Authorities in Arizona last week announced they’d made dozens of arrests for human trafficking crimes in the events surrounding the Super Bowl. But young women are vulnerable in every city in the country, including Milwaukee.
Here, hundreds (or even thousands) of women are living in circumstances that leave them open to exploitation.
One organization working to make things better for these women is Lissy’s Place. It serves as transitional housing and also often provides job placement opportunities.
Cate Phillips is on the board for Lissy’s Place; Ana Docta is owner and chef at Kasana Restaurant, which employs several residents; and Mary is a resident at Lissy's Place. They shared their stories with Lake Effect's Mitch Teich.
Board member Cate Phillips said that Lissy's Place was not created to be a homeless shelter. "We didn't want to be a place people parked, and went onto something else," she added. "We wanted to really help people transform their lives, to be able to have those skills that they need to be independent."
"[Lissy's Place] definitely made me look at myself and my life in an objective way," Mary said. "It is just a stepping stone to my potential success in life."
