August Newsletter

Dear Friends of Reclaiming Hope,

We are GRATEFUL for our wonderful Volunteers! If you’re one of those volunteers, please join us on Sunday, August 17 for our annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic. (More info, and a link to sign up are found below.)

Most people are shocked at how prevalent human trafficking is. And some would prefer not to talk about it, or to read about it in the news. But there has been a lot of coverage about trafficking in the news lately.

I’ve been asked: “Why can’t it all go away – why do they have to keep covering it in the news?”

Some of the survivors we walk with were victims of the cases we’ve all heard about in the news. My response is formed by them and their stories. When cases make the news, I hear one common thing from all survivors –please don’t let this happen to anyone else. When we refuse to talk about it, it keeps their stories hidden. And it enables traffickers to keep traumatizing victims. Once a survivor has told their story in court, they want the world to understand the consequences of the crimes committed, the personal impact. And they want justice.

Their response is best told by them, not me. Here’s one survivor’s perspective:

“I wish I could explain what they did to me in one paragraph. Without fragmenting my soul, I would have died. The average person cannot wrap their head around the things that were done to me. As a child born into a cult, and trafficked for money or family protection, everywhere I turned I was betrayed in the form of rape, physical abuse, psychological abuse, and threats on my life or the lives of my sisters.”

“I am tired of being heard but not being listened to. Please don’t let my past continue to be swept under the rug. Knowledge is power. The more people that are willing to become educated in this matter – familial trafficking specifically – the more we can do about it.” – Eve Marie Daniell

Thank you for listening. For working with us to give survivors a voice and hope.

Within Colorado we have a new law in effect today which represents a WIN for victims/potential victims. From the Denver Post (8/5/25):

Senate Bill 288 allows Coloradans to sue over a person’s release or threatened release of a fake but “highly realistic” and intimate image of them. The law doesn’t require AI to be used, and it applies if the person depicted in a fake image is identifiable, didn’t consent to the image’s release and suffered emotional distress as a result.

The plaintiff can pursue damages, including up to $150,000 in liquidated damages.

SB-288 also amends the state’s child exploitation laws to include fictional, computer-generated images of children that are sexually exploitative.

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons was July 30.

World Day Against Trafficking’s theme this year was: leave no child behind in the fight against human trafficking.

According to the UN:

• Children are among the most vulnerable to human trafficking, with girls being disproportionately affected.
• Children are subjected to many forms of trafficking. Including sexual exploitation, forced labor, forced begging, and more.

Let’s work together to stop trafficking of children, especially in our community.

With gratitude and hope,

Sues Hess
Executive Director
Reclaiming Hope