History
Second Chance was founded in 1993 through the efforts of Dr. Celia Williamson. The design of the Second Chance program was based on over 500 hours of interviews conducted with survivors/victims from the Toledo community. From the founding of the Second Chance program, the program has sought to not only help individual women and girls but to engage in community change as well. Before the Second Chance program, there was little or no recognition by the Toledo community that women involved in street level prostitution were often victims of violence and exploitation. There was also little or no recognition by the Toledo community that child prostitutes are victims of child abuse.
Since 1993 the Second Chance program has grown extensively to now include 7 staff members and interns. Throughout the years Second Chance has empowered many women and girls to find their own voice and to regain choice in their lives. Due to the past and continued efforts of the Second Chance program and Dr. Celia Williamson, the Toledo community has begun to recognize that children involved in prostitution are victims/survivors of sex trafficking and that women involved in street level prostitution suffer violence, abuse, and discrimination. However, change is often a slow process and the Second Chance program will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the Toledo community is sensitized to and recognizes the victimization and violence which occurs in sex trafficking of children and the prostitution of women.
Since 1993 Second Chance has also engaged in county level, state level, and national efforts to stop commercial sexual exploitation.
County Efforts
Second Chance has been working tirelessly to ensure that county services are coordinated to assist victims/survivors. Additionally, Second Chance has received a federal grant to form a coalition in Lucas County to address child sex trafficking to ensure that sex trafficking of children stops, that victims/survivors can receive appropriate and comprehensive services and that sexual predators and sex traffickers are held accountable for their crimes against children.
State Efforts
Currently, Ohio does not have laws to effectively address human trafficking. 33 states have laws against human trafficking, but Ohio does not. Currently there are three proposed bills: Senate Bill 205, House Bill 15, and Senate Bill 23. Second Chance has been working with state legislators and other nongovernmental organizations in Ohio to ensure the passage of these bills.
National Efforts
Dr. Celia Williamson provided requested testimony at the U.S. Midterm Review on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in America in preparation for the third world congress. Additionally, staff of Second Chance and Dr. Celia Williamson participated in a national roundtable on the commercial sexual exploitation of children hosted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Dr. Celia Williamson has also been consulted by multiple national media outlets on sex trafficking of children and street-level prostitution of women.