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Crisis Center to host human trafficking prevention training
“If you see something that makes your tummy wiggle, please say something.”
The University of South Florida’s 2024 State Report on Human Trafficking estimates that over 500,000 people were exploited in labor trafficking and 200,000 in sex trafficking within Florida in 2024.
Crisis Center of Tampa Bay president and CEO Clara Reynolds is dedicated to making a difference for survivors.
She believes spreading awareness is key. January, which is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, is an opportunity to shed light on the issue.
“It’s pervasive, but many folks don’t realize that it’s happening right in your backyard,” Reynolds explained. “So, this is just an opportunity to help folks understand what it looks like and how they can help.”
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay team plans to host a virtual community training seminar via Zoom Jan. 21. Anyone is welcome to attend.
“The goal of this training is simply to equip the public with basic information,” she said, “and signs of human trafficking.” To learn more about the event, visit this link.
The nonprofit has a long history in the community. Established in 1972 as the Suicide and Crisis Hotline, it eventually was incorporated as the Hillsborough County Crisis Center six years later.
Over the decades, the organization expanded its services. Reynolds, who served as a board member in the 1990s and early 2000s, began her tenure in 2015.
The nonprofit oversees a Hillsborough County-only 211 line and provides information regarding more than 3,000 human services in the Tampa Bay area, including food, clothing, shelter and counseling resources.
“What we find is that folks will call us usually with whatever their biggest problem or symptom of the day is,” she explained. “In the course of that conversation, they disclose that they are a survivor of human trafficking or they are currently in a human trafficking situation.”
Between October 2024 and September 2025, 325 callers disclosed that they have been involved in human trafficking. The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay provides sexual assault services, including rape exams, to Hillsborough-based victims upon request.
The Gateway Contact Center, located at the organization’s headquarters in Tampa, also handles four state-wide lines including the Florida sexual assault and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration lines. Reynolds and her team offer call support for first responders and veterans throughout the state as well.
Additionally, the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay provides services such as a trauma counseling program that Pinellas County residents can participate in.
Through a funding grant from the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, the organization has been able to create a position dedicated to human trafficking victims in the Tampa area.
“The care coordinator works out in the community to provide awareness and outreach,” Reynolds said, “but they can also work individually with identified survivors of trafficking and get them connected to the incredible network of resources we have.”
There are steps the public can take to help victims. She stressed that it’s important to pay attention to certain risk factors and signs.
Individuals are more likely to engage in human trafficking if they recently migrated, abuse drugs or alcohol or are facing poverty, Reynolds explained.
Specific signs include paranoia and acting “jumpy.” An additional indicator is when someone is constantly referring to another individual that they have to share information with. She added that there are high-risk occurrences for trafficking including conferences and large sporting events.
“Human trafficking happens all the time in every community,” Reynolds said. “It doesn’t matter if an individual is young or old or what their socioeconomic status is.”
“We just ask the community to pay attention. If you see something that makes your tummy wiggle, please say something. You can call 211 or 911 no matter where you are.”
Crisis Center of Tampa Bay website
