Destiny House, a lifeline for trafficking survivors, struggles with financial shortfall
News 3 Las Vegas
[{'start': '0.240', 'end': '4.640', 'text': 'As the entertainment and now sports'}, {'start': '2.399', 'end': '7.200', 'text': 'capital of the world, Las Vegas is no'}, {'start': '4.640', 'end': '9.120', 'text': 'stranger to hosting huge scale events,'}, {'start': '7.200', 'end': '11.360', 'text': 'drawing in hundreds of thousands of'}, {'start': '9.120', 'end': '12.880', 'text': 'visitors from all over the world. But it'}, {'start': '11.360', 'end': '14.719', 'text': 'could also be a breeding ground for one'}, {'start': '12.880', 'end': '17.440', 'text': "of our valley's most concerning crime"}, {'start': '14.719', 'end': '20.080', 'text': 'trends, human trafficking. One of the'}, {'start': '17.440', 'end': '22.720', 'text': 'only long-term safe homes for survivors'}, {'start': '20.080', 'end': '24.880', 'text': 'of sex trafficking in Las Vegas is now'}, {'start': '22.720', 'end': '26.960', 'text': 'facing a funding shortfall. Good evening'}, {'start': '24.880', 'end': '29.199', 'text': "everyone. I'm Jim Snyder and I'm Latoya"}, {'start': '26.960', 'end': '31.279', 'text': 'Silman. The nonprofit Destiny House says'}, {'start': '29.199', 'end': '34.239', 'text': 'that delayed government grants and also'}, {'start': '31.279', 'end': '36.480', 'text': 'donor contributions are on hold because'}, {'start': '34.239', 'end': '38.480', 'text': "of economic uncertainty. And News3's"}, {'start': '36.480', 'end': '39.920', 'text': 'Tiffany Lane is live in our studio now'}, {'start': '38.480', 'end': '42.480', 'text': 'after speaking with the organization'}, {'start': '39.920', 'end': '44.320', 'text': 'about the hit to its services. A lot of'}, {'start': '42.480', 'end': '46.480', 'text': "people don't know how big of an issue"}, {'start': '44.320', 'end': '48.239', 'text': 'human trafficking is in our valley, but'}, {'start': '46.480', 'end': '50.079', 'text': 'unfortunately it is something we need to'}, {'start': '48.239', 'end': '51.920', 'text': 'talk about. The founder of Destiny House'}, {'start': '50.079', 'end': '54.320', 'text': "tells me they've already had to turn"}, {'start': '51.920', 'end': '55.920', 'text': 'away several trafficking survivors and'}, {'start': '54.320', 'end': '59.039', 'text': "they're asking for help as trafficking"}, {'start': '55.920', 'end': '61.600', 'text': 'increases in the spring and summertime.'}, {'start': '59.039', 'end': '65.439', 'text': "It literally saved my life. I know it's"}, {'start': '61.600', 'end': '68.560', 'text': 'um kind of cliche to say that, but I was'}, {'start': '65.439', 'end': '70.720', 'text': 'in such a broken place. In 2018, Ashley'}, {'start': '68.560', 'end': '73.200', 'text': 'Weezner found freedom after escaping'}, {'start': '70.720', 'end': '74.960', 'text': 'being sex trafficked for six years. I'}, {'start': '73.200', 'end': '76.799', 'text': "know what it's like to be raped. All"}, {'start': '74.960', 'end': '79.200', 'text': 'these things have everything taken from'}, {'start': '76.799', 'end': '81.520', 'text': "you. I didn't see my family for years. I"}, {'start': '79.200', 'end': '83.920', 'text': "wasn't allowed to. Weer story is not"}, {'start': '81.520', 'end': '85.680', 'text': "uncommon in Las Vegas, the city that's"}, {'start': '83.920', 'end': '88.000', 'text': 'in the top three in the country for sex'}, {'start': '85.680', 'end': '90.960', 'text': 'trafficking. I met the wrong person at'}, {'start': '88.000', 'end': '95.040', 'text': 'the wrong time through modeling back in'}, {'start': '90.960', 'end': '96.960', 'text': 'the day. And um it turned out to be'}, {'start': '95.040', 'end': '99.200', 'text': 'trafficking. After surviving her suicide'}, {'start': '96.960', 'end': '101.439', 'text': 'attempt, Weezner found safety at the'}, {'start': '99.200', 'end': '103.920', 'text': 'survivorled safe house called Destiny'}, {'start': '101.439', 'end': '106.640', 'text': "House. It's operated by the faith-based"}, {'start': '103.920', 'end': '109.840', 'text': 'nonprofit pinkchair.org. We take care of'}, {'start': '106.640', 'end': '112.159', 'text': 'the housing needs, food, clothing, and'}, {'start': '109.840', 'end': '114.799', 'text': 'then the actual healing portion, which'}, {'start': '112.159', 'end': '116.640', 'text': 'is the trauma therapy and activities.'}, {'start': '114.799', 'end': '118.159', 'text': 'Annie Lober, the founder of Destiny'}, {'start': '116.640', 'end': '120.560', 'text': 'House and a trafficking survivor'}, {'start': '118.159', 'end': '122.479', 'text': 'herself, says clients stay anywhere from'}, {'start': '120.560', 'end': '124.479', 'text': '9 months to a year and a half until'}, {'start': '122.479', 'end': '126.479', 'text': "they're able to self- sustain. Because"}, {'start': '124.479', 'end': '129.160', 'text': "if you don't deal with the issues that"}, {'start': '126.479', 'end': '131.920', 'text': 'are deep inside that caused the'}, {'start': '129.160', 'end': '134.239', 'text': 'trafficking, you will just end up having'}, {'start': '131.920', 'end': '136.640', 'text': 'someone come in and leave and then they'}, {'start': '134.239', 'end': '138.959', 'text': 'go right back to the same people. We a'}, {'start': '136.640', 'end': '141.840', 'text': 'success story for Destiny House. It'}, {'start': '138.959', 'end': '144.800', 'text': 'helped me show my family'}, {'start': '141.840', 'end': '147.200', 'text': "um that there's a a way and they got to"}, {'start': '144.800', 'end': '149.360', 'text': 'see me alive and I got to see my dad'}, {'start': '147.200', 'end': '151.440', 'text': 'before he passed away. But Lober says'}, {'start': '149.360', 'end': '153.440', 'text': 'right now federal grants are delayed and'}, {'start': '151.440', 'end': '155.840', 'text': 'they need help with staffing and have'}, {'start': '153.440', 'end': '158.160', 'text': 'had to turn away 25 survivors over the'}, {'start': '155.840', 'end': '160.560', 'text': "last month. I think there's 10 to 12 in"}, {'start': '158.160', 'end': '162.959', 'text': 'the queue waiting for answers for July'}, {'start': '160.560', 'end': '164.480', 'text': 'and June and August. And in the'}, {'start': '162.959', 'end': '166.959', 'text': "meantime, we're like, what do we do in"}, {'start': '164.480', 'end': '169.040', 'text': "the meantime? And that's the scary part."}, {'start': '166.959', 'end': '171.120', 'text': 'She says rising costs, concerns about'}, {'start': '169.040', 'end': '173.120', 'text': 'tariffs, and other economic challenges'}, {'start': '171.120', 'end': '174.800', 'text': 'are also leading private donors to hold'}, {'start': '173.120', 'end': '177.040', 'text': "off. I hope that it doesn't have to shut"}, {'start': '174.800', 'end': '179.120', 'text': 'down just because we need a couple'}, {'start': '177.040', 'end': '181.360', 'text': 'dollars to get by. Weezner, who now'}, {'start': '179.120', 'end': '183.680', 'text': 'works for Destiny House as an intake and'}, {'start': '181.360', 'end': '186.400', 'text': 'referral coordinator, says the program'}, {'start': '183.680', 'end': '189.519', 'text': 'must go on, proudly sharing photos of'}, {'start': '186.400', 'end': '192.680', 'text': 'her darkest time to show other survivors'}, {'start': '189.519', 'end': '197.200', 'text': "there's hope. I know this is"}, {'start': '192.680', 'end': '199.080', 'text': "me, but it's not me. Uh, it's an old"}, {'start': '197.200', 'end': '202.760', 'text': "friend that I don't hang out with"}, {'start': '199.080', 'end': '208.400', 'text': "anymore. She's not good news. She was"}, {'start': '202.760', 'end': '210.319', 'text': "abused and she's uh this person's dead."}, {'start': '208.400', 'end': '211.680', 'text': 'For details on how you can donate or'}, {'start': '210.319', 'end': '212.760', 'text': 'receive help, you can head to our'}, {'start': '211.680', 'end': '215.120', 'text': 'website'}, {'start': '212.760', 'end': '217.599', 'text': "news3lb.com. And as for Weezner's"}, {'start': '215.120', 'end': '220.400', 'text': "trafficker, she says he's in prison and"}, {'start': '217.599', 'end': '222.640', 'text': 'can no longer hurt her or other women.'}, {'start': '220.400', 'end': '224.400', 'text': 'Latoya and Jim, such a powerful story'}, {'start': '222.640', 'end': '226.080', 'text': "and an inspiring one, I'm sure, for"}, {'start': '224.400', 'end': '228.080', 'text': 'other survivors out there. Tiffany,'}, {'start': '226.080', 'end': '230.959', 'text': 'thank you. According to Metro documents,'}, {'start': '228.080', 'end': '233.519', 'text': 'as of April 27th, there were 45 reported'}, {'start': '230.959', 'end': '236.080', 'text': 'cases of trafficking commercial sex acts'}, {'start': '233.519', 'end': '238.560', 'text': 'along with 39 arrests. There were 50'}, {'start': '236.080', 'end': '240.799', 'text': 'reports the same time last year with 22'}, {'start': '238.560', 'end': '240.799', 'text': 'arrests.'}]