FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE			October
19,1<fontfamily><param>Times</param>99</fontfamily>9


CONTACT INFORMATION:				

Mike Powers					Jenny Stanger			

The California Endowment			Little Tokyo Service
Cent<fontfamily><param>Times</param>e</fontfamily>r	

(800) 449-4149, ext. 228			(213)
473-1<fontfamily><param>Times</param>61</fontfamily>1


LITTLE TOKYO SERVICE CENTER RECEIVES GRANT FOR COMMUNITY CARE NETWORK
TO HELP VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING FORCED INTO
SERVIT<fontfamily><param>Times</param>UD</fontfamily>E


Los Angeles ñ In an effort to generate awareness of the growing problem
of trafficking in human beings, The California Endowment, the stateís
largest health foundation, today announced it will make a $20,000 grant
to the Little Tokyo Service Center on behalf of the Coalition to
Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST).  The grant will support the
development of a Community Care Network (CCN) to improve trafficked
personsí access to health care and provide health
educati<fontfamily><param>Times</param>on</fontfamily>.


Trafficking involves the recruitment and illegal transportation of
persons for the purpose of forcing them into an exploitative work
situation.  Trafficked persons work mostly in the informal sector or
unregulated industries: sweatshops, restaurants, underground brothels
and private homes. The majority of persons trafficked to Los Angeles
are women from areas such as China, South Korea, the Philippines,
Thailand, Russia and Latin
Ameri<fontfamily><param>Times</param>ca</fontfamily>.


  Trafficked persons are forced to work long hours for extremely low or
no wages and are usually being held against their will. They do not
speak English, are kept in unhealthy or dangerous conditions and are
subjected to physical, psychological and sexual abuse by their captors.
 They have no access to medical care and suffer from a variety of
untreated ailments ranging from tuberculosis to sexually transmitted
diseases.  Post-traumatic stress disorder is common as are intense
feelings of fear, guilt, shame and severe
depression<fontfamily><param>Times</param>.  


</fontfamily>CASTís CCN provides physical and mental health services to
persons that have been trafficked to the greater Los Angeles area.  The
grant will allow the CCN to provide clients access to basic medical
care, including mental health services. Clients will also learn
independent living skills and receive support when testifying against
their traffickers.  In addition, the grant will support outreach and
public education efforts and the recruitment/training of 10 new
organizations with diverse cultural backgrounds to join the
CC<fontfamily><param>Times</param>N. 


</fontfamily>ìIt is deplorable that people are subjected to such
inhumane treatment.  We at The Endowment feel a social responsibility
to assist these people in receiving services to help them recover both
physically and emotionally,î said Jai Lee Wong, senior program officer
at The California Endowmen<fontfamily><param>Times</param>t. 


</fontfamily>The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) is
a multi-cultural organization of nonprofit service providers,
grassroots advocacy groups and human rights activists.  CASTís mission
is to assist persons trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and
slavery-like practices and to work toward ending all instances of such
human rights violatio<fontfamily><param>Times</param>ns</fontfamily>.


The California Endowment was established in May 1996 as a private
foundation.  The Endowment maintains offices in Los Angeles,
Sacramento, San Francisco and has staff working throughout the
sta<fontfamily><param>Times</param>te</fontfamily>.


The mission of The California Endowment is to expand access to
affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and
communities and to promote fundamental improvements in the health
status of all Californians.  The Endowment makes grants to
organizations and institutions that directly benefit the health and
well-being of the people of
Californ<fontfamily><param>Times</param>ia</fontfamily>.



Melanie Orhant


morhant@igc.org

__________________


Stop-traffic is a facilitated, international electronic mailing list 

dealing with human rights abuses associated with trafficking 

in persons, with an emphasis on public health and trafficking 

in persons for forced labor, including forced prostitution, 

sweatshop labor, domestic service and some coercive mail 

order bride arrangements.

_________________


Stop-Traffic archive:


http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/stop-traffic/1999/

_________________


To subscribe, please send an email to


listproc@SOLAR.RTD.UTK.EDU


Leave the subject blank.  In the body of your message, write:


subscribe STOP-TRAFFIC <<Your Name>


Inserting your real name (without brackets <<>) after STOP-TRAFFIC.

___________________


To unsubscribe, send email to


listproc@SOLAR.RTD.UTK.EDU


Leave the subject blank.  In the body of your message write:


unsubscribe STOP-TRAFFIC

_________________________


To send a message to STOP-TRAFFIC, email:


stop-traffic@SOLAR.RTD.UTK.EDU