By Christopher Johnston – May was a big month for the Collaborative, Northeast Ohio’s anti-trafficking advocacy agency. On May 28, Kirsti Mouncey testified before the Ohio Senate Finance Committee. The president and CEO of the Collaborative joined other advocates and allies for survivors of human trafficking as they lobbied to preserve $4.5 million in state funding in Ohio’s 2025–2026 budget. This funding gained even greater significance due to cuts in federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds and will ensure that essential services for survivors remain uninterrupted.
Also in May, the Collaborative held the first meetings of its new Leadership Council, launching a major initiative to increase its impact on raising awareness about the crime of modern slavery in Northeast Ohio.
The Leadership Council will advise the Collaborative’s working committees in a variety of fields such as data, legal and legislative, education, law enforcement, training, and prevention. The council will then make decisions for the coalition on what action steps the community needs to take. The new group includes CEOs from many of the Collaborative’s approximately 75 partner organizations, including Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau, Canopy Child Advocacy Center, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, The Centers, and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department. To read the full story, click here.
Last modified: July 1, 2025