DECATUR, Ga. – On Tuesday, Oct, 1, 2019, DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson announced a $5,000 grant in support of Tabitha’s House, an organization focused on eradicating teen sex trafficking in the State of Georgia.
Commissioner Davis Johnson raised the funds with the support of Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority, Southern Company, Emory Hospital, The Collaborative Firm and DeKalb County Superior Court Clerk Debra DeBerry.
“Sex trafficking is real and we must do all that we can to address it,” Commissioner Davis Johnson said. “This is a tragedy that is taking place in our back yard, we must not stand for it and it is up to us to make a difference in the lives of these young people.”
According to Tabitha's House, approximately 100 adolescent girls are exploited each night in Georgia.
Over the past four years, Commissioner Davis Johnson and Lithonia Mayor Deborah A. Jackson have partnered to host a community fun day which focuses its efforts on raising awareness on behalf of Tabitha’s House. On Aug. 31, over 450 individuals attended the annual event, which was hosted in the City of Lithonia.
Since partnering in 2016, Commissioner Davis Johnson has raised more than $17,000 to support the efforts of Tabitha’s House to eradicate sex trafficking in DeKalb County and ultimately in Georgia.
Tabitha’s House Executive Director Margie Gill said, “We are grateful for Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson’s continued support and choice to focus on an issue that is very real and relevant. We hope through her efforts that we will someday be put out of business because we no longer have to worry about young teens being trafficked in DeKalb County, the State of Georgia and the United States of America.”
The $5,000 grant will aid in bringing other victims out of teen sex trafficking.
###
1300 Commerce Drive Decatur, GA 30030
404-371-2000