Featured Speakers: Tharros Place - Julie Wade, LaToya D. Scott, and Kate Templeton (view their slide presentation here)
Tharros mean courage in Greek
Julie started by thanking everyone for their continued support since the inception of Tharros Place’s vision! She introduced LaToya Scott as the Residential Director. LaToya moved her family from Brunswick and has been with Tharros Place since the very beginning. She lives in Pooler with her teenage son. Kate Templeton is the Outreach Coordinator who spends most of her time presenting to the community and educating them on Human Trafficking.
Chatham County ranks fourth in Georgia for reported cases of sex trafficking out of 159 counties (a March 2024 story here). Poverty, youth homelessness, tourism, the international port, the I-95/I-16 corridor, and proximity to Atlanta and Florida all contribute to this ranking. Kate stated that there is a general lack of awareness around these issues as well as education of services.
Funding is maintained through grants, individual donors, companies (Gulfstream, Bank of America, IKEA, GA Power, Delta, Costco), angel grants, and investors from government organizations. Outreach to 1,340 individuals thus far.
Upcoming project with the Tourism Leadership Council (TLC): training hotel staff to be “Human Trafficking Awareness Certified” will start this fall.
The Leadership Team, Operations Staff and Board of Directors presented in slides, including Metro’s own Elizabeth Summerell!
The Facility features 12 beds, private toilets & mirrors with shared showers. It also has a living room and two lounges, as well as a kitchen where the girls cook, eat and snack. They have educational space as well.
The Mission, Vision Statement, and DEI can all be found on the homepage here.
Program:
- Age 12-17 girls.
- Education, Community Events, Individual Therapy, Life Skills, Direct Care Specialist, Extra Curricular Activities, Case Management, & transitions to employment.
- “Socially Acceptable” versus “Normal” is the language used.
- Shout out to SCAD for their partnership helping design the building and provide art for the facility.
- 1,818 volunteer hours- life skills, cooking, education, meditation, etc.
- Countless local non-profit partners.
- Bi-Annual Stakeholder Meetings held in Spring & Fall. Next meeting September 18th at 8:30am.
- How to help:
- Invite them to present to other groups
- Volunteer
- Donate time or money
- Social media shares/support
- Events
Speaker bios:
Julie Wade:
Julie Wade, Executive Director of Tharros Place, is a lawyer by training who has served Savannah’s non-profit community since 2017. As Executive Director of Park Place Outreach, a teen homeless shelter, she added new programs and doubled the budget to be able to serve youth more comprehensively. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood Southeast and the UGA Alumni Association.
A Georgia native, Julie attended UGA for undergrad and law school. She clerked for a federal judge and practiced law in Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Savannah. She currently provides legal services for nonprofits to build capacity and ensure compliance. Julie is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Leadership Southeast Georgia, and Leadership Savannah and has been recognized as a UGA 40 Under 40 and a Bulldog 100 business. For 10 years, Julie served as an elected member of the Savannah Chatham County Board of Education, representing District One.
LaToya D. Scott:
LaToya Scott, Residential Director of Tharros Place, is fiercely passionate about serving those in need through empowerment and education. LaToya has devoted her career to supporting vulnerable populations to enhance their overall well-being. LaToya started her Bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Social Work at Albany State University before completing a program in Liberal Studies with a minor in Criminal Justice at Armstrong Atlantic’s State University. Following graduation LaToya began her social service career in her hometown of Brunswick, GA with the Glynn County Division of Family and Children Services. LaToya has been in the human services and social work field for 12 years. She has served in non-profit residential servicing for the last 7 years. With her substantial experience, LaToya has developed shelter operations, enhanced policies and procedures, participated in accreditation processes, and implemented staff trainings regarding safety and person-centered care. While working for non-profit organizations such as Safe Harbor Children's Center and Morningstar Family and Children Services, LaToya developed a passion for working with abused and neglected youth who have developmental disabilities, mental health diagnoses, and other significant traumatic experiences. Additionally, LaToya is an active member of Empowerment City Church where she serves as an Executive Administrator and Praise and Worship Leader. She is an active member of Eta Upsilon Sigma Chapter, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. where she serves as Vice President. LaToya enjoys singing, writing music, shopping, and spending time with family. She has one son and spends most of her free time attending his extracurricular sporting events.
Kate Templeton:
Kate Templeton, Operations Coordinator for Tharros Place, is a 2022 graduate of The University of Georgia where she obtained her Master of Public Health degree. Her undergraduate degree, also from The University of Georgia, was a B.S. in Health Promotion and Behavior with minors in Spanish and Music (Voice). Kate is a Savannah native and is excited to be working with Tharros Place.
In the past, Kate has interned with multiple organizations in the Athens, Georgia area such as Unified Healthcare for the Rural Underserved and Live Forward (formerly AIDS Athens). Kate has a passion for health education and loves working with children.
Outside of work, Kate serves as a Community Investments Volunteer on the Youth Development Panel for United Way, is involved in The Savannah Children's Theatre, is a Certified Professional Coach through the International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches and is a mentor for students in the UGA Mentor Program.
In the past, Kate has interned with multiple organizations in the Athens, Georgia area such as Unified Healthcare for the Rural Underserved and Live Forward (formerly AIDS Athens). Kate has a passion for health education and loves working with children.
Outside of work, Kate serves as a Community Investments Volunteer on the Youth Development Panel for United Way, is involved in The Savannah Children's Theatre, is a Certified Professional Coach through the International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches and is a mentor for students in the UGA Mentor Program.