Our Impact
About Us
Our Story
Freedom is a fundamental human right. It is a cornerstone of what makes us human. Yet, across the world and in our own communities, this right has been stripped from far too many as they are forced, tricked, and coerced into situations over which they have no control. They are robbed of those same rights that we value most.
Since its beginning in 2007, the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking has identified human trafficking as a prevalent, yet often unrecognized, issue in Northeast Ohio. It was in response to the need for awareness and advocacy that the organization has brought together local professionals and members of religious female communities to create a community-wide call to action, seeking a systemic, multi-disciplinary response to human trafficking in this region.
Today, this ever-growing collaboration includes diverse communities, businesses, non-profits, and governmental organizations. In partnership with them, the Collaborative equips the community with the knowledge, tools, and resources needed to address human trafficking. We provide leadership and expertise that empowers the community, making it easier to identify and support those impacted by the crime and to eradicate those factors that enable the crime.
From the Collaborative’s broad public-awareness campaign, Human Trafficking Happens Here Too, to the development of suggested best practices across healthcare, public safety, hospitality and other sectors, the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking exists to uphold every person’s fundamental right to freedom and dignity.
Our Mission
Mission: Lead, empower, and connect our community to eradicate human trafficking.
Vision: A world without human trafficking, one community at a time.
The Way: We provide leadership and expertise to empower a systemic, community-wide response to human trafficking.
The Work: We equip organizations and individuals with the knowledge, tools, and resources to address human trafficking by increasing public awareness, delivering tailored trainings, and facilitating multi-disciplinary collaboration. As the backbone organization of a 60+ organization membership program called Greater Cleveland Coordinated Response to Human Trafficking, we provide strategic leadership to create social change.
Our Programs
The Collaborative to End Human Trafficking provides programs for Awareness, Education, Training & Technical Assistance, Greater Cleveland Coordinated Response, and Community Engagement.
Recent News
Save the Date – January 29th is Human Trafficking Prevention Statehouse Advocacy Day
Join us for Human Trafficking Prevention Advocacy Day on Wednesday, January 29th at the State Capitol. This powerful event unites community leaders, survivors, and legislators to drive action in the fight to prevent human trafficking. Together we will strengthen our networks, share vital insights, and advocate for transformative policy changes. Your voice is essential – let’s stand together and make a lasting impact.
A Successful Evening: The Collaborative to End Human Trafficking’s Annual Benefit
On September 19, 2024, the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking hosted its Annual Benefit at Windows on the River in Cleveland, and it was a resounding success. Nearly 250 community members gathered to raise awareness and funds for the vital mission of eradicating human trafficking in the region.
Collaborative in the News: Benefit to End Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is not a TV drama where a teenager is kidnapped into a windowless white van, chained in a basement and sold into prostitution. It’s usually more subtle and insidious. To fund the fight against trafficking in Cuyahoga County, the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking is holding its Annual Benefit from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, September 19 at Windows on the River in Cleveland.
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Suzanne Bednarchik, Chair
Owner, The Quilting Bee
Teresan W. Gilbert, Vice Chair
The Lubrizol Corporation (Retired)
Michael A. Shemo, Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair, Chair Emeritus
President, Wolf Investors, LLC
Jennifer Cupar, Governance Committee Chair
Director, LLEAP Program, Professor of Lawyering Skills, Case Western Reserve University School of Law
George Moy, Development Committee Chair
Executive Vice President, Finance and Development at Green Harvest Capital
Sr. Toby Lardie, HM, Secretary
Congregation of Humility of Mary
Members
Michael P. Coyne
Co-Founder, Waldheger Coyne, A Legal Professional Association
Stacy Dever
HR Director, Barrio
Daniel J. Flannery, PhD
Professor and Director, Begun Center for Violence Prevention, Research and Education, Case Western Reserve University
Shannon Fogarty Jerse, Esq.
General Counsel, Government Affairs, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center
Deputy General Counsel, Sisters of Charity Health System
Honorable Patricia A. Gaughan
Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, N.D. Ohio
Domonic Hopson, MPH, FACHE
President and CEO, Neighborhood Family Practice, Community Health Centers
Dara Krueger
Executive Director International Marketing & Marketing Account Services, Cleveland Clinic
Patrice McCarthy, PhD, RN, CNS
Professor (Retired)
Shirley Morgenstern
President & CEO, The Cleveland Pops Orchestra
William R. Murman
First Vice President, Wealth Management, UBS Financial Services, Inc.
Honorable Brendan J. Sheehan
Administrative and Presiding Judge Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas
Ellen Cronin Zegarra
Vice President, Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, Baldwin Wallace University
Honorary Board Members
Karen Walsh
Past President/CEO
Thomas R. Hanson
Eaton Corporation (Retired)
