Tee Off Against Trafficking Pictures

We had a fantastic time and it seems like the players did as well. Check out pictures by clicking here. You are welcome to purchase photos of your foursome or any other photos that you find interesting. The cost is very small ($2 for a 4x6), but the profit goes to the cause as well.

We were fortunate enough to have three photographers that day to fully document the event. Sarah Cutter, Amy Cheng, and Carlee Avery. Thanks go especially to Sarah for being the dedicated photographer of the day and getting all the great shots of the foursomes.

LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR!

JOIN US FOR THE LAST
EASTSIDE WOMEN OF PURPOSE
MEETING OF THE YEAR!!

IT WILL BE AN EVENT TO REMEMBER!
(Not really but we will be starting to sell microloan cards and those
are totally awesome - and an easy, great way to get involved.)

This Sunday, November 2nd at 9:30am
in Room 3 at OCC

See you there!

The Response to "Call and Response"..."

Call and Response

THIS IS A GRASSROOTS FILM FOR A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT.
THIS IS YOUR FILM. THIS IS YOUR CAUSE.
JUST LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE STARTED!


WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A FILM WITH NO STUDIO SUPPORT
NO CORPORATE BACKING, NO DISTRIBUTOR
NO ADVERTISING, NO THEATRICAL SUPPORT
AND ZERO BUDGET FOR PROMOTION

-Beats films like W and Max Payne on weekend screen averages?

-Is on track to be the #3 Political Documentary of the year?

-Outperforms last years Academy Winning Documentary?

-Sells out showings across the country?

-Ranks #1 or #2 in almost every theater where it shows?


THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS:

-Scores of young girls in Cambodia who were brought out of the sex slave trade will now
have valuable new skills that will lead to sustainable employment.

-Thousands of dollars are raised for global projects fighting human trafficking

-The calls coming into the Human Trafficking 800 number increase 400%

-Thousands of people use the TAKE ACTION platform on www.callandresponse.com
calling upon major companies to join the SLAVEFREE movement by investigating
their product chains. Two major apparel companies (Gap & Burberry)
answer the calls and agree to further inquiry.

-Thousands of people sign up for the TEXT MESSAGING campaign

And all of this happened in ONE WEEK

We continue to play this week in:

SAN DIEGO
MINNEAPOLIS
DALLAS
EAST BAY AREA, CA
CHICAGO
AUSTIN
SEATTLE


More screens being added daily.
STAY TUNED.
TELL FRIENDS.
THIS IS ON!

Another way to stay connected is to join our CRITICAL MASS text campaign. You get access to free songs from the film, updates, and up-to-the-minute info on the movement. We will be using the collective power of our CRITICAL MASS to make massive instant changes in this issue. Join the CALLS that will get a RESPONSE. TEXT “CALL” TO 90999. I promise you will never be solicited for anything other than justice.

Listen, this is a real story. There’s never been one like it and you are a huge part of it. I hope you can stay connected to the story by visiting the website, www.callandresponse.com, often to see all the new RESPONSES to this issue. We are seeing real change come out of this platform, and it all comes from you. Use it. And watch what happens.

Please continue to spread the word about this little open source film that’s being used to bring justice. We have just begun.

With respect,

Justin Dillon


It always seems impossible until its done.- Nelson Mandela

Prostitution and Potential Human Trafficking in KIRKLAND!

Tucked away behind an accountant's office on Northeast 85th Street, the Red Rose Hot Stone Spa sits empty.

Kirkland Reporter

Prostitution charges for Rose Hill massage parlor owner, employees

By KENDALL WATSON
Kirkland Reporter Staff Writer
Oct 21 2008 · UPDATED

King County prosecutors filed charges Oct. 9 of promoting prostitution, a felony, against a Kirkland man and three other women.

Following a nine-month investigation, detectives from the King County Sheriff's Office believe Sheung Tam, 45, was running two massage parlors in Kirkland and Renton as fronts for prostitution. They also allege that her business partner, Kirkland resident Timothy Kevin Howell, and two Bellevue women, Wei Qing Tong, 46, and 39-year-old Chinese national Yu Xian Huang helped manage the criminal enterprise. The four are accused of running two massage parlors in Kirkland and Renton that offered sexual contact for cash. Howell, 35, is also listed as a Class-II sex offender from a past conviction for child rape.

The two businesses -- Red Dragon Spa at 352 Sunset Blvd. N. in Renton and Red Rose Hot Stone Spa at 13017 N.E. 85th St. in Kirkland -- were owned and operated by Tam, a Bothell resident and mother of a 22-year-old daughter. They were both raided in July and shut down. If convicted, the four face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Sharing the same block on 85th Street with Red Rose Spa, Red Rose Chiropractic Clinic and Rosehill Chiropractic Center -- which sits next to the Red Rose Hot Stone Spa property -- have suffered from some confusion over similar-sounding names and services. The chiropractors use professional massage therapists as part of their health care practice, while none of the "masseuses" at Red Rose Spa were state-licensed massage practitioners.

"We started getting some strange people coming in," said Lori, a receptionist for Red Rose Chiropractic. "Lots of men asking about massages and we were wondering 'What's going on?'"

Still advertised online at Yellowpages.com and CitySearch.com as "Red Rose Massage," the business is described as a place where a person will "feel safe enough to relax and unwind." The listing also provides a non-working phone number and includes an anonymous, negative review from earlier this spring.

According to court records, the investigation began last October after a vice detective monitoring the Internet noticed suspicious advertising for the Red Dragon Spa at the Web site Craigslist. The link between the two massage parlors became obvious as detectives followed Tam and Tong traveling between the two locations, delivering laundry and making payroll deposits at a local bank. A subsequent records check of state tax records reportedly lists almost no earnings for the two women. Undercover detectives later visited both locations several times while posing as "johns" and received offers of a sex act in exchange for $100.

Kirkland Police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also aided the investigation.

The long investigation helped authorities gather additional information on the four suspects. A former boyfriend of Tam's told police she asked for his help to import Chinese girls in exchange for $30,000. Another person, a woman who identified herself as "Angie," said she knew Tam by her nickname, "Kitty," while living in Hong Kong, China. She feared her as "cunning and smart" and believed Tam planned to use a "younger man to front her a massage business."

An arraignment for the four is scheduled to be heard on Oct. 22 in Kent.

Kirkland Reporter Staff Writer Kendall Watson can be reached at kwatson@kirklandreporter.com or 425.822.9166 ext 5052.

Some Local News and Ways to Take Action

Please take a few minutes to look through the local actions that you can take RIGHT NOW. These are from a Eastside Women of Purpose member named Andrea. Thanks Andrea!

Tronie foundation event on October 25th

On October 25th, we have a wonderful opportunity to show our support for the Tronie Foundation by participating in an event titled "Partnering Together to Change Lives". The Tronie Foundation in partnership with Northwest Family Life is planning on opening an office together in Seattle and hopefully in the not too distant future, opening another shelter for rescued trafficked survivors. Proceeds from this October 25th event will help pay for the expenses of opening this new office in the Northgate Mall area.

The event takes place on Saturday, October 25th from 11:00am-2:00pm. at the Space Needle Restaurant. The Master of Ceremonies is Deborah Horne, reporter and producer for KIRO 7 news. The guest speaker is Rani Hong, founder of the Tronie Foundation and survivor of human trafficking.

Tickets for the event cost $35.00(includes lunch) and can be purchased from the website, www.troniefoundation.org

TVPA
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act is up for revision! This is an act that helps assist victims of human trafficking. The TVPA needs to be revised every two years. It has already passed in the house but is currently stalled in the senate. The house passed it with only two representatives not voting for it. The senate is currently having an issue coming to an agreement on two parts of the bill. The goal that we as abolitionists have is to have it pass through the senate with unanimity during the lame duck session. If it does not pass during this time, we will have to start all over after the elections. This would be a huge set back. Please urge your senator to pass this bill! If you live in Washington our senators are Patty Murray (D), her phone number is (206) 553-5545 and Maria Cantwell (D) her phone number is (206) 220-6400. When you call simply say I am calling regarding the TVPA, I would like to let the senator know that I would like this bill to pass during the lame duck session. I would also like to her encourage her to co sponsor the bill. Thank you. The staff answering the phone won't ask questions, their job is to just record the message. Not For Sale was in DC the other week lobbying them on this issue, by calling you are just helping to reinforce this. Thank you!

Go See Call and Response!!

Shauna's Story of Slavery

My MIL pointed me to this article on the internet about a Florida teen who was tricked into slavery. Thankfully she was rescued after 4 days. We have an estimated 2 million slaves in our nation's borders- that's immigrants and citizens.

I find Shauna's story horrifying and shocking. My stomach flipped when I read that every 10 seconds a person is sold into slavery.

Read the article here.

For All You Dr. Phil Lovers Out There (or even if you aren't)...

This Friday, October 10th, the Dr. Phil show will address the issue of human trafficking and publicize the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) Hotline.

Tune in and hear survivors tell their stories, an FBI agent recount a recent human trafficking case in Texas, and the filmmaker behind the new documenary film Call + Response discuss his anti-trafficking efforts. Julia Ormond, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and featured actress in the new documentary film, Call + Response, will also join Dr. Phil to share her firsthand experience of witnessing and fighting human trafficking. Preview the show and find show times.

We are excited that the show will increase awareness about modern-day slavery and the services of the NHTRC hotline. We are preparing diligently for an increase in calls due to the coverage.

Currently, we receive hundreds of calls directly from trafficking victims, law enforcement agents, medical and legal professionals, community members, and policy-makers every month. In the past 10 months, the NHTRC has:

* Answered more than 4,200 calls
* Received calls in reference to more than 2,000 potential victims
* Reached an audience of over 4,000 people through more than 100 trainings and presentations
* Experienced a call volume increase of over 200% from the previous year.

If you are curious about the issue of Human Trafficking, what is being done, and how you can help, check your local listings... (Dr. Phil is on at 3pm in Seattle).