WellHouse founder, community members discuss prostitution problem

WellHouse founder Tajuan McCarty shared her testimony and discussed prostitution with Homewood residents Tuesday night.

At Raleigh Avenue Baptist Church, more than 50 attendees gathered to hear McCarty speak and answer questions about prostitution in the Homewood area.

McCarty founded the WellHouse, a faith-based nonprofit organization, to help girls and women who have been victims of sexual trafficking. After first being pulled into the world of prostitution at 15 years old, McCarty said she couldn’t see herself as a victim. She chose to run away from home, and she had nowhere to go.

This thought, of prostitution being her choice, continued into adulthood.

“As long as I’m a bad girl gone good, and I can control it, and it was my fault, it was OK. But when I had to look at the fact that I was a baby, and I was victimized, that changed everything,” McCarty said.

McCarty explained the path that led her into prostitution – an abusive family, unhelpful social workers – as well as her call to open WellHouse. Since founding the WellHouse in 2010, McCarty and her team have helped rescue 250 girls from sex trafficking.

Following McCarty’s testimony, the floor was opened to questions from the community. Wellhouse staff members Ashley Anderson and Carolyn Potter, Vestavia Hills state representative Jack Williams and Homewood community member Andy Conaway joined McCarty to answer questions.

Questions ranged from how to help women believed to be involved in sex trafficking to how to educate sons and daughters about the Southeast being a problem area.

“Birmingham is the ninth most giving city in the United States,” McCarty said. “We have a lot of money here, and I’m sorry, but we have a lot of men willing to solicit sex too … The good news is Homewood is the best response I have ever had. I am literally having a conversation with men responding.”

Having men understand the issue behind prostitution can help alleviate the problem. Anderson said this involves having a blunt conversation with sons and daughters. 

“There’s no euphemisms for this,” she said.

Williams discussed setting up a path for men soliciting sex. Through programs to work with “Johns” after they are caught, it helps put a face on the issue and lessen the demand for sex-trafficking.

“We can restore and heal the faults and brokenness in the men … this is a demand-driven industry,” Williams said.

McCarty said they have "absolutely" received positive feedback from local police departments for the work they do, but not from hotel owners. Special ops, a team of WellHouse volunteers that provides information to victims of sex trafficking, are not allowed in many hotels and motels, McCarty said. Legislators, Williams said, are hoping to change laws to encourage help from hotel and motel owners. 

"What we're trying to do is establish in our law the ability to seize property if it is continuously used for criminal enterprise," Williams said. "That might encourage some of the hotel owners ... to pay a little closer attention to what's going on."  

Audience members also asked about community help and volunteer opportunities. There are chances for high levels of involvement or monthly volunteering, McCarty said, and she encouraged members to seek out what they can do to help others. 

“It’s ugly, it’s messy to get involved in people’s lives … but we worry about our children – and we should – and our little league schedule and our dance recitals, and we miss out on the opportunity and time to engage in the life of someone who is hurting,” Williams said. “We can’t schedule this. We have to engage.”