Rochester Regional Coalition Against Human Trafficking

The Rochester Regional Coalition against Human Trafficking (RRCAHT) is dedicated to eliminating human trafficking in our communities through education, advocacy, and networking with individuals and organizations.

The Rochester Regional Coalition Against Human Trafficking (RRCAHT) was formed by citizens and stakeholders who couldn’t tolerate the idea of human trafficking in their community. In 2012, the Sisters of St. Joseph had several community-wide conversations that culminated in a showing of the documentary "Not My Life" at the Little Theatre. It ended with a commitment by attendees to ensure that all the relevant stakeholders, as well as everyone in the community who could support them, should meet regularly to understand what everyone was doing, what no one was doing, and what more needed to be done. Two of the biggest gaps that were identified were a lack of training in the community and a lack of legislative advocacy. RRCAHT then committed itself to fill those gaps, educating thousands of people a year through free training, member meetings and distribution of educational materials. We have supported important pieces of legislation such as the Child Victims Act, the Trafficking Victims Protection and Justice Act, and currently support legislation for Equality-model implementation and for K-12 sexuality education. After RRCAHT became a registered 501c3 in 2018, we were able to receive grant funds to hold our first-ever conference and also started providing direct cash assistance to survivors whose needs weren’t covered by any other community agency. Today RRCAHT provides education to stakeholders and community members through educational membership meetings, we provide direct support for people in Monroe County’s SAFE court (formerly known as the Human Trafficking court, which is based on the original model established in NYC), as well as support for survivors being helped by member organizations, and we educate hundreds of community members each year. Members of RRCAHT come from diverse backgrounds and professional experiences, with the common goal of eradicating human trafficking in our communities while developing a coordinated response to the needs of victims. The Coalition includes individuals and groups who support our mission, such as the Angels of Mercy, Brightstar Community, Inc., Center for Youth, Church Women United, Feminists for Non-Violent Choices, National Council of Jewish Women, Planned Parenthood/RESTORE, Sisters of St Joseph, Stop Abuse Campaign, Worker Justice Center of New York, World Wide Documentaries, and the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at RIT.

RRCAHT provides education, networking, advocacy, and support services.

Education

RRCAHT provides tailored educational training for community organizations, businesses, and human services. This includes Human Trafficking 101 and beyond, a biennial conference, an annual proclamation and an educational roundtable event, tabling at community events, and more. See our website to request an educational training for your group or organization!

Networking

RRCAHT is a paid member organization (individuals @ $25, Orgs @ $100). Join our monthly member meetings to connect with other passionate community members and professionals. Invite us to your community and networking event!

Advocacy

Each year, RRCAHT joins with local and regional political leaders to declare January 11th as National Human Trafficking Day. Legislative updates are provided at monthly member meetings, and members receive education on related legislation.

Support Services

Annually, a percentage of our budget is set aside from the organization's budget for our "Survivor Funds," which provide financial support to participants in vetted programs who are in emergency need and for whom grant funding does not otherwise cover their needs. We also collect Care Pack supplies throughout the year and provide hundreds of Care Packs annually to organizations that provide street outreach to our community's most vulnerable people.