Local nonprofit asks for advice, connections from Foley council

By Jessica Vaughn
Posted 10/19/21

FOLEY - Allana Chris, Executive Director of anti-human trafficking organization Little Tree Project, came before the Foley council during an October meeting to seek advice and connections. The …

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Local nonprofit asks for advice, connections from Foley council

Posted

FOLEY - Allana Chris, Executive Director of anti-human trafficking organization Little Tree Project, came before the Foley council during an October meeting to seek advice and connections. The organization became a 501c3 in March 2020, and Chris is hoping to build a facility in central Baldwin in the near future.

“We are a local anti-human trafficking organization with a mission of eradicating human trafficking in our community through prevention programs, rehabilitation and restoration,” Chris said. “We are currently working to build our long-term aftercare and residential facility for adult female survivors of trafficking, but in the meantime we are starting our referral services to these survivors and victims.”

Chris hopes the future facility will be able to house as many as 12 survivors at one time. She is currently visiting Baldwin municipalities as she seeks to extend Little Tree Project’s network and reach in the community to assist victims of human trafficking in the area.

The organization provides aftercare services that include education, specialized therapy and counseling, medical care, life skills, trauma informed care, safe transportations, financial assistance, career and job training, safe living wage job opportunities, addiction and substance abuse recovery, tattoo and scar redemption and legal assistance.

“We’re part of the National Trafficking Shelter Alliance, so that means that we can refer to any other shelter within the country very quickly and easily,” said Chris.

Connections she’s looking to make include churches, medical care providers, mental health care providers and ways towards community engagement. She’s also seeking contractor connections and land as the organization moves towards the facility.

Another service the Little Tree Project offers is law enforcement training and education in detection and response to human trafficking. Chris is currently working to organize such a training opportunity for Baldwin County law enforcement.

“We will be able to sponsor that training, we’re just really trying to engage the local police community and law enforcement on that, we want to provide that training,” said Chris. “It would be a two-day seminar.”

“I understand that we have had (human trafficking) cases here over the past few years, and the training aspect is very interesting,” said Mayor Ralph Hellmich. He voiced interest in working with Chris in the future for more details on law enforcement training towards the detection and response to human trafficking cases.

For more information on Little Tree Project, visit www.thelittletreeproject.com.