Jeri Moomaw
Mary Williams
Mary Williams is a Seattle Native, a Mother, a Substance Use Disorders Prevention Specialist, a Peer Counselor, a Certified Recovery Coach, a person in long term recovery and an Organizer. She has recently launched the NW Black Women’s Consortium, a partnership of professional women of color who perform acts of service, connect and support each other. Her passion is sharing with women of color about the intersections of race/gender/poverty and the stress and barriers to our health and thriving. Mary fights to reduce the shame of getting help for mental health, substance abuse and violence. Recently a community researcher with the Black Brilliance Project and King County Equity Now, she is a Policy Advocate on participatory budgeting. She believes that reinvesting in families, restorative justice and alternatives to our current system of policing can create big changes. She is a believer in prevention and problem solving, holistically examining conflicts and communicating clearly with all affected parties. She strives to be at the forefront of organizations who are dedicated to recognizing the worth of every person. Everyone means everyone.
Carolyn DeFord
Carolyn DeFord is a member of the Puyallup Tribe, a survivor, and missing and murdered Indigenous women family member. She is a national advocate for missing and murdered Indigenous women and people (MMIWP), and founder of Missing and Murdered Native Americans (MMNA), a survivor-led, volunteer organization focused on supporting families of MMIWP, and prevention through domestic violence and human trafficking advocacy. Her journey began in 1999 when her mother, Leona LeClair Kinsey went missing. Carolyn understands, and strives to alleviate the stress families experience when a loved one is missing. Through collaboration with service providers, MMNA leverages resources to broaden search efforts, reunite families with their missing loved ones, and coordinate services needed when survivors and families are reunited. Working through her tragedy, Carolyn believes that domestic violence and human trafficking advocacy are steps in MMIWP prevention, and everyone has a role to play in becoming a part of the solution.
Rebekah Fonden
Rebekah is a native of Washington. She is currently an anti-trafficking consultant using her lived experience to create change in WA systems. She attended the University of Washington, Seattle receiving a degree in Communication and Business Entrepreneurship. In 2019 she attained an internship for the Superior Court in the King County Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Task Force division working with stakeholders in King County and surrounding areas to progress anti-trafficking efforts. She worked for the Lantern Project as the Healthcare Alliance Coordinator providing education for healthcare professionals. In 2021, she worked with BEST to launch the Not Alone Campaign to raise awareness to human trafficking.
She is a current Rotary member of the PNW Ending Sex Trafficking Club. In 2022 she was voted in as Board President of the Organization for Prostitution Survivors (OPS). She is also a current member of WashAct and a member of the Policy Committee.
Noel Gomez
Noel is the co-founder of Organization for Prostitution Survivors (OPS), a 501c3 non-profit organization in Seattle, WA; and is a survivor of commercial sexual exploitation. Since her time being sexually exploited, Noel went to school and became a state-certified chemical dependency counselor, while earning her BA in Social Justice. As a CD counselor in 2005, she worked with high-risk, justice impacted youth in juvenile detention facilities. Noel quickly developed rapport with the young girls she was meeting and soon became aware that these girls were being sexually exploited. Even worse, Noel later realized there were no services for these victimized girls being held in detention facilities. Noel began working for Youth Care in 2008 as the first CSEC advocate and the only anti-trafficking advocate in the city of Seattle. She was also contracted by the city of Seattle to facilitate the John School, as well as the Sex Industry Worker’s class – a diversion program; that if completed, pending charges were dismissed.
During her time serving victimized youth, Noel began hearing from adult women who needed services too. At that time, there were no available services or programs in Washington state. Prior to these engagements, Noel was thinking about starting an anti-trafficking organization. She finally made the decision (along with Peter Qualliotine) to start a non-profit organization that is focused on social change for adults and youth survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. Noel has trained the FBI, social workers, advocates, teachers, doctors, nurses, and most people currently involved in anti-human trafficking work in Washington state.
Kristine Moreland
Meet an exceptional individual who has dedicated over 20 years of her life to serving the homeless community through outreach programs and connections. Kristine Moreland is a passionate activist whose work revolves around being a constant support system for those in need. She has not only volunteered tirelessly in her community for years, serving in many non-profit boards, but has also started as well as directed her own non-profit, “The MORELove Project.” Kristine’s organization embodies the belief that, by connecting the community to those in greatest need, we can inspire change and encourage society to step up and take better care of those around us.
Kristine Moreland is a well-informed consultant, having helped numerous organizations to develop their own successful services by drawing inspiration from her own experiences. She has adopted her oldest son through her work and has worked alongside countless others, providing guidance, interventions, and consultations to aid them in finding renewed hope and purpose in life. She has a passion for ending sex trafficking.
Robin Miller
Robin Miller, an esteemed advocate with a decade of experience in survivor-led initiatives and human trafficking awareness, is recognized nationally for her innovation and collaboration. Her commitment to empowering survivors and catalyzing change has defined her career. Robin is a co-founder of the Sex Trade Survivor Caucus (formerly the Northwest Survivor Alliance) and works as the Pacific Northwest Advocate with Empowered Network, where she supports adult survivors of human trafficking in reaching their goals relating to housing, education and employment.
Notably, Robin’s dynamic impact extends through her presentations to diverse audiences on commercial sexual exploitation, seamlessly blending survivor insights with professional expertise. As a former Case Manager and Mentor at the New Options for Women Program with LifeWorks NW, she specialized in aiding adult women affected by commercial sexual exploitation. With a bachelor’s in social science from Portland State University, Robin continues her resolute advocacy, focusing on empowering survivors and instigating systemic transformation.
SarahAnn Hamilton
SarahAnn Hamilton is a dynamic and influential advocate within the human trafficking movement. She leverages her lived experience to bring a fresh and impactful approach to her work. Her career began at YouthCare, where she served as a youth advocate at one of their homeless shelters. In this role, she united survivor youth, forming support groups and connecting them with essential resources related to human trafficking and the commercial sex trade. Transitioning to Seattle Ops as an adult survivor advocate marked a pivotal moment in SarahAnn’s career. She found her community at Seattle Ops as a participant and then thrived for over 3.5 years as an employee. She later was promoted to the OPS Program Coordinator and now serves as the Director of Survivor Services at The More We Love, a survivor-led organization. SarahAnn is a strong believer in radical change and dismantling systemic silos. She is dedicated to amplifying the voices of the most marginalized individuals and empowering survivors not just to survive but to thrive. She emphasizes that survivors are the true experts and champions their placement in leadership roles, ensuring they are at the table to discuss and implement real change. Beyond her advocacy work, SarahAnn is an artist, mother, wife, and grandmother. She is passionate about changing laws, connecting resources, and building opportunities for all survivors. SarahAnn believes she is just getting started in her mission to create a more equitable world for those impacted by human trafficking.Partners
WASE Forward has a robust network of partners across Washington State working to reduce sex trafficking and sexual exploitation
- Atlas Free in Kirkland, WA
- Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking in Seattle, WA
- Byond Meazurez in Renton, WA
- Cowlitz Indian Tribe in WA
- ECPAT-USA in Washington, DC
- Engedi Refuge in Lynden, WA
- Firefly MDT in Thurston, Lewis, and Mason Counties, WA
- Health and Justice Recovery Alliance in Spokane, WA
- Human Trafficking Task Force of Clark County, WA
- Inland Northwest Task Force on Human Trafficking in Spokane, WA
- Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative in Olympia, WA
- Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center in Seattle, WA
- Janus Youth Programs in Vancouver, WA
- King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in King County, WA
- Mirror Ministries in Richland, WA
- Organization for Prostitution Survivors in Seattle, WA
- Peace by Piece Counseling in Kent, WA
- Polaris Project in Washington DC
- Rebuilding Hope in Tacoma, WA
- Shared Hope International in Vancouver, WA
- Strategic Alliance to Fight Exploitation in Washington State in Kirkland, WA
- StolenYouth in Seattle, WA
- Tahoma Indian Center in Tacoma, WA
- Thurston County Human Trafficking Task Force in Thurston County, WA
- Truckers Against Trafficking in Englewood, CO
- World Without Exploitation
Funders
