Kaffie McCullough, A Future.Not A Past.

The Georgia Conference on Children and Families (GCCF) presented its distinguished 2011 Gayle Bayes Vision for Children Award to our own Kaffie McCullough, campaign director for A Future. Not A Past. (AFNAP) last Thursday, Nov. 17.

The GCCF annually bestows the Gayle Bayes Vision for Children Award to an individual who is an outstanding advocate and visionary for at-risk children in the state of Georgia.

In addition, Global Centurion awarded Kaffie the Norma Hotaling Anti-Trafficking Award for leadership, courage, hard work, and innovation in eradicating sex trafficking and addressing demand for child sex in Atlanta. The award is the first of its kind in the United States. (see AJC)

Norma was a light and a leader who emerged from the darkest of places – child sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and drug addiction to become an inspiration to all who work to stop sex trafficking.

Kaffie spoke with JJF’s Martha Turner about her 11 year journey of successfully fighting for stricter punishment against perpetrators, and training law enforcement and the general public to fight demand.

Kaffie, eleven years ago, could you see yourself getting an award like this?

“No, I really couldn’t. The issue then hadn’t been spotlighted to the degree that it has today. I would suppose, optimistically, that 80 to 90 percent of the children serving audience here today knows about child sex trafficking, and has heard of it before, which never would have happened 11 years ago. That was unheard of.

L-R Sharon Joseph, Jennifer Swain, Kaffie McCullough, Keisha Head, Cathy Talley

“It was just a very small handful of people who were having to carry this torch, and now there are a lot of people and organizations who have raised the issue up.

“Today we have a statewide system of care that have it on their radar screen, we have a  Department of Education running training, we have a governor’s wife very keyed in on this, we have an Attorney General being one of the sponsors of HB 200 (human trafficking legislation.)

“There are so many more markers of how the level of awareness has been raised.”

Did you feel alone when you first started this work?

“Alone is not the word I’d use, because there still were people around us. It was as if you’re alone in a totally dark room with your one tiny candle, you can’t see too much, and now we have a lot more candle power!

“It’s really being seen now. We still have quite a ways to go, not just in awareness, but in services and recognition.”

Kaffie McCullough accepts award

Do you feel encouraged?

“Oh yes, definitely.”

What’s been one of the biggest changes you’ve seen around this issue in almost a dozen years?

“Recognition in the public sector. The recognition of the issue in DFACS (Division of Family and Children Services), law enforcement and education.

“Before it was strictly a grassroots movement. Now it’s a policy initiative. If we’re going to end up making systemic change, which is what we really want, you need both of those.”

JJF’s ED Sharon Simpson Joseph observed, “Kaffie is a leader in our community,  inspiring countless others to get involved and empowering them to understand that every individual can make a difference.

JJF Executive Director Sharon S. Joseph

“She is a real-life heroine fighting for the lives of the most disadvantaged children in our community.

“Kaffie is a wonderful and caring person – a true visionary and advocate for some of our community’s most at-risk children. What she does every day makes an enormous difference in dismantling demand for child sex trafficking – giving girls hope for a better tomorrow.”

Martha Turner is the Communications Officer
for the Juvenile Justice Fund