We hear about it on the news and read about it in national papers, but sex trafficking isn’t a problem that we think is happening here, in our community. But it’s the second-largest and fastest-growing criminal industry in the world.

“In our world today, there is not one day where the media doesn’t mention some type of sexual exploitation: internet hookups with underage girls, internet porn, Catholic priests incarcerated as pedophiles,” said Shirley Delusio, a member of American Association of University Women (AAUW), in her introduction of Kim Checkeye, the executive director of the Bethlehem-based organization Truth for Women.

AAUW hosted a forum Oct. 3 at Wesley Church featuring Checkeye, who gave a 45-minute presentation on her organization’s mission to help victims of sex trafficking here in the Lehigh Valley.

“Is sex trafficking happening in third world countries? Yes. And in Philly and New York, but it can’t happen in the Lehigh Valley, right?” Checkeye said. “Wrong. It’s happening right here, right now, in our community. “Of the over 200 women exiting prison for prostitution or related charges in Allentown, 85 percent –that’s 170 women – were trafficking victims at some point, some starting as early as two, four, and five years old.”

Those are sobering statistics.

Checkeye shared other stats to illustrate the stark reality of this crime and its attractiveness to certain people.

“You can make over $600,000 annually from selling three little girls over and over,” she said.

“So, what does it look like here in the Lehigh Valley?” she asked. “Most of the sex trafficking here happens online. I can go onto specific websites and order up a woman, start texting and making deals. I can go to a hotel within 30 minutes and have her. And her pimp will have her service up to 30 men a night.

“About seven years ago,” Checkeye said, “we realized that very little was happening to help these women who were escaping from the sex trafficking industry. And when you think about how women are portrayed on television, as disrespectful, or sex kittens, dumb, always wearing sexy clothing, you realize that it’s an uphill battle.

“It is painful – emotionally, physically, and spiritually –to work with these women because we see the evil and the horror. It takes a community to provide the care that these women need,” she said.

“We opened the Truth Home five years ago,” she says. “It’s a therapeutic residential home for survivors of sex-trafficking. The home provides a safe place for women to rebuild their lives in a warm, family setting.

“It’s the final part, and a big solution, for helping these women reacclimate to society. We can have up to five women living at the home at any one time because of zoning. Women receive individualized support, so we do what’s called an individualized service plan to help them create goals in specific areas.

Some women have healthy families and might be with us for only three or four months and then they can return to their families. Others are still living with us after 18 months.”

Checkeye said the Truth Home’s approach to healing embraces the body, mind, and spirit, because each area needs care to successfully facilitate sustained life change for the survivors.

“There’s a flight or fight response that kicks in at about the four-, six-, and 12-month mark. Some women will leave. We try to stay in touch with them but many fall back into the same pattern of life again, and others, unfortunately, are probably dead.

“When they’re in that life, they only know other girls who are being trafficked. They don’t get to be out in the community until they’re really well-trained not to run away. They’re told, ‘No one loves you. No one cares about you. You’re nothing.’ It’s vital that community is part of our guiding principles, because you have to restore that lie they’ve been told, and that’s why we have a community approach.”

Community living plays a vital role in helping these women to reclaim their lives.

“While women are in the program, they meet people from all walks of life that become lifelong friends and mentors,” Checkey said. “We encourage the women to be intentional about connecting with others and building a community of support that will follow them throughout their lives.”

The program protects the women’s identities and personal information while also helping to heal and strengthen their physical and psychological well-being.

“They suffer from PTSD, anxiety, mental health issues, triggers, flashbacks, and so much more,” she said. “Most haven’t seen a doctor or a dentist and many come in with severe dental issues. One trafficker had beaten one of our women so badly that her tooth’s root was exposed for months.”

Some of the therapy and training that women receive while living at the Truth House include group and individual trauma therapy, art and dog therapy, yoga and kickboxing, life and emotional skills training, and GED preparation, Checkeye said.

“We provide everything to our women, free of charge,” she explained. “Everything from personal care items, toilet paper, and anything else they might need. We give them a gift card so they can buy their own clothing. It’s expensive to run a residential home.

“None of our funding comes from the government. We receive a few small grants from foundations and local businesses, but the majority of our funding comes from individuals and through church support. People can also give to us through United Way, but we don’t have a connection to them directly. We have many partnerships with churches that donate funds or services and who volunteer at the home. One group cooks a meal each month, and some people volunteer to come in and teach classes to the residents.”

The organization also runs a variety of fundraisers and manages two resale stores, My Sister’s Closet, with locations in Bethlehem and Easton. “All our sales from the resale boutique go to support the home,” Checkeye said.

The organization has helped over 50 women since opening the Truth Home four years ago. It requires a collaborative approach to help these women. The Truth Home works with several other Lehigh Valley organizations, including Haven House, Lehigh Valley Therapy Dogs, Allentown Literacy Center, Lehigh County Drug and Alcohol, Pyramid Health, M.A.R.S., Lehigh Valley Health Network Street Team, Crime Victims’ Council, and Lehigh Valley Trauma Awareness Collaborative.

A Q&A session followed Checkeye’s presentation. One of the attendees asked about the success of women who’ve escaped trafficking and gone through the program.

“It’s difficult for trafficking victims,” Checkeye said. “We judge success on whether they continue to stay clean and sober after they leave the program. If yes, that’s a success. Can they hold down a job? Are they able to have healthy relationships? Are they able to improve their self-worth? Are they able to stay free? That’s how we define success.

“We’ve had several people graduate from the program and go back to school to become a certified nursing assistant or an esthetician. That’s success.”

Checkeye was asked if she sees a need for another facility.

“Our new goal,” she replied, “is to develop a transitional setting where a woman can go to live in an apartment that’s run by the organization, and still get the support she needs from the program before she goes into the community independently. Our hope is that we’re able to do that in the next year or so.”