Mentoring and Empowering through innovative education.

ABOUT

Boy victims are 20% to 33% of those trafficked. In the More Too Life, partner program RJEDE “Restorative Justice End Demand Education over 20% of the male participants state violent and sexual abuse as young children.

RJEDE: www.rjede.com 

OUR VISION STATEMENT

Ending Human -Trafficking by Innovating in Mentoring and Educating those affected by it, in order for them to Discover their Authentic Identity while Motivating others to take charge of Changing Systems and Ideologies that Fuel its Root Causes.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

To Offer Proven Programs & Resources that Educate and Empower Survivors to Become Champions along with At-Risk Youth, Community and Offenders while creating programs for Reduction of the Demand for Human Trafficking with Innovative Prevention Methods and Courses.

MORE TOO LIFE FOUNDATION  is an award winning, survivor-led, anti-human trafficking, sexual violence prevention agency that provides direct victim services, training, education, awareness events and prevention with court-appointed services to buyers in three Florida counties and with a new online learning management system for use by other organizations for other buyers nationwide, as well as critical intervention services to several communities and victims. MTL has been active since 2003 and incorporated since 2006, operating out of Sarasota, Florida with satellite offices in Tampa and Miami and strong national ties. With the mission to offer programs and resources that educate and empower survivors of trafficking, offenders, and youth at risk of exploitation, the name “More Too Life” implies that there is more to life than being a victim.

As part of the region’s current attempts to address the human trafficking problem in Florida, as well as to close gaps in care, cross-sector collaboration, and professional development and training, the Florida Legislature called upon Voices for Florida (a collaborative partnering non-profit) to create the Open Doors Outreach Network (ODON), formally launched in July 2017. The service area continues to grow. Open Doors is funded primarily through the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), in addition to state and private dollars. As the backbone organization for Open Doors, Voices for Florida partners with Network Providers to provide vital accountability, quality assurance, evaluation, and training essential to this promising best practices collective impact model for serving commercially sexually exploited and sex trafficked children and young adults within 32 counties. The population (ages 10-24) is served by highly trained teams of professionals consisting of Survivor-Mentors, Regional Advocates, and Clinicians who are on call 24/7/365. MTL is an Open Doors provider for the Suncoast Region. In addition to this critical collaborative role, MTL provides survivors with therapy and mental health management from licensed clinicians, psychiatric assessments, case management, and care from professionals and life coaches in 6 of the 8 counties named below. ODON reporting for the first quarter of 2020 reflects MTL provided resources, information, and referral services for 1,030 individuals, personal advocacy and/or accompaniment for 173, emotional support for 456, and criminal/civil justice system assistance for 15 human trafficking victims.

MTL’s vision is “ending human trafficking by deep case management with mentoring and educating those affected by it, in order for them to discover their authentic identity while motivating others to take charge of changing systems and ideologies that fuel its root causes”. To address the problems that exist and proliferate in Florida (and throughout our nation and world) MTL offers the following direct services: Mental Health Therapy & Counseling; 24/7 Urgent Care & Crisis Intervention; Educational Support for High School, GED, & Higher Education; Promoting work skills, job readiness, & critical thinking; Court advocacy & trial preparation to seek justice; Drug addiction therapy & mental health support; Physical health support, including exercise, yoga, meditation & outdoor activities all related to soul health; and, Legal & family support, including parenting classes, counseling. Over the past 17 years, MTL has navigated the human trafficking industry in the USA and Florida. Increasing human trafficking awareness, as well as maintaining focus on education as the best means to demand reduction, has led to considerable progress, yet there is much more that can be done.

Some of the many service we provide include…

⦁ Mental Health Therapy and Counseling
⦁ 24/7 Urgent Care and Crisis Intervention
⦁ Educational Support for High School, GED, and Higher Education
⦁ Promoting work skills, job readiness, and critical thinking
⦁ Court advocacy and trial preparation to seek justice
⦁ Drug addiction therapy and mental health support
⦁ Physical health support, including exercise, yoga, meditation and
outdoor activities all related to soul health
⦁ Legal and family support, including parenting classes, counseling and more

An American Challenge

America is the number one producer of child porn in the world and a global destination for children being sold to the highest bidder and often moved away. Most children who are taken do not survive.   Human Trafficking in all its forms, from Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, Adults, Domestic Servitude and Labor Trafficking is the fastest growing crime in the world. MORE TOO LIFE FOUNDER – Advocate of Year! Congratulations!   More Too Life founder Brook Bello chosen for “THE HERO EFFECT ON OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network) in a new series produced by Dolphin Digital Media and United Way Worldwide.  WATCH THE HERO EFFECT TRAILER      MORE News: More Too Life in the Herald Tribune   Exciting to learn more about More Too Life on “the Hero Effect” on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

 

More Too Life, Inc considers RJEDE a key component of victim service. Our Restorative Justice End Demand Education (RJEDE) is an 8 hour course on human trafficking and prostitution prevention created by Dr. Brook Bello’s Youthiasm®, and licensed by More Too Life, that offers a comprehensive education to court appointed sexual offenders or buyers, referred men at risk of committing sexual violence and volunteer participants. It is a powerful educational model that ignites honor with men and points to the vital role they have in ending demand, prostitution, protecting children and young women, and help bring healing and transformation to the victims and themselves. The education is extensive in its approach in an in depth study on the history of prostitution, human trafficking and all of the root causes as well as healthy relationships, sexually transmitted diseases and the vices and issues men in the 21st century face.

What is Human Trafficking and it’s intersection with Prostitution?

Human Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, capture or receipt of persons, by means of force, fraud, coercion or abduction; the abuse of power in a position of vulnerability and giving or receiving of payments for the control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. This is the challenge. When we think of the words “force, fraud and coercion” especially when working with minors who are close to 17 and 18. When 92% of adult prostituted persons were violated as children, it truly states that they are or were victims, therefore, if children become what they see in terms of human development then it should not be difficult to understand why “yes” actually can mean no, when victims that do not realize they are victims are are questioned.

Types of trafficking and commercial exploitation include but are not limited to…

  • (Child) Sex trafficking and prostitution
  • Forced (child) labor
  • Involuntary domestic servitude
  • Child soldiers
  • Debt bondage

Some of the risk factors and warning signs

  • Childhood sexual abuse, signs of physical abuse
  • Drug addiction, drug abuser in the household
  • Runaway, homelessness, poor grades and school attendance
  • Presence of older “boyfriend” who gives expensive gifts

How does it affect our state, country and the world?

Sex trafficking is the primary type of trafficking in Florida, followed by forced domestic, farm labor and construction labor. Most identified victims of sex slavery and CSEC (commercial sexual exploitation of a child/children are females, however, the amount of trafficked children is steadily increasing. Florida is ranked 3rd in the prevalence in human trafficking in the United States, following Texas and California. Sex trafficking is the most common form of trafficking in the United States which includes all of US territories overall, taking place in various locations, including illicit massage parlors, motel rooms, private homes, or over the internet. The FBI and Homeland Security works relentlessly together with state and local law enforcement to identify victims and hold traffickers and buyers accountable. Human trafficking is the fastest growing crime in the world, and it is estimated that around 25 million victims are trapped in modern-day slavery, of which the majority are exploited for labor.

What do we do?

More Too Life, Inc  is an award winning anti- human trafficking and youth crime prevention agency. We aim to reduce demand and advance the lives of victims while addressing the issues and root causes on a larger scale, intervening in crisis situations, preventing teens from being trafficked, assisting teens and adults with the urgency of internet safety,  and preventing the demand of human trafficking through education and the importance of men of honor and the legacy of fatherhood. Part of our purpose is to strengthen the programs of other agencies by providing key training’s, services and resources to their staff and those victims we assist them in identifying.

Victim Services: LATN Education

Living Above the Noise (LATN)

Objective: To transform victims into survivor, thrivers and ultimately champions by educating and empowering youth, young women and men, as well as the LGBTQ community, with a variety of ways on how to live a sustainable lifestyle.

Why: By discovering identity and purpose, struggling individuals are prevented from falling in the cracks of society and becoming victims of human trafficking and sexual violence continually. 

LATN is our 5 semester (3-12 month) educational curriculum written by Dr. Brook Parker-Bello of Youthiasm® and licensed by More Too Life, Inc. which we consider as a key aspect of our victim service framework model. The purpose of this is not only to foster a survivor mentality, but also to create leaders with a higher purpose who will have a positive impact on society, with an emphasis on a victim’s emotional shift on any kind of childhood violence or trauma being their fault to being a survivor champion. We have identified that most of our mentees come from fatherless, neglected and/or abusive homes and are searching for acceptance even before being trafficked, as a part of prevention. Our five semesters go through personal development, worldviews on human trafficking and sexual violence, early warning signs and prevention methods, internet safety and integrity with exposure to the world through technology, leadership, identity discovery, cultural influences, de-collateralizing from gang or pimp culture, and the necessary skills to enter a new life. The overall goal is to educate and empower youth and young adults with ways they can live a happy and sustainable lifestyle.

Living Above the Noise – Digital Integrity and Intelligence (LATN DI)

Objective: To educate youth on the importance of digital integrity, intelligence and internet safety as it relates to human trafficking, misconduct, healthy relationship boundaries.

Why: With the growing complexity of the Internet and its many components youth need to learn how to stay safe and respond to the dangers that are circulating on social media and the world wide web.
The LATN – Digital Integrity and Intelligence Education is a pull out from the complete LATN curriculum which focuses on prevention and awareness set against the backdrop of digital integrity and the urgency of internet safety as it is related to the root causes of being a victim of abuse, exploitation, bullying, and gang association. It also provides an understanding of the internet as a powerful tool that reduces global borders, promotes gender respect and equality, and introduces net neutrality, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, the six degrees of information, and the future of work. It consists of four 1-hour interactive sessions geared towards reaching students and youth of varying ages and learning styles. We teach on healthy relationships, identity discovery, goal setting, STEAM education, all while stressing the means of informed decision-making, prevention for substance abuse, sexual assault and misconduct, teen pregnancy and STDs, as it relates to human trafficking in the 21st century. Each of the 4 pars incorporates a multimedia presentation that is utilized in a diverse group of settings such as classrooms, assemblies, small groups, or by grade. The course is altered depending upon age.

MTL,Inc, Safe Stay, Residential and Shelter Support

By providing housing support for victims and homeless victims and women high risk in our care as we aim to utilize the concept of educate and empower by deep case management and providing housing via our collaborative partners.

Victim Service + Intervention:

Urgent Care Assessment Center

Our center is a safe place for victim intake assessments, individualized crisis care, mentoring life coaching and counseling. The center is also utilized for identity discovery activities, as well as our LATN education, life labs and related sustainable services. We also educate our mentees on the urgency of critical thinking and problem solving skills, relevant peer coping and goal oriented career skills, aimed at engaging them into their own communities and their importance in the world we live in.

Mental Behavioral Health Management

More Too Life, Inc, uses a trauma-informed and applied care approach with a multi-disciplinary team in all our therapeutic services. We aim to provide a social-capital wrap through for survivors and their families through individualized counseling, mentoring and identity discovery resources. We desire that all individuals begin to discover who they are and move beyond their trauma on to a purposeful and productive life. We partner with various clinics and mental health agencies in the community for therapy and psychiatry with Coastal Behavioral Healthcare and Centerstone.

Victim Service:

The Open Doors Network created by Voices For Florida is a well-coordinated framework, designed to serve exploited and trafficked children and young adults 10 – age of 24 in five Florida pilot regions. More Too Life is honored to serve as the chosen organization for the Suncoast Region, including Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Our collaborators include various in-county human service providers, including DCF, SCC, and DJJ, found in all our four counties. However, this contract allows us to have an extended reach within the entire state of Florida. Hereby, we are able to work more effectively with our other four partner organizations across the state, adding up to 20 counties. This allows us to strengthen our program and award winning framework model by galvanizing our innovative survivor led, victim-centered services across county lines and collect more accurate data on the traffickers and buyers operating across the state. We have determined that almost all of our CSEC victims have been trafficked outside of their home county, reaching as far as Orlando or Miami, which is why we emphasize an inter-county approach.

Outreach

Even though human trafficking is illegal in every country, issues often intensify when laws aren’t enforced and there is a misunderstanding in the victim identification and offender jurisdiction. More Too Life, Inc, has an immediate first care advocacy and response when called upon as well as, community awareness initiatives, in schools, hospitals and the judicial courts. Additionally, our founder has been a key figure in the anti trafficking movement and the language and input in legislation that has passed  federally and in the Florida legislature which has directly affected millions of victims across the nation.

In partnership with the Sarasota Salvation Army, we recently opened our collaborative “Safe Stay” Project, a 7-day transitional project providing homeless adult women that are also victims of sexual violence and exploitation with a safe place (provided by Salvation Army) and mentoring services by More Too Life, including mental behavioral health management, medical care, budgeting classes and job readiness, as well as food and transportation support. We work with these individuals intensely while finding permanent housing services in order to ensure safety and continuous care. This is a pilot project, and the first of its kind within the region and The Salvation Army International. We aim to proving great success in our efforts, and implement the model in various locations throughout the country.

It is our greatest hope that all of the youth and adults we serve discover their truest sense of identity and the unique qualities that make them who they are.

More Too Life, Inc is an innovative space with a conceptual attitude and an effective approach toward services and education, mentoring, crisis care and identity discovery, where many of our protocols and initiatives are based.

“Victims don’t know – that they don’t know” says, Dr. Brook Bello. For example, one of our mentees at More Too Life, Inc was watching the news late one night in a dirty hotel room, after a night of being sold, beaten and walking the streets for her most recent pimp of several years and said she, “felt sad” for the girls she saw on TV that were traffick victims. After a major federal operation that our team was called in to partner in, where this young lady, of course had been a victim since the tender age of 14 years old, she began to understand that she was in fact a victim all of this time. The broken bones, gang rapes and beatings, she thought were her fault began to flood her memory and she cried in our arms as if to say, why did everyone look at me all of this time as if I was the problem? As if I was the criminal? Human Trafficking and Prostitution is not a victim-less crime.

 

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

 

 I  cannot help but assist the women, children and young men with the hope of a future after such ill abuse, that I myself, with needed help and love, overcame. 

Dr Brook Bello – Founder/E.D. of More Too Life

Brook bello