Colorado Springs organization looks to continue the fight against human trafficking

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – The Lotus Foundation was established with the mission of providing services and case management to the survivors of both sex and labor trafficking.

”There are a lot of survivors in the area, not just in Colorado Springs, but in all of Colorado,” executive director of the Lotus Foundation Heather Starr said. “We just want to be here for them.”

The Lotus Foundation provides confidential advocacy options for survivors of human trafficking in the Pikes Peak area. They operate on a case-by-case basis to determine the services and case management based on the needs of their client and find ways to provide however they can.

“So the survivors we work with, and come in contact with, everyone has their own experience,” Starr said. “Everyone's experience is different. That's why all of their needs are different. That's why we're trying to do a little bit of everything and do it very individualized because no two survivors are the same.”

Recently the FBI carried out an operation which recovered 27 trafficking victims, including kids and teens, in Colorado as a part of a nationwide operation. The operation has been ongoing for 13 years and involved 40 agencies including both the Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff's office.

“This problem is here,” special agent in charge at the FBI Denver field office Mark Michalek said. “It surpasses all demographics. It is something that's across the board and it's something that parents should have on their radar.”

The Lotus Foundation is focused on building onto the resources and experience they already have to provide the best environment possible for survivors.

“If they have a need, we want to find a way to provide it,” Starr said. “If we can't do it, we find someone to refer to in the community or we can call in a favor. Anything we can do we will find a way to get them what they need.”

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