Tharros Place, a nonprofit providing residential services for girls ages 12 to 17 who are survivors of human trafficking, recently announced it has added new members to its teen board. The Tharros Place Teen Board is a group of dedicated teens from various high schools in the Savannah/Chatham County area who assist in the mission of cultivating a culture of courage for Tharros Place residents.

“We started the Teen Board because we wanted input from Chatham County youth about what youth are interested in,” said Julie Wade, Executive Director of Tharros Place. “It's really inspirational to see Savannah-area teens working so hard to support others in their community, and we are grateful for their service.”

The new teen board members are:

• President, Madeline Balthrop (Savannah Arts Academy)

• NaMia Bostic (Woodville-Tompkins High School)

• Karis Bryant (New Hampstead High School)

• Peta-Che Campbell (Woodville-Tompkins High School)

• VP Internal, Ansley Cox (St. Vincent’s Academy) 

• Ashlynn Cummings (Woodville-Tompkins High School)

• VP Outreach, Layne Helmly (Savannah Country Day School) 

• Elle Nixon (Savannah Arts Academy)

• Anna Kate Prescott (Savannah Country Day School) 

• Vivian Roach (St. Vincent’s Academy) 

• Olivia Stewart (Effingham County Career and College Academy)

• Social Media Manager, Harper Wilcox (St. Vincent's Academy) 

• Lyla Wilcox (St. Vincent’s Academy) 

Teen Board members help out with human trafficking awareness efforts and plan fun events for Tharros Place residents like the Sneaker Ball and Spring Formal. They’re also there to encourage students to get involved in their communities and to bring a sense of normalcy and camaraderie to the Tharros Place residents. 

In 2024, 804 minors in Georgia were reported as trafficking victims. With Savannah’s high poverty rate, international port, booming tourism industry, and the crossroads of Highway 95 and I-16, the county ranks 6th in the state (out of 159 counties) for the number of reported cases of minor victims of trafficking.