Making a Difference in Human Trafficking: Karen Moore of Sanctum House

  What happens when someone finds a way to offer hope in the middle of horrific circumstances? You get changed lives, changed for the good.

Karen Moore worked as an executive for Ford Motor Company for many years. Instead of retiring, she decided to use her skills to help others. While working at a school, she started hearing about the awful world of human trafficking. Then someone mentioned to her that they had a connection looking to start something to help trafficking survivors. That was nine years ago, and this team has helped over 400 women.

400. Think of that! 400 lives impacted for a better future.

It's not easy, though. As Karen says, "It's hard work. It's dark work."

Listen in to hear more of Karen's story, the programs Sanctum House offers, and hear tangible ways they've helped women. Then come back tomorrow for part two, where Karen shares tips of what to look for when it comes to trafficking.

Connect with Karen and Sanctum House:

Learn more about the Wings of Courage Gala coming October 22nd!

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Credits:

Editing: Greg Herman

Music: “Corporate Inspiration” track - by Oleksandr Savochka at Pixabay

Transcript

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Speaker 1 0:00

I knew someone that um has a vision to open a program to help victims of human trafficking and I'd only learned a little bit about it and I said, Oh my gosh, I'm all in. He said, She has a vision, but she doesn't know how. And I've run very large organizations. And so that was then, and here we are now. We've been open almost nine years. We've served over 400 women.

Speaker 0:27

Hi everyone, and welcome to Highlight Her. Before we get into the episode, I invite you to hit the follow button. It helps the show get delivered into your feed, and it's a free way to support the podcast. Today's featured guest is Karen of Sanctum House in Oakland County, Michigan, in the United States. I'm excited to chat with her because she does important work helping trafficking victims get back to life. Let's get started and add her to the highlight her circle of season three. Hi, Karen.

Speaker 1 0:58

Hi, thank you for inviting me.

Speaker 1:00

Thank you so much for joining us today. I heard you and Jen, who's in the background, and also one of your survivor friends at my church. And I am going to admit that I know very little when it comes to the world of trafficking. I know that it's serious. I know that I live in an area on the highway 75 down into Ohio that's a big area for trafficking. I know it's extremely sad. It's horrific. But other than those things, I don't know a lot about it. And so when you guys came to my church, I thought it would be a great connection for the podcast to help me learn more, to help you guys get the word out and just hopefully maybe even someone hears this and needs some help and we can help someone connect with you or another resource just to get them some hope and healing.

Speaker 1 1:56

Yes, absolutely. This is one of the most important parts of our mission is community education because Jenny, as you mentioned, it's going on everywhere and it there are no socioeconomic um barriers to it. It's a very profitable illegal network. And uh the more we can uh communicate and uh let people understand the realities versus versus the sensation on the sensational sides of it, that's the only um prevention that there is. So I appreciate this opportunity to share the work that we do and the realities of what's going on with human trafficking.

Speaker 2:38

So, as a founder of a nonprofit, Karen, what do you think is your superpower?

Speaker 1 2:43

Well, my if it is a superpower, my goal with leading an organization is to provide the opportunities for everyone in the organization to be successful, whether it be, you know, education or knowledge or skills, you know, challenges that meet, you know, what their intent is. Because when people feel they're valued and can reach, you know, strive for their personal potentials, it could be because they're a therapist or they're good at um doing scheduling or like Jen being out in the market and you know, you know, telling people about us. Everyone has a gift and everyone has a skill. And it's enabling providing an environment for them to, you know, excel as much as possible on what they each have to offer. Because we all have something to offer. And um when we're all doing our best, we're all better for it.

Speaker 3:44

I think that's a beautiful superpower. So going back to the beginning, you have a lot of executive experience, first with Ford, then with Ladywood High School. What inspired you in the middle of all that leadership to say, hey, I think I'll create a place for victims of trafficking to find their strength and work towards recovery?

Speaker 1 4:07

Well, I was very fortunate, very blessed to grow up in a very healthy family. I was, you know, I had a good life. I had a very good education. I came from, you know, a loving family. One of the things that they always instilled, my parents instilled in me is those that are given are those that need to give back. And, you know, I had a good education. I went to great, very good schools and I did well at Ford Motor Company. I was a global executive, but there was always something that was lingering in me that I have more to give, and that is a part of who I am that I wasn't fulfilling. So when I took my early retirement, I decided this is this is my time. This is going to be my chapter to give back. It was not planned. I never planned to go into academia, but long story short, I was asked to be uh the president and CEO of Ladywood High School. And I welcomed it because life, you know, the challenges you take, and you know, that you know, pick it up. And I loved it. And it was my first step into nonprofits and the nonprofit world, which is very different from the corporate world. So I learned a lot. And I was, you know, I did private schools for my education. I have great value for the education given in the private schools for those that are able to, you know, to go. And while I was there, I started hearing, you know, about human trafficking. And Ladywood is an all-girl, private school, college prep. And I looked at all these girls and I thought, oh my gosh, you know, it just really hit my heart. And um, coincidentally, I had a friend that said, I know someone. Now, this goes back to probably 20 uh 10 or 2012. I know someone that um has a vision to open a program to help victims of human trafficking, and I had only learned a little bit about it, and I said, Oh my gosh, I'm all in. He said, She has a vision, but she doesn't know how. And I've run very large organizations, and so that was then, and here we are now. We've been open almost nine years. We've served over 400 women, and we're now we have state funding, federal funding. We have a strong presence at the state and at the federal level, and we're we have um funds to expand in the light of everything that's going on. So, but it wasn't me that did it, it was putting the team together and and the right people came at the right time. And um we're I'm proud to say, the leadership team, um, we've been together since the beginning, and here we are, and we're doing really good things, and and the thing that we is always the top priority is the focus on those that we serve. I had a good life. There's no reason that the women that we serve didn't have the opportunities that I have. It's uh I just believe it's not fair. So it's personally for me, it's it's my goal to build a team and to build the relationships in the community with the government to provide the same opportunities I had afforded to me to those that are underserved.

Speaker 7:34

You have a lot of programs and services at Sanctum House. I was peeking at your website, I had kind of forgotten. And I think it's amazing what you've put together. And it goes to what you're saying right now. You want to give these women the same opportunities that you had. Can you tell our audience a little bit about the services and programs that you have available?

Speaker 1 7:57

Well, we provide, and all these services are at no cost to any of the women that come through our program full physical health care. And that was through developing a partnership with Trinity Healthcare. Since we opened, they provide all health care to our women. It could be a cold shot, a flu shot, COVID shot, or it could be a back surgery or going through an unknown when they arrived at our program, they did not know they were pregnant and wanted to carry the baby through. Trinity has been there right from the start and continues to be. There's so many uh, you know, professional opportunities or even educational opportunities that you know you can't qualify for. So we we treat it as the whole person, you know, um, mentally, physically, you know, legally, whatever their needs are, uh, the everyone's journey is individual. We have a great case management team. Every new resident, a participant when they arrive, develops a plan that they participate in developing. Do they want to go to school? Do they want to get their high school diploma that they never had the opportunity for? Or we've had very educated women, lawyers, doctors, medical doctors, social workers. What do they want to do? What what were those goals that were robbed from them? And we help them achieve them.

Speaker 10:44

I love that. And it's a two-year voluntary program, right?

Speaker 1 10:47

Yes, it's voluntary. They choose to come, um, and they also can choose to leave if it's not the right fit. And sometimes it's not the right fit. Sometimes, you know, um, they're not ready because it's hard work. You know, we provide the tools, we provide the opportunities for education, for therapy, for physical health. Sometimes they're not ready, and that's okay. And then we get them to someplace else that hopefully is safe. And then if another another day comes, they're ready as long as we have available space. Um, we welcome them back, which has happened many times.

Speaker 11:21

How many, how many women can you house?

Speaker 1 11:24

Currently 12, and we are at capacity, and um, we have the federal funds to expand. So I just signed the purchase agreement a little over a week ago. So by the end of the year, we'll uh we'll have a three and a half acre campus, a healing campus, and we're gonna do some rehab on the houses, and by the end of next year, we'll almost triple our capacity.

Speaker 11:47

Wow, that's amazing. So good team.

Speaker 1 11:50

And this isn't uh this isn't me doing this, this is everybody together doing it. So, and our partners in the community and our partners at the state and federal level. So, yeah.

Speaker 12:01

That goes back to your superpower of helping people bring out their gifts and succeed in their strengths. And when I think when you're doing that for people, it energizes them and helps your mission in addition to helping all these women, and it just is a perpetual circle.

Speaker 1 12:21

Yeah, you know, we all have different gifts. My goal, my role is to help them find it and let and help them excel. You know, it's very hard work, it's very dark work, but we find the kindest and the best people to partner with us. We have great volunteers, we have great partners in the community, the the churches, as you mentioned. Um uh we're there speaking um, I think last year, was it, or earlier this year? Um, but we um the universities we work with the University of Michigan, Wayne State University. Um, we're just um very active in the community. We do a lot of work with law enforcement, with the attorney general's office. Um Jen has opened an opportunity. We're gonna be speaking with law enforcement and downriver this coming week on you know, um appropriate interaction with who's the victim. Who's the who's the criminal and who's the victim when you pull people over? Just because it's a woman that's you know might be having an overdose doesn't mean she's the criminal. So this the we're having some really important conversations that you know can change people's lives and change how the community thinks of those women that we serve.

Speaker 13:38

So you mentioned you've served so far about 400 women. Do you ever have a moment where you think this is why I do this?

Speaker 1 13:46

Oh, so often. I mean, we have a woman that um is going to be transitioning out next week and we're having a party for her. And she came in to see me today because I work with them on one of the things I love doing with the women because my role is a lot in the community and keeping it funded and interaction and partnerships. But one of the things I really like to do with the women is help them develop good financial habits and saving rather than, you know, you get money spend, spend, you know, so that um when they do get ready to transition and move on, that they have, you know, you know, a good, you know, have a bank account. And one of the women, she came in to see me today and she said, you know, Karen, and and this is so cool. She had a child while she was being trafficked, and um her parents had have guardianship of her son, and she never thought that she would be able to parent him. She's been with us over a little over two years, and she is moving out next week. She's getting an apartment near her parents, and she is going to be the parent to her four-year-old son. Oh. And she will eventually have full guardianship. And I mean, you know, in their story, one after another, it's one person at a time who, when she came in, she, you know, um, she struggled with her addictions and with with everything, but she's she's done the hard work and and through it all. She had a you know, a good job was saving her money, and she came in to see me today and she says, Karen, um, I'm ready to take uh my money with me. And it just uh so you know, I know it's beautiful. And then there's the little ones, like you know, um woman that is so talented, she's an artist, but nobody ever cared. She's young, she's probably 22, 23. And um now because she's in a safe place, she's she's doing her artwork. And uh Zach, who was on the call earlier, um, he's gonna exhibit it at Wings of Courage. Um so they're finding their, you know, who they are, and the it's the little moments that are so rewarding, and just even when the tough days are, you know, it's you you just look at them and you just you just feel good.

Speaker 16:15

Do they uh develop relationships among themselves?

Speaker 1 16:18

Oh, they're sisters for life because they've walked a walk that you know, fortunately many of us haven't. And it's yeah, it's a lifelong relationship, and they still take stay in touch. Those that have come and gone in gone over the years. Many of them come back and work with us, work, you know, work at Sanctum House. We have staff 24 or 7 or the and they mentor those that come behind them, and you know, they can understand it better than any of us can. Yeah.

Speaker 16:48

So you mentioned you were at Lady Wood School and you're just looking around at these girls, and you had just started learning about trafficking. To give our audience perspective, if we're sitting around a group of women, a group of young girls, what are the statistics on how many people in that group might end up in trafficking?

Speaker 1 17:11

Well, there's really no accurate statistics on trafficking because traffickers don't call into a hotline and say, I've got 15 or 25 in my stable and I lost three last month to overdose. So it's under-reported and it's very well hidden. And so the only in accurate information is those that um victims or knowledgeable people or people that suspect something call into the national hotline. And that's what we always recommend or contact, you know, local law enforcement. But it's, you know, $150 billion business a year. You can drug dealers get out of selling drugs. If you've got, you know, some crack or heroin or fentanyl, whatever, you can sell it once. And if you get caught, you're caught. There's not much you can say. If you've got a curt, cute girl or boy or woman or man, it doesn't matter. It's a human being. You've got a renewable commodity. So then use them five, six times a night, night after night, week after week, year after year, and they're just pulling in the cash. So, I mean, it's going on in Birmingham, women from you know, Ann Arbor, West Bloomfield High School. A lot of people think it's in, you know, poverty areas. I mean, it is, but it's everywhere else too, because yeah, just think the the cuter, the more polished they are, the more money you can charge for them. I mean, I speak at Bloomfield Hills High School every year. And just a couple years ago, um, one of the girls there, she's a senior. I she was in the talk that I did and when she was a junior, she said, um, last year, you know, I was listening to, you know, you say, you know, look for something different. You know, there's nothing magic to say this is what you look for, it's behavioral. You know, if you're high school or middle school um student, if one of your lifelong friends is all of a sudden doing something different, or maybe not hanging around with the same crowd, or maybe all of a sudden you got an iPad or you got an iPhone, or you know, something's different. Just be aware, you know, talk to a counselor, talk to a parent. And, you know, we do as much work at the schools as they're willing to listen. You know, not all schools are open to having the conversation. But, you know, I was there Bloomfield Hills High School, you know, and I talked to the girls about it. And the next year when I came back, one girl said, you know, I when I went home, my mom and I were talking, and we noticed that lives right in the heart of Bloomfield Hills, right down the street from where they live. There was like abnormal activity at a house, like during the day, you know, it's a neighborhood, and there was a lot of people coming and going. And she said, So my mom said, you know, called um the hotline. And anyways, it was a trafficking house in the heart of Bluefield Hills. So I mean, it's supply and demand. If the demand is there, the supply will appear. So it's all about money and greed. So that's why, you know, this is a great uh community um opportunity that you're offering us for education. It's not, you know, and you know, people say, Oh, it's in Detroit or Pontiac. Well, yeah, it is, but it's also everywhere else, you know.

Speaker 20:32

So do you network with other similar safe houses around the country?

Speaker 1 20:38

Yes, we have a because there's so few services, we have a very strong network within the state and across the country because we often get calls from all over the country because there's so few services, especially long-term, because you can imagine the mental and physical abuse that these you know victims go through. And three months isn't gonna, you know, make a dent in it or give them the confidence to live a productive life. So um we get calls and we're we're one of the referrals on the national hotline. So the few services in the country we we're all you know connected and we do mutual referrals. We get a lot of women coming from across the country. We have one coming in um next week, I think from Tennessee. We we have them from Charleston, Texas, Georgia, Oregon, because there's so few services. And sometimes they need to get away from their geographical location for safety. And then sometimes women that contact us from you know, Michigan feel that it's better for them to leave the state to really be safe. So yeah, we have partners, you know, within the state and across the country.

Speaker 21:51

So, Karen, when you tell me that trafficking is a $150 billion industry, and you are Helping disrupt that industry. I imagine that there are a lot of people that are not happy with you. How do you keep yourself and the safe house and your women safe?

Speaker 1 22:14

Well, safety is our number one priority. So we have very good safety protocols. We don't disclose the location of the house, the mailing off the mailing address where mail comes and goes is at a in a different city. It's in Novi. And it just it's a um place where I can pick up the mail. It's an American near where I live. And we have cameras around the house. And you know, we're just very cautious. And they, you know, the women there um are protective of each other and uh they take care of each other. So knock on wood, almost nine years. We've never been breached.

Speaker 22:50

That is amazing.

Speaker 1 22:51

For all the women that have not continued on the program, they might have come for a week or two and felt, you know, they weren't ready for this. It's hard work, you know. Um, they leave, but we've never been approached. And we have a great um relationship with a local law enforcement, county law enforcement. So we've got panic buttons. Um, so um we're it's just uh top priority for safety of the women.

Speaker 23:15

Well, that is a wonderful thing to hear that you've never been breached, and I hope it stays that way for everyone concerned. And it sounds like your experience as an executive and a leader at Ford, and then your first nonprofit, all of all of these skills that you learned along the way have really served you well for Sanctum House.

Speaker 1 23:39

I'll tell you uh so many times, and in this uh the challenging, especially the challenging business we're environment we're in right now. I'm just so grateful for Ford Motor Company for you know the executive and leadership training I had. I learned how to run a business. I got had great education, I had great parents. I mean, I'm I'm one of the fortunate ones, you know, which is uh great, but now I feel smaller because it's those, you know, it's it's my mission in life now to take those opportunities, all the education, the skills I've learned to help others, and every single woman that walks through those doors is, you know, a blessing, you know.

Speaker 24:21

Now I kind of feel like my little podcast, we could talk for hours about this, and yet most people don't want to listen to hours on a podcast. So, what are some ways that people listening can get to know more about Sanctum House, about the trafficking world, and ways they can help?

Speaker 1 24:42

Well, we have an annual gala first. Uh first of all, uh this ongoing community education is absolutely critical because you reach little pockets, big pockets. You're reaching the people that you know might know or see something. Uh, but one of the really important parts of our outreach to the community is our annual gala, which is Wings of Courage. And we're really fortunate to be able to have it at the Detroit Zoo this year. They're a partner of ours. Um, they actually do a private event for all our residents once a year. Um, private tour of the zoo. Once it's closed, our residents, our staff, our volunteers. Um, now they've opened up their hall right outside the butterfly exhibit where we're able to host our annual gala. And the beauty of it is the symbolism of the butterfly, starting as a caterpillar and growing and spreading your wings and flying off. So, um, and that was, you know, many years ago when we named it Wings of Courage. And with the partnership with the Detroit Zoo, um, it's just it's a beautiful thing. And it's October 22nd for anyone that may be interested. It's going to be a wonderful evening. It's a Thursday, and all the information is on our website, sanctumhouse.org. And come and it's going to be fun, but it's also going to be educational. Many of our former residents will come and talk about their journey, what Sanctum House has meant to them, and for all those others, you know, um, people that we will serve in the upcoming years. And because it's at the zoo, we have a um maximum amount that we'll be able to invite. So we encourage people to, you know, make their reservations and come. And also the opportunity to sponsor. We have companies and corporations that want to sponsor to see their name up there to, you know, to show that they are supporting the fight against human trafficking. So there's opportunities for sponsorship and opportunities to come and learn, and the whole team, our team will be there to meet everyone and welcome them, and also, you know, um share the stories and education of what we do.

Speaker 27:12

And then I think you have some local events as well.

Speaker 1 27:16

Yes, and you can always check our website. Uh, we do one of the uh it's a fun thing is craft nights um at different local churches. Um, you know, we have crafters that, you know, people come together and it's $40. So it's, you know, it's doable for uh within a budget. We have some of our existing residents come and talk. Every cent helps them, you know, with their journey. And it's fun and make a craft and you get to keep your craft. We provide, you know, refreshments. And that's on our website too, or Jen Moscow, who's on here, our marketing ambassador. She is the lead on organizing those. We have one scheduled in September, I think 23rd, and then one in uh November and some next year. But if there's any church or organization that would like to host one, uh we come well prepared with the crafter and all the, you know, the supplies, and uh they're a lot of fun. We have a a big following. We start when we started, they were like eight or 10 at a time. Now we're up to 50. You know, we have to sometimes cap them off, but you know, they're fun and they get to meet our team and meet some of the women that come, you know, that are actually going through their program and they say, you know, thank you. This is helps us, you know. Um, the education helps those that come behind us.

Speaker 28:43

So absolutely. So it's time for our lightning round, and this is just a chance for people to get to know you a little bit. Are you a coffee or a tea drinker?

Speaker 1 28:52

Coffee.

Speaker 28:53

All right, early bird or night owl.

Speaker 1 28:55

Neither I like my sleep.

Speaker 28:58

All right, I like that answer. Do you have a tool or an app that helps you run your nonprofit?

Speaker 1 29:04

No, just our souls and their their compassion.

Speaker 29:08

Okay. Do you have a favorite way to unwind after a busy day?

Speaker 1 29:11

Physical exercise every single day.

Speaker 29:14

And do you have another female founded nonprofit that you would like to give a shout out to?

Speaker 1 29:20

Oh, um, well, we have so many partners. Um, that some of our key partners of Trinity Health, that's a large organization, but also Open Arms, which is a uh subset of Henry Ford and Ascension um program that um supports outreach onto the streets, Avalon Healing Services in downtown Detroit that does outreach onto the streets, common ground in Oakland County that does outreach onto the streets. This is uh this is um a crime that we can't do it alone. So we do the long-term residential, wrong, long-term recovery part, but we don't do the street outreach and the emergency pickup, but we have a partners that do it. That's you know, open arms, it's you know, Avalon Healing Services. We all collaborate together.

Speaker 30:09

Well, audience, remember you can follow Karen and Sanctum House on Facebook and Instagram, and of course their website, sanctumhouse.org. We are actually going to turn this into a two-part episode because there's just so much information. So make sure you come back tomorrow and you can hear the rest of our conversation as Karen and I wrap things up. I'll be sure to put everything in the show notes and we'll also put some resources there as well in case you know anyone that needs some help. Karen, thank you so much for joining us today. I really appreciate your time and your conversation in your heart.

Speaker 1 30:44

Thank you. Thank you, Jenny.

Speaker 30:46

Audience, thank you for listening today. If you'd like to know what we discuss in part two, come on back tomorrow and it'll be on the podcast page.