What if you could be a full-time student, an entrepreneur, and still have the energy and passion to champion a serious cause like human trafficking? One remarkable woman, Tina, does it all. Her story of advocacy and relentless dedication to this cause is sure to inspire you. Join us as she unravels misconceptions around human trafficking, shares her experiences, and reveals the importance of addressing this pressing issue. From organizing the first human trafficking awareness event at the Human Rights Commission to using her business acumen to create lasting change, Tina's journey is one not to be missed.
As we leave the inspiring world of Tina, we take you on a journey to the idyllic Humboldt County. Hear the charming tales of two individuals who, despite initial cultural shocks, fell deeply in love with this unique place. The beauty of the landscape, the friendliness of the residents, and the personal love stories that bloom here make Humboldt County a heartwarming haven. Tune in for a dose of love, camaraderie, and a heartwarming tale of friendship centered around the LA Marathon.
Finally, we circle back to the grim reality of human trafficking, this time focusing on its impact in Humboldt County. Learn about the desperate need for dedicated resources, the potential signs of victims, and the significant role of technology and entrepreneurship in combating this issue. Tina's powerful call for support towards these initiatives serves as a reminder that we all have a part to play in eradicating this menace. Join us for this eye-opening discussion about an issue too often ignored. Be part of the change, starting with this conversation.
What if you could be a full-time student, an entrepreneur, and still have the energy and passion to champion a serious cause like human trafficking? One remarkable woman, Tina, does it all. Her story of advocacy and relentless dedication to this cause is sure to inspire you. Join us as she unravels misconceptions around human trafficking, shares her experiences, and reveals the importance of addressing this pressing issue. From organizing the first human trafficking awareness event at the Human Rights Commission to using her business acumen to create lasting change, Tina's journey is one not to be missed.
As we leave the inspiring world of Tina, we take you on a journey to the idyllic Humboldt County. Hear the charming tales of two individuals who, despite initial cultural shocks, fell deeply in love with this unique place. The beauty of the landscape, the friendliness of the residents, and the personal love stories that bloom here make Humboldt County a heartwarming haven. Tune in for a dose of love, camaraderie, and a heartwarming tale of friendship centered around the LA Marathon.
Finally, we circle back to the grim reality of human trafficking, this time focusing on its impact in Humboldt County. Learn about the desperate need for dedicated resources, the potential signs of victims, and the significant role of technology and entrepreneurship in combating this issue. Tina's powerful call for support towards these initiatives serves as a reminder that we all have a part to play in eradicating this menace. Join us for this eye-opening discussion about an issue too often ignored. Be part of the change, starting with this conversation.
Find us on Facebook at 100% Humboldt.
Speaker 1:
Hey folks, it's my friend Tina. Hi, tina.
Speaker 2:
Hi, how are you Scott?
Speaker 1:
Welcome to the show, thank you, so what a privilege.
Speaker 2:
I'm honored.
Speaker 1:
I know well you good me too. I'm honored more, so I wanna hear just your story like quick life story, and who are you and what are you all about?
Speaker 2:
I have been affectionately dubbed by my colleague as the wearer of many hats. Ah yeah, I'm actually. I was just talking about I'm a full-time student. I go to Cal Poly and I'm expected to graduate with my bachelors in May.
Speaker 1:
Whoa cool, coming right up.
Speaker 2:
Right.
Speaker 1:
What are?
Speaker 2:
you studying Business administration, with the emphasis on new venture management?
Speaker 1:
Whoa good major.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, let me see, I also am a co-owner with my husband and we run a mobile car detailing business called Spot to Spot Mobile Detailing.
Speaker 1:
Oh, here in McKinleyville, you guys are amazing, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, we've won a few awards, kinda a little bit of recognition.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, a lot yeah, and I know you guys are good.
Speaker 2:
Thanks.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, legends up thereabouts.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, trying to.
Speaker 1:
And so you've done a lot of work with human trafficking and other things too, which we'll get to.
Speaker 2:
I do. I do a lot of advocacy work here in Humboldt County. When I moved to Humboldt County about 10 years ago I noticed that there was an issue, and so the way I came about doing some work and bringing events here is you know, I brought my dad.
Speaker 2:
I moved up here to take care of my dad and my dad was a. I'd bring him dinner. And he said, oh, just put my dinner over there on the table and I'll get to it when I get back. And so when I came over the next day, I was like dad, what kind of board meeting did you have? He said, oh, human rights commission meeting. Oh.
Speaker 2:
Oh, ok. Well, what did they do there? And he began to explain the things that they take care of there. And I said dad, could I present human trafficking there? And he said do you think that's going on here? I said oh, absolutely.
Speaker 1:
Totally yeah.
Speaker 2:
And he was like, oh yeah, that'd be the place. So, to make a long story short, we organized the first human trafficking awareness event in front of the Human Rights Commission at the courthouse and it was well attended. And at that time I kind of stayed in the background because, one, we live in a small community. Two, my father was native and very well known in the community and, three, I wanted to keep his honor. Did he know my background in my history? Yeah he did, but did I want to announce it?
Speaker 2:
and be in the forefront at the time. No, I didn't.
Speaker 1:
So let's back up. So human trafficking and its base definition is what I think. We all kind of think. We know what it is, but maybe give us a fully-orbed.
Speaker 2:
So have you seen the movie Tricked Uh-uh? Have you seen the movie Taken? Oh yeah, ok, it's absolutely nothing like that, ok you know what movie?
Speaker 1:
It's not like that.
Speaker 2:
Nine times out of 10 human trafficking. The legal definition of human trafficking is force fraud or coercion. If there's a means to that and the force fraud or coercion has happened, then you could call it human trafficking. But nine times out of 10, what has happened? Is it somebody close to the family? It's someone who an individual has met online or, unfortunately, here in Humboldt County, it's a family member who has begun to traffic that family member individual for their benefit.
Speaker 1:
So traffic doesn't necessarily mean they send them overseas or they put them in a boxcar. They're co-horcing them to do fraudulent behavior or illegal behavior or against their will.
Speaker 2:
Sexual behavior.
Speaker 1:
Mostly sexual.
Speaker 2:
And nine times out of 10, it's not always against their will. They think that they're agreeing to it, but when they do that it's because they're. You know, I always default to the Romeo Pimp. There's many different kinds of traffickers, right? The Romeo Pimp has wooed the individual into thinking that they're in love, and so they're doing this. Just, I'm going to do this for a little while, you know, Right?
Speaker 1:
And it's really serious. It's all serious, but it's super serious when it's a minor right.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and is it what percentage are female?
Speaker 2:
You know, unfortunately, the statistics are grossly underreported. And why do you think that is?
Speaker 1:
Because it's secret.
Speaker 2:
Well, there are just as many males being trafficked as there are females, and what happens is young men. You know there's a taboo and there's their shame attached to anybody identifying as a traffic victim, especially if you're male. Sure.
Speaker 1:
Sure, yeah, so you went before the commission. Is that a county commission? Yes, locally Mm-hmm, and they're still in force, yes, so what is it? Is it?
Speaker 2:
a monthly commission. Yeah, they made it inside the chambers. Yeah, the county courthouse, mm-hmm. Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Gotcha, are you active on that chamber or in that committee now?
Speaker 2:
I don't sit on that board yet.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, yeah, I have so many. I like the, yet there.
Speaker 2:
I do sit on a board, but I don't sit on that board. I sit on a couple of boards, as a matter of fact, but not yet that one yet. But I do collaborate with them a lot.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and you've spoken about this across the nation, right?
Speaker 2:
Not across the nation, but I heard, maybe Texas.
Speaker 1:
Did you only say you were in Texas at one point? I have went to Texas. That's the ways across the nation. That's halfway, yeah, so we'll come back to that. I want to hear about your story growing up. Tell us the Tina story. How did you get to Humboldt? Where did you come from? How did you your story?
Speaker 2:
So I lived here in junior high I came to live with my dad and I came from the city and, as an individual from junior high, moving to Humboldt County was a shocker and I absolutely did not like Humboldt County as a junior.
Speaker 1:
Where'd you come from?
Speaker 2:
From Sacramento Stockton area. Yeah, so you were in Stockton's rough yeah. South Stockton. Yeah, and I did not like Humboldt County. It was too slow for me and it rained all the time when I was a kid. Weird, nothing like it.
Speaker 1:
It actually rains. It didn't rain in November. This month has been amazing.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, no, it rained all the time when I was a kid. Yeah, Like I remember. You know how. There's pop-up stores in the mall. There was a pop-up store in the mall and this store had t-shirts and one of the t-shirts said in Humboldt County, we don't tan, we rust.
Speaker 1:
We rust or we mold.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
I like it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so I moved up here and when I was a kid and then I moved away, I got caught up in the system and became a juvenile of the ward of the court. Oh wow yeah. I was gone for quite a while, had some kids, lived in Southern California, and then my father's health started declining and I came back about 10 years ago and when I came back I was like what was I thinking? As a kid. I absolutely love it here. The weather is perfect, right, yeah, community is perfect.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, oh, so many ways.
Speaker 1:
So, we just traveled. We went overseas and came back and the air quality here is 100%. It's the benchmark of good air. And the people I was really kind of I was talking to you before the show people in Netherlands are not necessarily the most outgoing and I don't think it's European, but it's at least there. They're not overtly outgoing and they are here. I was finding myself this weekend just chatting it up with people and going gosh, I really love this. This is who I am and these are my people. And I went to. We have a picnic routine up at Hoot-a-Point with Camel Rock and we throw the van doors open and have all picked and can put chairs out and here's the sunset. It's like you can't even create this. This is total creator stuff and it's like oh, that's why we live here, because it's magical and amazing and blessed, and a few more cool words that you're right to your point.
Speaker 2:
It's got perfect weather year round.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I mean Medford was 27 degrees. You come here it's 52 or three. It's still cool, but it's not. You're not like with gloves, it's like not glove weather or sweater.
Speaker 2:
Well, I don't know. I always wanted, like I thought about moving to Grants Pass before, but I don't like all four seasons. I like this.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah, it's consistent. So you left the area and you came back. Yes, is your dad still living, by the way?
Speaker 2:
He's not. He's not.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so you cared for your daddy when you came back.
Speaker 2:
I did that's cool. I got the honor and privilege to take care of both my parents until they passed.
Speaker 1:
Nice, that's neat, so tell me. So. Then you met Robert, or you came back with Robert and you guys.
Speaker 2:
Oh, we have like this crazy love story.
Speaker 1:
Okay, tell me more. Everybody likes a good, crazy love story.
Speaker 2:
Yeah Well, we originally married the first time in 1994 and we had two kids. I had two, he had two, then we had two together and then we separated. He remarried, had another child and I did it and I tried to date around but I just it wasn't like that old comfortable shoe, you know, put it on and just. Yeah. Yeah, and so, anyway, we decided to start dating again, and then, when I said I was moving up here to take care of my dad, he said he was coming with me. Wow, and so.
Speaker 1:
Bill Lee's mutual.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so we lived up here for a couple of years, then we got remarried. I don't know if there's some way that you could do it two times. The first time, man, second time is awesome.
Speaker 1:
Awesome, good, good. A lot of people have, yeah, figured it out.
Speaker 2:
Good thing you and Joni figured it out all the way through, right.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, no, not without challenges. 42 years, yeah, people ask me, and Joni will listen to this later and go. Oh no, people go. How long have you been married, scott? I go, not long enough. Joni goes, stop, stop that. So who? Joni's dad had two questions, so let me back up so we have history together.
Speaker 2:
We do.
Speaker 1:
My wife and your wife, my wife, your, my wife, your friend Joni, did the LA Marathon together.
Speaker 2:
We did.
Speaker 1:
And you got to meet my father-in-law, Tom.
Speaker 2:
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and hang out with Tommy.
Speaker 2:
Oh, Tom is the best.
Speaker 1:
He's a cool dude. I was a cool dude I don't want to talk about. He was on this earth, but he's a cool guy. Yeah, he's a really amazing guy. A whole life of addiction and craziness and I would say he finished his football game very well, scored a lot of touchdowns and he was a really key integral part of Joni and her siblings' lives and he touched you and you guys finished the marathon together in a lot of pain, I understand.
Speaker 2:
My foot hurt, yeah. My foot hurt during that time.
Speaker 1:
But did he walk or run with you guys at the end? He?
Speaker 2:
did.
Speaker 1:
Or through some bunch of it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, he was awesome. That's cool. You know, when we pulled up Joni and I in the airport, he pulled up with the top down and the music playing.
Speaker 1:
I love LA by Randy Newman.
Speaker 2:
Absolutely yeah, and I was like I bet you everybody who doesn't live in California, this is how they visualize California.
Speaker 1:
And he's like the dude. He was not pretentious, he had a crappy old Volvo and here he is. It is Tommy. What are we doing? You know he'd take our kids and hey, want to go to Trinidad, yeah, let's go. And he'd leave and I'd go. It takes me eight years to plan that trip and he would just like load up in the car and be gone. And he was Mr Spontaneous. But he had two questions and I'm going to ask you those questions Are you ready? Yeah, who are you and what do you want Instead of? You can identify those two things in your life. It tells a lot about you and yourself. For who? Who are you?
Speaker 2:
Well, today I am an inspirational speaker. I talk and train people on what human trafficking looks like. But, most importantly, I think my secret sauce is I'm a connector Like oh Scott, you need to meet this person, or this person, you need to meet Scott.
Speaker 1:
Totally get it.
Speaker 2:
And I am a people person, right, and I'm all about community. I am all about being in nature and reconnecting to that. For the longest I wasn't connected to culture, and I have a pretty rich history and culture and I think that, because I too am in sobriety, that it's only when I connected to culture, connected spiritually, and that I made those connections, that it rooted me into staying sober Well said and what do I want?
Speaker 2:
I want to leave a legacy for the next seven generations. A legacy for the next seven generations. I don't want information to be lost with me. I want you know we're storytellers right and I want kids to know what their ancestors knew. I don't want it to be lost with each generation. Has some been lost today? Yeah, definitely. But if we make a part of that revitalization and or intentional about that, I was just thinking the word intentional.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you grabbed it right under my brain. Yeah, gotta be intentional, that's good. Tell me about your tribal background. What tribe?
Speaker 2:
I am a. I hate. I don't want to say I'm an enrolled member. I am an enrolled member in the Confederated Tribes of Salets, oregon. However.
Speaker 1:
Where's that?
Speaker 2:
In Oregon.
Speaker 1:
What part just all are they all over Oregon?
Speaker 2:
Well, our reservation makes up, I want to say, 27 different bands of natives, and so our ancestors originated from the Grants Pass area around Jump Off Joe Creek. And then, when colonization happened, a bunch split. Some came down towards Klamath Smith River and then some were marched up to Salets, where we reside now. Where's Salets? Is it? On the five?
Speaker 1:
Well, you could get to it there, but it's actually.
Speaker 2:
You know, our Newport Organ is, yeah, on the coast, it's inland from Newport. We have a community of people from Newport. Yeah, we have a casino up from there in Lincoln City.
Speaker 1:
Gotcha, yeah, Right, okay, cool. So who are you and what do you want? You've answered that I like, I like to. I share so much of that Connection, relationships, nature and you're right that Humboldt County allows for all of that because there's lots of relationships. I have a relationship with Nick, our producer Connections. Hey, I want you to meet Tina, she's my friend and he's Mr Connection because he's got, you know, two million podcasts and so, and then, if we want to, we go take a walk in the woods five minutes away. You know some Koya parks right there and so we kind of got it all in. You know, in Humboldt in so many ways. Kind of bring that point home. And I realized that.
Speaker 1:
So let's talk about Humboldt, the county and the culture, the people, for a minute in your perspective of what you see as our significant challenges right now. And human trafficking. Let's just go back real quick to that Cause. I think I wanted to make a point from the marijuana grow industry. Is that primarily where you saw the initial human trafficking that you? Nope, no, not necessarily. Okay, so that's my assumption.
Speaker 2:
So no, I didn't.
Speaker 1:
They're just in general.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, you know, I don't want to bash the cannabis industry because there are some people that are doing it right. Yeah, they got it right Right. Yeah. Um and but of course, just like everything in the world, there are some people that give the legal cannabis industry a bad name, absolutely. Yeah. Um, is it happening like that with those people that are giving them bad name? Yeah, it is. Sure.
Speaker 2:
Um, I've had calls from the hotline where people have said that you know they were up on the hill and uh you know, X, Y and Z happened to them. Wow. Um, but uh, you know, is human trafficking happening right here in Humboldt County? Absolutely Um. Is it only in the cannabis industry? Absolutely not.
Speaker 1:
Gotcha. Okay, that's good. I wanted to retract that and revisit that, so uh. So what do you see as the challenges for our county?
Speaker 2:
The biggest regarding human trafficking.
Speaker 1:
Anything including.
Speaker 2:
Uh well, let's see now. I'm a business student. Let's not talk about the challenges, let's talk about the opportunity.
Speaker 1:
We'll get there. We'll go there next. You gotta, you gotta have one before the other. Right, or maybe not?
Speaker 2:
Um, the challenges are, of course, um, we're rural, um, you know, transportation in and out of Humboldt County is difficult. Um, when it comes to human trafficking, our biggest barrier and the biggest problem we have is that we don't have um specific beds for individuals who are being trafficked. Wow, we have other organizations that have beds, but they're not conducive to just trafficked individuals. Oh, um, uh, there's, there's somebody right now who is thinking um about moving forward with the process of opening a safe house. Mm-hmm, um, and so we hope that that becomes a thing, mm-hmm, but there's. We have a couple of people that volunteer um to provide beds occasionally, but we don't have anything. A program Most of the time. Well, always if I find a bed for somebody is out of the county and a lot of times out of the state.
Speaker 1:
So housing crisis again, but on a different level, yes. So what, what kind of? What kind of beds are there out there than just for just maybe some home, a homeless family or, but not necessarily, trafficked? But if you couldn't find a bed. Where would it be? Would it be specifically toward a homeless population?
Speaker 2:
Well, we have North Coast rape crisis. We have humble domestic violence. Okay, we have, of course, Betty Chen. We, you know, we've got uh, we've got the mission. We've got a lot of beds, yeah Right, but none of them are conducive. However, we do have some people that'll say they'll put a bed aside just for a trafficked individual. But in an ideal world, we want a program for those individuals that can help them get back to being a productive member of society you know, because the needs are specific yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Okay, Okay, Down to your question opportunity. So so the challenges are there. What are the opportunities that you see in Humboldt?
Speaker 2:
You know, I think that Humboldt shouldn't look at the barriers but look at where can they spearhead entrepreneurship, because I think that Humboldt County is right for entrepreneurship and and people who can start something with a passion, and there's been many successful businesses here in Humboldt County that have started just with somebody who had a passion.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, oh, good to count them. So I was in advertising, so I would call in a lot of those businesses for advertising back in the day when, remember the newspaper thing, there was a thing called a newspaper or a real radio station that you could tune in.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, those things, so back in the day and you know, a lot of you know, older businesses now started with that entrepreneurial small I mean Eureka Natural Foods was in a little kind of just a little building in Eureka and now it's two locations and amazing, so yeah. So what do you see for our future? What from your perspective? So, entrepreneurial enterprise and people growing businesses and jobs and homes and families. What, beyond that, do you want to see?
Speaker 2:
I don't know if I per se what I want to see, but I think that if people are going to be productive in Humboldt County and be successful, that I see technology as a thing that individuals in Humboldt County are going to need to embrace, regardless of what that looks like, because it's here and so it can be a bad thing or a good thing and if you embrace it and learn about it, then I think that technology is probably the next pivotal thing in Humboldt County. Right.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, because we're so far away. We really haven't even talked about the medical gap that we have in terms of care. There's five neurologists I understood. Now there's one in the whole county. I'm going what. That can't be good. So you're out there making a difference. How do we help you locally or not locally, with human traffic awareness and how we can take part as friends? But also, what would we look for? You know, if we're hanging out and I knew that Nick was being trafficked, what would I? What would be the signs? Would it be tougher, maybe with a dude?
Speaker 2:
I don't know, but what? Well, first let me say this this is my disclaimer what I tell you, that it looks like today could change tomorrow. Trafficking is just like technology it's ever changing. The first thing that I would say that you would look for in young individuals is the do they have more than one phone that parents didn't provide? Are they sleepy at school? Are they hanging around with older people? Are they protective of the older boyfriend, unable to answer the validity of new tattoos In trips or absence? And trips that are unexplained.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, just absence. Absence without A-wall. If you want. Yeah, Okay, those are good. So that's young people. How about people? I don't know our age, if that's fair, but how about older, older than teens or young adults? What would you look for there?
Speaker 2:
For minus the school. There's a lot of things. Are they able to keep their own money? Do they have possession of their own ID or social security cards? A lot of times, traffickers will move individuals from point A to point B and that's a lot of times different states. Do they not know where they are, where they come from? Unable to answer you direct questions.
Speaker 1:
I saw that at SFO, at the airport, is someone holding your ID for you, or your social security card or your driver's license, that's that. Oh, okay, that's kind of ties in with what you're saying Somebody in possession of your ID yeah that would be.
Speaker 2:
It's a control tactic.
Speaker 1:
That'd be a red flag, huh.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so how do we help in your quest, in your mission, in your job and making the difference? Well in this area.
Speaker 2:
We need help. We have a drop-in center. We have a hotline. We're trying to get this house up to code finances. We do have a hotline If you know somebody or you think that you know somebody who's being trafficked. The hotline here in Hobelt County is 707-599-1415. You can call that.
Speaker 1:
Say it again 707.
Speaker 2:
599-1415. And you can call that and have somebody that you think is being trafficked, call that. Or you can call it if you think you know somebody who's being trafficked. And also we take financial donations and you can mail those to 1032 Bay Street in Eureka and put attention. E-p-i stands for Empower, Protect and Invest.
Speaker 1:
E-P-I. And is that Bay Street? Is that in like Faith Center Church?
Speaker 2:
It is. That's where it's housed at Okay.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, most people locally would know Faith Straight up the street from here, actually. Yeah, okay, so Faith Center has that. And how about a website?
Speaker 2:
We're on Facebook.
Speaker 1:
Okay, that works.
Speaker 2:
E-P-I yeah.
Speaker 1:
Okay, I'll go check it out when we're done. Any parting shots or anything you would want to talk about that we have it or bring forward.
Speaker 2:
One of the probably the best pieces of information I heard was from local law enforcement and I like to pass it by, and that is if you see something, say something. It may not be anything to you, but maybe a five other people have reported the same thing, then maybe they'll pay attention to it right.
Speaker 1:
See something, say something.
Speaker 2:
And so, and with that, there's opportunity everywhere in Humboldt County in eradicating human trafficking. It's not all bliss. There is good stuff.
Speaker 1:
Sure, and I'm sure you've seen some. That's awesome. Thanks for all you do there. What's it going to say on your tombstone? What do you want them to engrave there?
Speaker 2:
The connector, the connector, the connector. I love it.
Speaker 1:
Well, hey, appreciate you, tina, Appreciate your friendship and thanks for being here. Thanks for that, and I'm going to try to get this up on cable TV as well, so people can. And if they want to get ahold of you personally, should I do that through the Facebook page?
Speaker 2:
They can call that number 707-599-1415.
Speaker 1:
599-1415,. It's EPI on Facebook. Yeah, easy to find. All right, bless you, thank you.