ASPIRE CANVASSED LEHIGH VALLEY HOTELS ON OCTOBER 8TH

Aspire to Autonomy, Inc. canvassed Allentown, Easton, and Bethlehem hotels on October 8. The canvassing event educated establishments about ACT 197, which is currently not being enforced.

Interns Taylor Williams,(left) and Nicole Lewis (right) attend Marywood University. On October 8th, they were able to speak to Fred Thompson, manager of Staybridge Suites in Allentown, PA. Staybridge Suites is located on Airport Road near the Allentown Bethlehem Airport.

Act 197, or The National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline Notification Act, requires certain businesses and establishments in Pennsylvania to promote the national trafficking hotline as a front-line measure for those who may suspect trafficking anonymously and, in a manner, safe for victims.

ASPIRE interns visited approximately 50 hotels. Each intern came equipped with a national trafficking hotline number poster, free human trafficking awareness training opportunities, and information on ASPIRE..

Sarah Cattin (Coatesville, Pa.) and Bo-Khier Raybon (Easton, Pa.) both attend Kutztown University as Master’s of Social Work students. Sarah and Bo-Khier described their experience in Easton and said, “All of the hotels that we visited had no signage and many of the managers did not know that this was a law in Pennsylvania. Many of the larger, mainstream hotels questioned whether or not they are allowed to post the sign without running it by corporate first, and their marketing team. When we began to encourage and offer Project Underground Railroad (PURR) anti-trafficking trainings, employees would assure us that they are required to take a human trafficking training each year through their corporation.”

Taylor Williams (Allentown, Pa.) and Nicole Lewis (Coplay, Pa.) both attend Marywood University as Master’s of Social Work students. Taylor and Nicole had similar experiences as they covered Allentown hotels. Taylor reported, “One hotel manager had the national hotline trafficking poster in the break room for employees, but no posters were hung for guest access. He graciously took multiple posters to hang by the elevator and restroom. Another hotel manager, with previous human trafficking education, created a way to help possible victims by attaching the hotline number on a bar of soap! This was a learning experience that we can take with us to our next canvassing day.”

Our next free, virtual training session will be November 10 at 6 PM. Aspire to Autonomy interns Sarah Cattin (Coatesville, PA), and Taylor Williams (Allentown,PA) both master’s of social work candidates, will facilitate the training. Tuesday’s training (Nov. 10) will discuss the Act 197, the importance, and our plan for canvassing.

For more information about the training visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pathtoautonomy

To join the training:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85910713285…

Meeting ID: 859 1071 3285 Passcode: 852269

Aspire interns Mia Dunn (Doylestown, Pa.) and Kayla Bradley (Upper Darby, Pa.) from Kutztown University outside the Holiday Inn in Easton, Pa.

For more information on ASPIRE, contact Angel Ackerman, communications director, at angel.a@pathtoautonomy.org.

Information provided to TVL by:
Kayla Bradley
Aspire to Autonomy, Inc.
http://pathtoautonomy.org/