Fighting for the forgotten – Stefanie Calens

Stefanie Calens is on the front lines of helping victims of sex trafficking in a ground-breaking program, the nation’s first family two-year transitional housing model for adult female victims of sex trafficking and their minor children.

She is the community engagement liaison for the Arizona State University Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research (STIR), bringing both spiritual depth and a relentless commitment to justice, to connect and advocate for those who need to know that their voice matters. She leads awareness and prevention trainings in the area of human trafficking which encompasses both sex and labor.

An ASU survey found that about one in three of homeless young adults are victims of sex trafficking. Once they are rescued out of that situation, these  victims have unique needs, different from other homeless young adults.

That’s where the ground-breaking Phoenix Starfish Place is able to help. A partnership between ASU’s STIR program and the City of Phoenix, Starfish Place is not an emergency shelter, but a transitional housing community providing a safe and healthy home for sex trafficking survivors and their families, where they are treated with dignity and respect. This a place to renew their spirit, learn essential life skills and begin recovery.

Its name is inspired by the story of a child walking along the beach, throwing beached starfish back into the ocean. When asked why they do that when there are so many starfish, they can’t possibly make a difference, this child looks at the starfish in her hand, and replies, “I made a difference in the life of this one.”

This is where an academic program researching human trafficking meets real life, with real stories about real human beings. And real stories about healing.

Click here to learn more about www.sextraffickinghelp.com and www.labortraffickinghelp.com 

Original air date: May 15, 2025.

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