Brenda Myers-Powell

During her fifteen years of outreach to victims in the illicit sex trade, Ms. Myers-Powell has established solid relationships with businesses, churches, nail and beauty shops, law enforcement, and those who are surviving in the illicit sex trade. She is an appointed member of the United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and the underserved Populations Committee of this Council. She has been assisting women in the illicit sex trade with food and referral information through bi-weekly van outreaches to coax women into substance abuse and mental health treatment. She also has established a drop-in center in the East Garfield Park neighborhood that provides food, yoga, meditation, showers, referrals, and a place to rest. She has a reputation of meeting women where they are, and survivors, business owners, and law enforcement trust her and her outreach staff. Her outreach staff also has access to trap houses and other places where pregnant women and women with small children are located, as they are survivors who have been trained in outreach services.