Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce joins coalition to end human trafficking in Iowa
Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
(ABC 6 News) – The Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce has joined a statewide coalition to end human trafficking in Iowa.
The Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT) initiative is spearheaded by the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office. The goal is to have Iowa’s business community raise awareness and help prevent human trafficking.
Membership in IBAT is open to any business or nonprofit organization that operates in the State of Iowa and shares a commitment to taking steps to promote awareness of human trafficking and the Iowa Safe at Home program. Safe at Home is an address confidentiality program for survivors of human trafficking and other violent crimes.
Businesses that join IBAT are asked to complete two tasks each year: “Learn Something,” and “Do Something.” Businesses will commit to “Learn Something” by educating employees, customers, and industry partners on the signs and impact of human trafficking in Iowa. Businesses can “Do Something” by empowering more people to take action to prevent human trafficking in Iowa.
“The Chamber remains committed to raise awareness and help prevent human trafficking in north Iowa,” said Libbey Hohn, Director of Tourism at the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. “We appreciate our partners the Clear Lake Police Department and Crisis Intervention Service that have helped us educate front line employees and bring guest speaker Mike Ferjak, former leader of the Iowa Department of Justice Human Trafficking Enforcement and Prosecution Task Force to our community. We look forward to exploring new initiatives offered by IBAT.”
IBAT was launched by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate in January 2022.
“I’m very pleased to have the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce join the army we are building to combat human trafficking,” Secretary Pate said. “By joining IBAT, they’ve shown a commitment to their community and helping others. Together, we can make a huge difference and become a model for the rest of the nation.”