Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST)

(www.castla.org)

About CAST

CAST was founded in Los Angeles in 1998 in response to the infamous El Montesweatshop case, in which 72 Thai garment workers were kept for periods of up to sevenyears in conditions of slavery and debt bondage. CAST has since become a pioneeringleader in the anti-trafficking movement in the United States, serving hundreds oftrafficked persons through case management, counseling, and financial support; trainingthousands of law enforcement, government, and community-based agencies in order toidentify more victims; and effectively advocating for numerous anti-trafficking policymeasures at a local, state, and federal level. CAST's activities are interconnected by aclient-centered approach that seeks to empower survivors of trafficking to fully realizetheir individual potential while advancing the human rights of all trafficked survivors. In2004, CAST opened the first shelter for survivors of trafficking in the United States.

Through broad community outreach on local, state, and national levels-via media advocacy,public education, leadership development, and coalition building-CAST spotlights the issue oftrafficking so that more victims will be assisted. CAST works with government officials, lawenforcement agents, service providers, and community-based coalitions to build a broader anti-trafficking movement. CAST's advocacy work is directly informed by the real experiences of theclients it serves. CAST empowers survivors of trafficking to become advocates through theSurvivor Advisory Caucus, a one-of-a-kind leadership development program. Members of thecaucus speak publicly on behalf of all survivors of trafficking, raising awareness on importantpolicy issues effecting victims.

Staff Information

Kay Buck, Executive Director--Kay has eighteen years experience in the human rights field at state, national and international levels. Joining CAST as Executive Director in 2003, Kay leads the first organization in the U.S. that is exclusively dedicated to working on the issue of human trafficking. She oversees a dedicated team who compose three divisions: Social Services, Legal Services, and Advocacy and Training. CAST boasts a National Training Program on Human Trafficking as well as a model Social Services Program for providing intensive services to survivors of trafficking. Following the infamous El Monte sweatshop case of 1995 in Los Angeles County, CAST was created to serve the unique needs of survivors of trafficking and ensure that prevention is a key policy component to addressing the issue. In 2004, CAST opened the very first shelter in the country designed explicitly for trafficked victims, and in 2005 CAST was recognized with the California Association of Non Profits Innovation Award. Currently CAST is working with National Geographic Films on a feature film on labor trafficking.

Prior to joining CAST, Kay was Director of the Rape Prevention Resource Center of the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) in Sacramento, and the Director of the Center for Community Solutions Rape Crisis Center in San Diego. Kay was instrumental in the development of the California SART Manual and county programs by bringing advocacy to the forefront through successful collaborations with criminal justice agencies. She has participated as an expert for the National Violence Against Women Technical Assistance Project and is a consultant for the Department of Justice. Kay spent over five years in Asia working with a network of non-governmental organizations on anti-trafficking initiatives. She participated in the planning of several international conferences, including the World Conference on Women.

Kay was appointed by Assembly Speaker Nunez to the California Alliance to Combat Slavery and Trafficking (CA-ACTS) which will release its report to the legislature this month. She was given the Change Maker Dream Maker recognition alongside Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton by the Women's Foundation of California in 2005. As a leader in the human rights movement, Kay has a personal and professional commitment to working with non governmental organizations and promote them as catalysts for change at the community, state, national and global level.

Board of Directors

- Kay Buck (Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking)
- Bill Watanabe (Little Tokyo Service Center)
- Julie Thompson (Independent Producer)
- Kathryn McMahon (California State University, Long Beach)
- Michael Gennaco (Los Angeles Office of Independent Review)
- Chancee Martorell (Thai Community Development Center)
- Patricia A. Neville, CPA (Asian Pacific American Legal Center)
- Rey Rodriguez (Buena Vista Home Entertainment Int'l)
- Robin Toma (L.A. County Commission on Human Relations)
- Keely O'Callaghan (Fannie Mae Foundation)
- Molly Rhodes