Holding Space — A Question/Answer interview with the Host- Renee Jones

In this special Q&A episode of Project Red Cord Chronicles, we’re creating space for honest conversation, meaningful reflection, and deeper understanding.

The host answers your most thoughtful questions about human trafficking, trauma-informed care, outreach through Project Red Cord, and what it truly means to walk alongside survivors on their journey toward healing and restoration. From the challenges we face in the field to the moments that inspire hope, this episode offers insight, transparency, and a renewed call to action.

Whether you’re a supporter, advocate, or simply seeking to learn more—this conversation invites you to listen, reflect, and engage in the work of bringing hope and freedom to those impacted by human trafficking. 

Transcript

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You're listening to Project Redcord Chronicles, a podcast of the Renee Jones Empowerment Center. Welcome listeners to Project Red Corp Chronicles. In today's episode, we'll be holding space and having a Q&A session with our host, Renee Jones. Today's episode is all about you, your questions, your curiosity, and your desire to better understand this work. As always, we approach these conversations with compassion, respect, and a commitment to honoring the dignity of every survivor. In this special Q&A episode of Project Red Corp Chronicles, we're creating space for human conversation, meaningful reflection, and deeper understanding. The host answers your most thoughtful questions about human trafficking, trauma-informed care, outreach through Project Red Corp, and what it truly means to walk alongside survivors on their journey towards healing and restoration. From the challenges we face in the field to the moments that inspire hope, this episode offers insight, transparency, and a renewed call to action. Whether you're a supporter, advocate, or simply seeking to learn more, this conversation invites you to listen, reflect, and engage in the work of bringing hope and freedom to those impacted by trafficking. Hello, Renee. How are you today? Hello. I'm good. Thank you. Good., So I really wanna focus on, focus initially on awareness and education. What's one misconception you believe people have about human trafficking? One of the main misconceptions is that most people don't believe it happens in their neighborhood, in their suburb, in their city. When they hear the word human trafficking, they believe that it only happens in other countries, and that is a huge misconception because trafficking happens all over the world, in the United States, and everywhere. So that's a misconception that I want people to know is not true. So this is happening in suburbs like you said. Yes. So even from nice neighborhoods to maybe not so nice neighborhoods, it knows no bounds. That's right. They don't discriminate. Traffickers don't discriminate. I see. And what are some of the signs people should be aware of in their community? When it comes to some common indicators of human trafficking is when you notice someone's movement restricted freedom. I call it restricted movement- restricted freedom. The person is not allowed to come and go as they please. Is not in control of their own identification documents. They may say... You may ask them for something, they'll say, "Oh, I have to go ask this person." They don't have their own documents. Or if they're under 18 and engaged in commercial sex. So if you notice these kind of things, these are some of the indicators. Signs of fear and control. The in- the individual appears fearful, timid, submissive avoids eye contact. That's a big one, and they may be monitored by some- another person who speaks on their behalf. So when you see someone and they're perfectly capable of speaking, but someone else is doing the speaking for them. Another indicator is physical or psychological abuse. Signs of abuse such as bruising, branding. You'll see this a lot because a lot of traffickers brand their victims with tattoos representing ownership. So sometimes you'll see someone that's malnourished or they may have untreated illnesses. We have a clinic, so we are able to, a lot of times identify victims being based on the different things that they have. So that's another thing a sign for physical abuse. Also, poor living and working conditions. They might be living at the workplace. They might be living on the street. They may be living in an ov- overcrowded or inhumane conditions or working really long hours with little to no pay. And so those are things to look out for. Another common indicator is isolation. They have very limited contact with family, friends, or the outside world. So that's a really big one. So those are some of the common indicators of human trafficking. Specific signs of sex trafficking is what we really work with, sex trafficking victims. Anyone that's under the age of 18 in commercial sex is a victim of human trafficking. If they're engaging in a massage business or escort service or street prostitution. Particularly if they are not allowed to leave. So those are really great signs. The signs of grooming or being forced to perform sexual acts. So these traffickers like to get young victims who are vulnerable, and then they can groom them because they may be runaways. They may have just be having trouble at home with their parents. Any reason, any vulnerability, the trafficker will use So those are some common indicators. I'd like to revisit the living conditions. I'm thinking of minors, and I'm also thinking of some situations where minors are maybe living in suburbs. Can you speak to just to educate parents how human trafficking doesn't always look traditionally like someone being displaced, living somewhere else, some of the other things that you talked about. Can you talk about some cases where you've had human trafficking cases where a child was actually still living in their parents' home? Oh, absolutely. Because traffickers are, they use all of the technology that we use every day. So a kid I've had many situations where victims were right at home. Their parents say they're here. They're upstairs. They never left the house." And they may be doing things online. So these traffickers will have them doing things right online in their own room, and their parents are very unaware. And that happens a lot of times because these traffickers will provide the teenagers or kids with cell phones or even a tablet or even a computer, so they don't even have to leave their home, and they can be being trafficked right in their own home. And that's why it's important for parents To be looking at what their children are doing on these computers, whether it's a game. They can also do these things through games. So if you have any kind of electronics and things like that as a parent, you really need to be looking at where, what they're going on, what sites they're going on. And because that happens a lot, where they are right in their rooms and somebody is controlling what they do. We had one young woman with a trafficker. He, she never left. Her mother worked evenings. And he would send her pizza, and what alerted someone was the neighbor continuously seeing the pizza delivery person coming on a regular basis, and she happened to just say to the mom, "Hey, you've been eating a lot of pizza lately. Your pizza, you gets lots of pizza delivered." 'Cause it was abnormal to be- as much as she was getting it. And that was what alerted the mom to say, "Hey, I haven't ordered any pizza." And it was that little thing like that, that neighbor paid attention to, that brought attention to something was going on with her daughter. Yeah. Yeah, it takes a village. One of the other things I think about in addition to it happening, like without them leaving the house, it's also possible for it to happen with them leaving the house, but still kinda going under the radar of their parents. Can you speak to that? W- well, they could go, they could be going saying, "I'm going to the movies." "I'm going out with my girlfriends." "I'm doing this," and y- you may allow them a certain amount of freedom. It's not that you wanna make sure that you are treating them like, you gotta watch every move they make. But you do need to know what they're doing, who they're hanging with- who are their friends, because believe it or not traffickers could even be young teenagers- who recruit each other. We have kids that have been traffickers that, get a pair of new tennis shoes or something that they want, some thing that they want, some material thing that they want. So you have to be aware of that. It's very important. Okay. Thank you. So what inspired the creation of Project Red Cord, if you don't mind sharing? Actually, the Project Red Cord was created by a woman that was on the street that it inspired me. She inspired me. She had been on the street as a prostitute for many years, and I met her, and she talked about wanting to not be in that life. At that time when she started, she was she was addicted to drugs. She was not connected to a trafficker. However, when she became addicted to drugs, the trafficker, she got connected to a trafficker because- being on the street by yourself is extremely dangerous, and they promote that they will, protect them and her whole life just went through a horrific tons of horrific events that happened to her at a very young age. And when she found out, we had just opened a center. Our center was just opened on West 65th and Detroit, and it was a community center. We weren't really even focused on human trafficking. We were focusing on community issues, and that happened to be one of the issues in that area, a high level of prostitution, which no one really knew. They just assumed that's what it was, but actually it was human trafficking. So that inspired Project Red Cord, and the name Project Red Cord comes from Rahab in the Bible, like sticking out that cord. We wanted to be throwing out a cord to represent that there is life. We're coming to rescue and help you to heal and get your life back on track. So that's where that came from. Wow, that's amazing. Can you tell me a little bit about street outreach and what that actually looks like? So street outreach is one of the very important services that we provide. Street outreach happens every month in six neighborhoods. Right now we have six neighborhoods. They're, the neighborhoods are selected based on high levels of prostitution, drug addiction, any kind of activity that leads to trafficking. That's how we kinda selected the areas that we're in. And we're in these areas e- every Friday. Our outreach is on Friday, so basically every Friday evening we're doing outreach in one of these six neighborhoods. And the outreach is basically gives a opportunity for us to meet people where they are. That some of these people that are on the street being victimized, they may never get the opportunity to come into our center, but if we can meet them on the street and let them know that help is available, and it may be that one time that we meet them on the street at street outreach that will give them the opportunity to get out of that situation that they're in of trafficking. So we invite other organizations to join us, and we are literally on the street providing much needed services from medical, general medical assessments- to pr- providing a full meal for people to eat, providing- resources to them about different things that are available, drug treatment, housing, whatever they may be needing- and what our center offers. We also provide personal care items. And then the organizations are there to speak with them. So if we have someone that's there that could get someone admitted for rehab for drug treatment, it can happen right there. They can get information about trauma programs that are available at some of the hospitals. And we have also faith-based organizations that join us. They bring their own table, they bring their own materials, and then they are able to reach out to the people as well. Wow, that's amazing. Now, how many areas do you conduct this outreach in, and how often? I think you might have answered that. Six neighborhoods. Six neighborhoods that we have, and we go out every Friday. Okay, that's awesome. So really having a big community impact. That's amazing. Yes. Okay. Let's talk about what does trauma-informed care really mean in practice? So that's a very important some of the things that we provide that are trauma-informed are, when people look at some of our programs, they'll say, "Wow, those are, wow, those are great. They're different. They're not the usual." So trauma-informed care is a framework that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma, such as violence abuse or neglect, or heal- on health and behavior, and it shifts the focus from what's wrong with you to what's happening to you. It prioritizes their physical and emotional safety, trustworthiness, and empowerment to avoid them being re-traumatized or also it fosters healing. So that's really what trauma-informed care is. There's key principles of trauma-informed care: safety, trustworthiness, and transparency which is, building trust, peer support, collaboration, empowerment, and giving them a choice because they haven't been having to have a choice. Being trafficked, you've been in control. Flexibility and responsiveness. So those are the key principles of trauma-informed care, and those are the things that we practice in all of the programs that we offer to victims and survivors of human trafficking and sexual assault. Okay, that's awesome. Now why is trauma-informed care important when working with survivors? Because it takes in all of the things that I just mentioned for the victim so that they can feel safe with you. They can feel empowered. We are, it is designed for them to heal. That's great And they can... You're building trust. So can you tell us why it's important for clients or s- why it's important when working for survivors to provide trauma-informed care? Because as you, as, I just went through the safety, the trustworthiness, the support, the collaboration, and what's really big is their empowerment and their choice. Those are things that they haven't had an opportunity, they haven't had an opportunity to have choice because everything has been controlled. So when you have trauma-informed care, they are participating, they're empowered, you're building trust, and that, all of that promotes healing, and that's why it's very important. All right. And so can you s- let's talk about some of the challenges and impact regarding working in this space. What are some of the biggest challenges when doing this work that you've encountered? So some of the biggest challenges is that it's not like any other populations that you work with. It takes a while for individuals who are victims of human trafficking even, and sexual assault to feel comfortable to know that this is real. The biggest thing, the biggest challenge is they can't believe that what is offered is free and available to them because they haven't had everything that they've they've been required to give something in order to get something. So that's the biggest challenge is letting them know that this is available to you and you don't have to do anything to get it. It is free for you to get the services, get the help you need, and believe it or not, that's one of the big the biggest thing because they're not used to getting being number one, being considered about what their needs are, being asked what is good for them, hearing from listening to them. Those are all things that are very important that are new. So it takes a while. It's challenging. Sometimes they get afraid because it just seems too good to be true. So that's a little bit of a challenge. And also when you're first starting with someone new, getting them to be consistent because this is something they have not been able to do regularly. So it's new to them. It can be scary. They still have triggers that scare them, so it just takes a while. So that's a little bit of a challenge but that's just part of the working with this population. Can you share a moment that reminded you why this work matters? Ooh, yeah. I got lots of those moments, but I will say probably one of the biggest moments when I think of just the impact that to see someone, a victim that's been through so much who feels that they absolutely don't have a chance they, there's no way that they can pursue their dreams, and t- to see them actually pursue their dreams, and I'll tell you about one survivor, just remembering when she came in and all of her challenges and how she never thought a day would come where she would be able to go out and help. That was her desire. She wanted to be able to go out and help other victims, and now that survivor is now helping many victims and on many levels. She speaks at universities. She speaks at schools. She travels to different parts of the state, and she's involved in a lot of programs that take information about how we can better serve human trafficking victims in the healthcare system. Wow. So I think that's a, a really good example to share because she would've never thought that she would be, her voice would be that important and that needed, and it definitely is. Yeah, I can see that. So what are some ways that you built trust with survivors? First of all, you, it's the trauma-informed care programs. When you're consistent, the thing that I tell everyone, consistency is the key. You have the same thing. You're, you do what you say you're gonna do. That's so important. You deliver. That's the biggest thing right there because- th- no one has kept promises to them. So the fact that you continue, whatever we say that we're going to do, we're gonna do it. And we do that with outreach as well. No matter how bad the weather is, rain, snow, we are out there. If we say that we're gonna be there, we're gonna be there. And that's how you build trust. When they come to the center, whatever we say we're gonna deliver- we're gonna deliver. And they know we're right up front, "This is what's available to you." That's good, yeah. So you build trust by being trustworthy. Yes. I'm sure that's very impactful. That's huge. What should someone do if they sus- suspect trafficking? So if you suspect that someone is being trafficked, the main thing I like to tell people is do not attempt to confront the trafficker yourself, because these- traffickers are very dangerous. So there's things that you can do, but don't do that. Do not attempt that. Just you, we talked about the signs, common indicators of what you could see that's happening. So we have a National Human Trafficking Hotline. Okay. Since this podcast goes all over the world, this National Human Trafficking Hotline is a number that people can call. It's 1-888-373-7888, or you can text help Or info 2233733. And if necessary, you can call 911 or your local law enforcement immediately if there is an urgent safety risk. So if there is something you think is urgent, you get all, write all the details down and you call 911 or your local law force enforcement immediately in your area. Oh, that's really helpful. So just for our listening audience, one, I just wanna underscore that it's really important not to try and intervene. One, you could put yourself at risk, but you could also put the the victim at risk, which we'd- Yeah wanna avoid. But what you can do is you can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Again, that's 1-888-373-7888, or text help or info to 233733. And again, if you don't have that information and you're in an emergency you can also contact 911 or contact your local law enforcement. That's great. Really good to have that information. Now what role does faith and community play in the healing process of the survivors? So the role that community and faith-based organizations can play is they join, can join us at outreach, or you can start a outreach on your own in your own area. And the outreach is just bringing people together, providing basic needs on the street. That's what ours consist of. So we have faith-based organizations that join us, we're not a faith-based organization, we're a non-governmental agency. But if people choose to go to their tables that's their free option. They have material at their tables. They usually also have some type of giveaways or things that they provide, and people are really grateful that they're involved. And that's very impactful in these various communities because a lot of faith-based organizations, that's part of the mission generally, is that they're doing some type of mission work. So- this way they're able to, maybe have a department in their church, have a table at outreach or, be involved like that. Community members can be involved. For example, we have a young woman that is a crafter, and she crafts different things for Outreach. And one thing that she's done over the years that's been extremely effective, she makes these face cloths that go out with our personal care items, and they have- Oh a message on it that says, "You are loved." That is the most powerful thing. It's a washcloth. But that's a talent that she has. So when you have individuals in the community that wanna give back, maybe they're not able to be out there, but they wanna donate an item, that is, is very impactful. And I use that because the things that she's created, that washcloth has been- very powerful, Wow message. Yeah. It's meeting a practical need, but also healing to the heart. I can see that- Yeah being really impactful. That's beautiful. And I love how not only faith-based organizations can get involved, but- community, the community and individual community members can really contribute and- and help. So that's wonderful. And also cor- businesses and corporations. We've had law firms- and different businesses who they want, their employees wanna be involved, and so we, they will also come. And I always invite businesses and organizations that wanna support us to come to Outreach so that they can see firsthand- the work that's being done, the people that we're serving, and they can be involved in the process. Their employees can be involved in the process. So we have that as well. Wow, that's amazing. Yeah, nothing like being able to see what what their dollars are how their contributions are impacting the lives of of the people that that are supported by it. So that's wonderful. Yeah. So what keeps you... I imagine this is heavy work. What keeps you motivated to do this work, and how do you carry the weight without carrying the weight- Yeah if you will? Of course when you're doing this work you gotta make sure to take care of yourself. Self-care, so lots of time for self-care. Also, I'm very passionate about it- we do retreats- Yeah where we have a, that's a big one. And the retreat is not only for the victims or survivors, but also for myself and for all of the contractors or counselors, whoever's working with us. This is something that we do, and it's a day of restoration for everyone, where we're working on a horse farm- where it's a peaceful environment, great meals, great activities, and it's for everyone working together. So making sure that you personally have time for yourself, and that I always tell people doing things that you love is really good self-care as well as taking care of yourself. So that's how we do it. That's awesome. Thank you. Now, how can people get involved or support the mission? So there's many ways to get involved, and I always tell people you don't have to be a millionaire to be supportive. Of course, financial support for nonprofits is always a need because, you- you're relying on grants and donations to con- be able to sustain the programs that you offer. What I tell people is that no amount is too small or too big. So if you are a person that likes to donate to a cause and you this mission means something that you're interested in, then donations are totally needed and welcomed. But also, I like to encourage people to donate their skills, because we also need people that have skills in different areas, because we can't afford to hire all of these different staff that we could use to implement some of the things that we do. But we do have an amazing volunteer team, and it is that helps us to be able to do the things that we do. So people can volunteer, like I talked about the young woman that uses her skill as a crafter to create things for outreach. So it can be a matter of volunteering your time to help with outreach, to help with programs, help with our fundraiser that we have. We have a annual gala fundraiser. We're always looking for volunteers for that. Or become a sponsor for the annual gala. So those are many things that people can do to help the Renee Jones Empowerment Center in Cleveland, Ohio. That's wonderful. And what is one thing our listeners can do today to make a difference? The best thing you can do today is to share this podcast with your family and friends, because the most important thing is awareness leads to action. And action leads to change, and that's important. And I always like to tell people, information on this crime can save lives. It's very important. This is life-saving information. Yeah. Just knowing the common indicators, what does it look like, how this can happen, is... So if you don't do anything but share this episode within your family and within your network, people will get an idea of what this is, and they'll be paying attention to what they see. 'Cause once you have this knowledge about human trafficking, when you see someone, then you're not gonna-- you're gonna recognize, "Hey, that might be a case of human trafficking." You won't just turn your head. Yeah. That's great. I, So just to reinforce to our listening audience, you ha- you are empowered to get involved, and that could be through your financial contributions. Again, like Renee said- any dollar amount is helpful. That's also l- leveraging your skills and talents whether that's, providing some type of some type of tangible item like the example Renee used of one volunteer who provides washcloths for street outreach, or also volunteering your time. That's really impactful. There's a lot of work that needs to be done, and there's limited employees that are... it's amazing the amount of things that you guys are doing with the, with the limited number of staff that you have. And so that's a lot of thanks to the volunteers that you already have already who are passionate about this mission, passionate about the people you serve and passionate about the organization. And then lastly in addition to that, becoming a sponsor. If you're- if you're an organization or you have some type of influence within a business organization, s- recommend the center as a potential candidate for sponsorship. And then lastly, something that's really easy to do is share the podcast because knowledge is power, and being able-- this is information that could educate family, this can educate your loved ones, young people, and really save lives. So it's really important to-- The message is really important to get out there I would like to thank you, Renee, for taking time out to to share with us the answers to our listeners' questions. And we would like to thank our listening audience for their questions and for their continued support. We thank you for every time you listen, for every time you share this podcast for every level of support. We could not do this without you. All right. And then I would just like to encourage you all to make sure that you follow us on all social media platforms. You can find us at RJEC Empower. Thank you so much for being a part of this movement.