FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The University of Saint Francis is kicking off a program to make the community more aware of human trafficking. “Josephine’s Hope” is a nine-day event coordinated by a group of USF faculty and staff with the goal of informing and involving the community in the fight against human trafficking.
The timing of Josephine’s Hope coincides with this year’s Super Bowl, which takes place in Minneapolis on February 4. The game is considered a magnet for human trafficking, and the project will encourage prayer and fasting for potential victims of trafficking this year. The group will be praying both for victims and for perpetrators in hopes that the latter will reform and leave the human trafficking business.
Starting January 30 through February 7, the group will make the prayer book, Awaited by This Love, available on the USF campus. This prayer book was written by USF Counselor and Instructor Bill Duffy for use during the Josephine’s Hope novena. The drawings and illustrations in the book are by Erica Garcia, senior art education major at the University of Saint Francis. This prayer book will be printed in a limited supply and hard copies will be available for use in the USF chapel.
On January 30, the movie “I am Jane Doe” will be shown at 6 p.m. in the Doermer Family Center for Health Sciences on the USF campus. Two USF alumni who have academic and professional expertise in human trafficking will be leading discussions with those in attendance. Jordan Crouch has worked in Kenya, Africa with women who developed small business enterprises after leaving human trafficking situations. Kaitlyn Pozorski was awarded an academic honor through Indiana University-School of Social Work to study human trafficking in India.
The premier event of the week will be a presentation by WANE-TV’s investigative reporter Alyssa Ivanson on Thursday, February 1 at 7 p.m. in the Historic Woman’s Club at 826 Ewing Street. She will present “Hidden Predators: the State of Sex Trafficking in Fort Wayne.” Ivanson’s initial series on human trafficking in Fort Wayne won several awards in 2017.
Guests are invited to return to campus on Tuesday, February 6, for a second night of discussion about both the movie and Alyssa Ivanson’s presentation. Josephine’s Hope is an effort of the Mission and Values Integration Committee of the University of Saint Francis.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the School of Health Sciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership and School of Creative Arts. In addition to its traditional programs, USF designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. In 2016, the University of Saint Francis expanded its presence to downtown Fort Wayne. USF Downtown houses the university’s business and music technology programs while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis campus experience includes 16 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships, and is recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution. Approximately 2,300 students from a broad geographic region attend USF.