Impact Conversations with Dawn Manske

Working with Dignity

Dawn Manske — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 23:23:00 +0000

How do women coming out of human trafficking gain financial stability and independence?

Meet Olivia Watkins, Executive Business Director of Beauty for Ashes Nepal. Watkins describes her personal convictions that led her to this organization, and shares beautiful stories of growth and healing that she has seen firsthand through their work. Beauty for Ashes Nepal works to provide jobs and stable living for women coming out of human trafficking and offers life skill training for their success. This episode of Impact Conversations explores the need for organizations like Beauty for Ashes Nepal and discusses what can be done to prevent human trafficking in the future. Learn more at beautyforashesnepal.com

Inspired to learn more? Don’t miss a single episode of Impact Conversations. Subscribe to the podcast, join the conversation and donate to our cause at http://madeforfreedom.com/impactconversations.

Stability for Trafficking Survivors

Dawn Manske — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 16:52:00 +0000

How do survivors of sex trafficking begin their recovery journey? Who can help them work towards financial and emotional stability?

Meet Lucy Bloom, Executive Director of Veronica’s Voice and leader of the Kansas City Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation. Veronica’s Voice is a Kansas City-based organization providing residential services, a social enterprise, buyer’s education, and advocacy for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. Lucy explains how important it is for survivors to experience long term, influential support where they can grow alongside other survivors and be part of the healing process for future women. She also explores the need for work experience and financial stability considering that many survivors deal with significant setbacks due to their exploitation that make it more difficult to get hired. Learn about this excellent organization that not only provides vital support for these survivors, but also truly meets the needs of these recovering women. Learn more about Veronica’s Voice at https://www.veronicasvoice.org/.

Identifying Trafficking in Finances

Dawn Manske — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 14:54:00 +0000

What is a suspicious activity report (SAR)? In this episode of Impact Conversations, learn how important the SAR is in the financial world for identifying human trafficking and why it was worth the eight-year-long fight for this update.

Meet Joann Alicea, senior compliance officer at JPMorgan Chase with over 10 years of regulatory compliance fraud, and anti-money laundering and risk experience. Once Joann became involved in fighting human trafficking, she spent eight years actively fighting to get the SAR updated in order to include a human trafficking checkbox. With this update achieved, now no one can look away from human trafficking in the financial world. However, this vital change took years of hard work and was far from easy. Listen to Joann’s story and get inspired by her passion and commitment to fight for change.

Dissociating to Cope

Dawn Manske — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 16:30:00 +0000

What is dissociative identity disorder aka DID? With such widespread unawareness and misconceptions about this disorder, how will people understand and support those who are struggling with DID?

Meet Amy Joy, author and international public speaker on human trafficking, child abuse, and dissociative disorders. Amy shares her journey to awareness of human trafficking and dissociative identity disorder (DID), along with her personal struggles and experience with her own mental health. She explores the common misconceptions about people with these vulnerabilities and provides hope through her system of communication for those who are struggling with DID. Amy’s work is not only normalizing the DID struggle but is also creating life changing systems of support and understanding for these trauma survivors. Learn more at https://amyjoypresents.com.

Investing In Older Foster Care Youth

Dawn Manske — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 12:01:00 +0000

How do we come alongside older youth in the foster care system and help them transition into adulthood?

Meet Johanna Greeson, Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of Child Wellbeing and Child Welfare. Johanna shares how her passion for justice led her to child welfare work and eventually resulted in the creation of her own intervention pilot and research study. She explores both the need for mentors and interdependence for older youth and explains the barriers that she is attempting to break down within the foster care system. Johanna’s work is shifting an essential conversation regarding older youth in the foster care system and providing accessible support during their transition into adulthood.

Find Johanna Greeson’s book at https://www.amazon.com/Caring-Adults-Everywhere-CARE-Intervention/

Legally Assisting Trafficking Survivors

Dawn Manske — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 01:00:00 +0000

What if there was a way for trafficking survivors with a criminal record to have their slates wiped clean? How can victims escape the life if they are in a relationship with a sex trafficker/predator?

Meet Jamie Beck, President and Managing Attorney of Free to Thrive. When she realized that survivors of human trafficking didn’t have specialized legal representation, she left private practice and started her own holistic law firm! She now offers pro-bono legal services to trafficking survivors residing in the San Diego area with a team of ten people for the past three years. Thanks to Jamie’s leadership and lobbying with the Lawyers Club, California now has the vacatur law which helps human trafficking survivors clear criminal convictions related to their exploitation. This law is a powerful tool that Free to Thrive uses to help its clients reclaim their lives and build a new future. Find useful legal resources at www.freetothrive.org.

Foster Youth Finding Home

Dawn Manske — Thu, 28 May 2020 14:15:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to grow up in the foster care system? Sadly, when youth are out of custody or age out of the program at 18, many end up homeless and couch surfing. In this episode of Impact Conversations, we give you a crash course in U.S Foster Care 101.

Meet Kelly Sullivan, Connection Specialist at Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition. She reflects on her experience growing up in foster care (and even running away) and talks about the ins and outs of this system. As a result of her experiences, she brings a passion and empathy for transitional youth in her role to help them find a place again in their family tree. She discusses how it takes a whole village (or community) to raise a foster child and help transition them into adulthood. Find out why she hopes her job will be obsolete in the future and what changes need to happen in the system. Our host, Dawn, also opens up about her experience as a foster parent in the past two years. Learn more about Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition at www.foster-adopt.org.

Comics Helping Rape Victims

Dawn Manske — Tue, 19 May 2020 00:05:00 +0000

How do you kill your inner Batman? How can kryptonite help you cope with childhood sexual abuse? Meet Kenneth Rogers Jr. (not to be confused with the singer Kenny Rogers!), creator of Lost Imaginations and author of 10 self-help books including the award-winning How to Kill your Batman and Heroes, Villains and Healing. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Kenny used writing to cope with his trauma and in turn help other male survivors. Through his books, he tackles the ever-present societal construct of how being “a real man” doesn’t mean bottling up emotions and or telling a survivor to “just deal with it”. Learn more at www.lostimaginations.com. Find his books on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Kenneth-Rogers-Jr/e/B074MJ7CP2. To support survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenneth is offering his books for just $5 each on the Lost Imaginations website.

Preventing Homicides

Dawn Manske — Wed, 13 May 2020 12:10:00 +0000

Meet Tracy Schott, creator of Voices4Change, which is a grassroots organization that provides training and networking for professionals in the field as well as discussion and tools online to help survivors of intimate partner abuse. Tracy is also the filmmaker and director of Finding Jenn’s Voice. In our discussion with her, she goes behind the scenes about this award-winning documentary film featuring the true story of Jenn, a pregnant victim of intimate partner homicide. It examines the risks of homicide during pregnancy and explores the nature of abusive relationships by looking beyond the black eye.

Until the end of May 2020, you can stream Finding Jenn’s Voice on http://voices4change.net FOR FREE to help victims and everyone else during this difficult time. Take advantage of this opportunity to educate yourself about this issue and be a voice for change.

Empowering At-Risk Youth

Dawn Manske — Fri, 08 May 2020 01:51:00 +0000

Did you know that our society has built a system that grooms and prepares youth to be trafficked? Although it was not built for this purpose, some of the most vulnerable youth in our country, kids in the foster system, are targeted by traffickers. Meet Meiko Taylor, filmmaker and founder of The Power Project. Growing up as a foster child in the system inspired Meiko to find ways to enlighten at-risk youth about how they could be getting groomed for sex trafficking unknowingly. She is using her talent as a filmmaker to produce the movie Turnt featuring a young hip-hop artist who gets sucked into the world of trafficking. Find out about her highly-sought out training program that is now mandated for schools in Illinois and gaining momentum across the U.S. Learn more about The Power Project training programs at www.thepowerproject.net.

Inspired to learn more? Don’t miss a single episode of Impact Conversations. Subscribe now to the podcast, join the conversation and donate to our cause at http://madeforfreedom.com/impactconversations.

Women Finding Refuge

Dawn Manske — Wed, 06 May 2020 01:56:00 +0000

How do you help women find hope, faith and healing after experiencing sexual exploitation? At Refuge for Women, founder Ked Frank has provided shelter and support to these women so they can dream again. This pastor, foster father, professional counsellor and visionary created a non-profit, faith-based organization providing specialized, restorative care at no charge for women who have escaped human trafficking or sexual exploitation. In addition to providing a safe haven, learn how Ked developed a robust support system in six U.S. states to help survivors overcome their traumatic experiences, escape from perpetrators and forge a new life. Discover more about Refuge for Women at refugeforwomen.org.

Bikers Protecting Kids

Dawn Manske — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 04:37:00 +0000

How do bikers become kids’ bodyguards? Meet Hoss, the Indian Chief Darkhouse motorcycle-riding President and Agency Liaison for Central Tennessee Chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A.). He sheds light on how this organization carries out the sole mission of empowering abused children to not live in fear. Hoss and his fellow members channel their love for motorcycles and leathered-up image to help make the world a better and safer place for thousands of vulnerable children. Find a local B.A.C.A chapter at www.bacaworld.org.