Organization Spotlight:  Tigers Against Trafficking

What is the purpose of your organization?  Our goal is to raise awareness about Human Trafficking across LSU and empower the Baton Rouge community to come together to make a change. We plan and organize fundraising events to fight human trafficking. Our funds support the A21 campaign, a campaign across Europe to end human slavery in the 21st century, and Trafficking Hope, an organization here in Baton Rouge that fights slavery across the southern corridor of Louisiana.

How do students get involved in your organization? TAT students can plan events, arrange food/item drives on campus, intern with our global partner, A21, volunteer locally at the Baton Rouge Dream Center, volunteer with Trafficking Hope, and more. The easiest way to get plugged in is to fill out the "Get Connected" form on our website, which sends the core team an email that we can respond to immediately. Students can also email jessica@tigersagainsttrafficking.com.

What annual events are sponsored by your organization? We host the Tigers Against Trafficking Annual 5K Run/Walk every spring on the LSU Parade Ground. Another large event in the fall semester varies from year to year. In the fall of 2010 we showed the film "Call and Response" (about human trafficking) and had a panel with local abolitionists who spoke about ways to get involved right here in our city. We are currently increasing our presence around campus and are organizing drives to collect items/goods for survivors of domestic human trafficking.

Does your organization have a website? Our website iswww.tigersagainsttrafficking.com. Click on  "Contact" for more information.

What honors, awards, and/or accomplishments have your organization recently achieved? In June 2011, Tigers Against Trafficking had the incredible honor of being featured in an article for The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern Day Slavery. TAT co-founder Natalie Laborde communicated with author Jim Kavanagh for CNN's article (which also featured The A21 Campaign, one of our major partners). The article, "Abolishing sex slavery by helping one girl at a time," discussed ways people in all walks of life can take action. Read the article here:  http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/16/abolishing-sex-slavery-by-helping-one-girl-at-a-time/.

In May 2011, Tigers Against Trafficking was recognized by the LSU Executive Development Program (EDP) as an organization making a difference in the community. The EDP contributes to one organization every semester, and the spring 2011 class selected Tigers Against Trafficking. The Executive Development Program offers a 3 week course to domestic and global company leaders wishing to cultivate leadership and managerial skills in their workplaces. The course is available through the LSU Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute in the E. J. Ourso College of Business.

Finally, this past spring was the Tigers Against Trafficking 3rd Annual 5K Run/Walk. The 5K was a huge success with over 300 participants registered and raised approximately $7,000 to fight human trafficking. Despite the heat, people came out and ran to change lives. Tigers Against Trafficking has heard the cry, we have seen the need, and we are becoming the change as we rally students to make a difference in our community and around the globe.

See past spotlights here.