had the privilege of sitting with several refugees and hearing their stories – friends from Laos and from Syria. I certainly can’t imagine a more vulnerable situation than fleeing from a war torn country, often with young children, and entering a new land where you don’t speak the language, don’t have legal status or much money, and know little about system you suddenly rely on for basic life necessities.
Zack shared from his almost five years of working with the refugee community that there are many taboo topics, and human trafficking is certainly one of them. The issue is often not discussed. Like many cases we see, people may know something unfair or bad is happening to them or those they know, but they need context. He and I worked together on a case a few years back. Zack believes that if that if he hadn’t attended some of our earliest trainings years before, he may have just thought to himself, “This guy this lady is describing is a jerk.” With education and context, he knew it sounded a lot like labor trafficking.
“We need to create pathways to services for people who do not have open doors to have these conversations in a safe place,” Darrah said.
We are honored to partner in seeking justice with the FIRM, and with the many other partners we work with.
“Justice is at the heart of why we exist,”
Darrah said. It sounded rather familiar…
Thank you for being a partner who seeks justice with our Coalition and is bringing oppression into the light!
Already over 1300 students have been educated about the dangers of human trafficking and equipped to be difference makers in their communities. Presentations at Edison, McLane, Sunnyside, Fort Miller and more have been possible thanks to your support of Central Valley Justice Coalition.
Who do you know that needs to be part of the conversation?
Send us mail! Permanent address?
Central Valley Justice Coalition
PO Box 6099
Fresno, CA 93703