Houston Newsmakers Oct. 15: Houston's Sex Trafficking Challenge, Correa to donate 5,000 beds, more

HOUSTON – Houston is ranked No. 1 in the United States for human and sex trafficking. Crime Stoppers of Houston is now partnering with local organizations to put a stop to it. 

“Human trafficking happens right here in Houston, Texas, from the most affluent neighborhoods to the poorest neighborhoods,” said Rania Mankarious, executive director of Crime Stoppers of Houston. “Young children, boys and girls are targeted by predators every single day.” 

Mankarious said her organization will begin offering rewards for tips leading to some of the young people now thought to be runaways. 

Jennifer Hohman is an anti-Trafficking advocate who will be teaming with Crime Stoppers to increase awareness about the dangerous of human trafficking and about the very clever ways predators are now gaining access to our children.

“They’re now recruiting, not just the kids who are homeless or in foster care which used to be or is the biggest channel into sex trafficking,” she said. “But what they’re now doing is targeting our schools and churches.” 

Much more on the challenge facing the Houston region and ways to take or city off this very undesirable list on this week’s "Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall."

ALSO

Laura Ward, President and CEO of Houston Children’s Charities, is now partnered with Houston Astro Carlos Correa to donate 5,000 beds to children impacted by Hurricane Harvey. It’s a hardship Ward says Correa knows all about. 

”He shared a bed when he had a bed. So he knows the value of giving a bed to a child and what it does to their normal routine during the day to their performance in school,” Ward said. “He was aware of all of that. Carols is quite bright for his 22 years.” 

How can you help and what other worthy projects is Houston Children’s Charities taking on? The answers this week on "Houston Newsmakers."

AND

Sandy Biggers, campaign director for Hope Lodge Houston for the American Cancer Society. She celebrates the facility groundbreaking earlier this month and talks about how families will be able to stay free of charge and how we all can help make it happen.

"Houston Newsmakers" airs Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m.

• Rania Mankarious, Executive Director, Crime-Stoppers of Houston, 713-222-TIPS, http://www.crime-stoppers.org Twitter: @CrimeStopHou 

• Jennifer Hohman, anti-human trafficking advocate, www.Houstontexascan.com 

• Laura Ward, president, executive director, Houston Children’s Charity  713-524-2878, www.houstonchildrenscharity.org    

• Sandy Biggers, campaign director, American Cancer Society, Hope Lodge Houston, 713-706-5640, Sandy.Biggers@Cancer.org Twitter: @AmericanCancer

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