Written by STOPP Website Staff (08/14/2019)

Hue Jackson is the head coach of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. Jackson and his wife Michelle founded the Hue Jackson Foundation with the intention of serving survivors of human trafficking, and educating people about trafficking. In July 2018, Coach Jackson had a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Hue Jackson Foundation Survivors of Human Trafficking Residence in Cleveland, Ohio.

This 12 bed, 4500 square foot facility is part of the Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland’s Harbor Light Complex, which had recently built six beds for survivors. The Hue Jackson Foundation donated $250,000 toward the renovation of the third floor to serve survivors in Northeastern Ohio.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Coach Jackson spoke at the Harbor Light Complex Chapel. He stated that regarding human trafficking, “lives are forever changed. For those lucky enough to escape their trafficker and the life of indentured servitude, those who survive, they live with the horrors and the memories that they can never forget. They close their eyes at night, still wondering how they got to where they are today. They fear where they will be tomorrow. They are stuck in a cycle of anxiety, uncertainty, and trauma that no person should ever have to endure.“

 

 

Coach Jackson noted that “we cannot ever prepare our children for the monsters that present themselves as friends, as family members, co-workers, or simply the neighbors next door …. What do you say to your child, to your sister, to your friend or a stranger who asks you, ‘Why did this happen to me? Why didn’t you prepare me for this? What did you do to protect me?’ Through the Hue Jackson Foundation, we will educate our community, our neighborhoods and our children about the warning signs and dangers of human trafficking. We will tell them and show them how things like social media and the risky behaviors can lure even the most innocent among us. We will help the victims by giving them resources that they need to become survivors. We will show them that there is hope.”

 

 

Coach Jackson will solicit more help from the NFL, “to ask every NFL team to stand beside us as we stand for those who cannot stand alone.” Jackson’s survivors’ residence, which is staffed by the Salvation Army, will provide counseling, medical treatment, addiction services and more.

To read the complete article about the residence, go to Cleveland.com