Rescue and Restore fights against human trafficking
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The main people at a Monday news conference on fighting human trafficking in Southeast Ohio were from law enforcement.
But also attending was a man in a red sports shirt who represents Rescue and Restore, another group involved in that struggle in a different and important way.
Monday's meeting at the Washington County Sheriff's offices on Fourth Street was held to share area results of "Operation Buyer's Remorse," a statewide law enforcement crackdown that focused not only on arresting those trying to buy sex, but also on identifying and getting resources to human trafficking victims who were forced to supply those services.
Six sheriff's offices, four police departments and five county prosecutor's offices worked as the Southeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, with support from the Ohio State Highway Patrol Investigative Unit, EVE Inc. and Rescue and Restore.
Rescue and Restore's Washington County director is Mark Zimmer, a pastor in the Global Methodist Church whose group meets at Sand Hill United Methodist Church in Reno. They meet in the church but are not directly part of that church, he said.
"We have a regional office in Zanesville and I am the Washington County director. We operate with a board and we're registered with the state," he said of Rescue and Restore.
Rescue and Restore is a coalition to fight human trafficking and is open to the public. Zimmer said the group has two purposes: to educate the public about the problem that is occurring in communities; and to support the Washington County Sheriff's Department when victims rescued from sex trade circumstances need supplies and clothing.
To educate the public, Rescue and Restore can supply speakers to schools, civic groups and churches. To help the victims, who are mostly young women, the group makes hygiene bags and clothing available through the Gospel Mission on the West Side.
"Some of these young ladies have only the clothes they have on, and that's it," Zimmer said.
Marietta College has helped with the bags and clothing in the past. The extra bags go to Columbus to a safe house.
"In fact, we are shipping about 100 bags there on Friday," he said.
For those interested in learning more about Rescue and Restore, Zimmer can be reached at restore.r@yahoo.com.
"I felt the need in my heart to start this group," he said.