Over the past several years, the subject of human trafficking has become increasingly common in newspapers, blogs, and educational conferences. More people are able to describe what human trafficking is and why public awareness on the issue is important. Few people are able to identify whether or not it has occurred in their own community, what resources there are for victims, and what action steps to take should they come in contact with a victim.

Human trafficking has become the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the United States causing organizations to take a stand against this growing affront to human rights. While statistics by county are not freely available, law enforcement for Genesee County has confirmed that cases of both sex and labor trafficking have occurred. Many residents and professionals now want to know what to do about it.

Five local organizations have teamed up to present a community symposium on human trafficking to increase awareness and reduce risk for Genesee County. The Genesee County Medical Society, Genesee County Human Trafficking Task Force, Greater Flint Health Coalition, Genesee County Medical Society Alliance, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and the Genesee County Osteopathic Association are holding a free event at the Flint Institute of Arts on Tuesday, September 15, from 8:30 – 2:00. There will be speakers from local, state, and federal levels who represent government, social services, the judicial system, healthcare, law enforcement, and educators.

Everyone from retirees, stay-at-home moms, students, and professionals are encouraged to attend the event, as there will be information relevant to all Genesee County residents regardless of age, race, gender, socioeconomic class, and occupation. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Space is limited so please RSVP as soon as possible to Sherry Smith via email at ssmith@gcms.org or by phone at (810) 733-9923.

The Greater Flint Health Coalition and Commit to Fit! are pleased to announce that seven Genesee County businesses have qualified for the inaugural Commit to Fit! Certified Healthy Workplace Designation. This certification aims to acknowledge local businesses actively working to improve the health of their employees by providing workplace wellness programming and a healthy business environment.

With Americans spending 40% of their time at work or engaged in work related activities, employers play a large role in employee health. When employees are encouraged to engage in healthy habits at work, those strategies translate to their families and the community as a whole. Supporting a healthy workforce supports a healthy community, and these Genesee County workplaces are leading the way.

Commit to Fit! Certified Healthy Workplaces

Gold Level Certification
Baker College of Flint
Diplomat Pharmacy Inc.
HealthPlus of Michigan
University of Michigan – Flint

Silver Level Certification
Greater Flint Health Coalition
Mott Community College

Bronze Level Certification
ELGA Credit Union

Following an open application process available to any Flint and Genesee County area business, certifications were awarded based upon the comprehensiveness of each businesses’ wellness program in the following categories: workplace environment, policies, leadership support and wellness program components. Point requirements were based upon business size to ensure fairness amongst local businesses.

The Commit to Fit! Certified Healthy Workplace application will be offered twice annually, with the second application period made available September 1 through September 30, 2015. The Commit to Fit! Certified Healthy Workplace application is available on Commit2fit.com.