Clearwater Dentist Acknowledged for Assisting Victims of Human Trafficking

CLEARWATER: Dentist Paul Rodeghero was recently acknowledged by World Relief and UNITED for Human Rights for his work with the victims of human trafficking.

            Since 2009, Dr. Rodeghero, the owner of Clearwater Family Dental and member of United Physicians for Human Rights, has been providing free dental care to these victims – both men and women - to help them move forward with their lives and their new freedom.

            “These victims are beaten, fed improperly, mentally and physically tortured – taking care of the health of their ‘slaves’ is the last thing that a slave master or a pimp is concerned with,” said Gracia Bennish, Executive Director of UNITED for Human Rights. “Medical professionals like Dr. Rodeghero are a necessary part of helping these victims return to a normal life and we are very grateful that he is here.”

            Dr. Rodeghero and his office staff were presented with two gift baskets by Bennish of UNITED for Human Rights and Ida Lopez from the Tampa Bay Chapter of World Relief.

            “I realize that there are individuals that have had a bad break in life and are trying to get ‘back on their feet’” said Dr. Rodeghero. “My purpose is to help others to improve the conditions they may be facing in life.  Helping to improve their dental condition will change so many other aspects of their life from overall health to getting and maintain a job.  To help bring someone back to a point where they can have more self-respect is reward enough for me.”

            As Florida is a state with one of the highest numbers of individuals being trafficked, both charitable organizations have focused their efforts on this issue.

            World Relief began in 1944, when the War Relief Commission of the National Association of Evangelicals was founded in New York City to provide urgently needed humanitarian aid to war-torn Europe. They changed their name to World Relief in 1950. Today, World Relief consists of 2,500 staff, who manage 60,000 volunteers and serve four million people who have a variety of needs. In recent years, World Relief has focused efforts on rescuing those who have fallen victim to human trafficking.

            UNITED for Human Rights (UHR) is an international, not-for-profit organization dedicated to implementing the United Nation’s  Universal Declaration of Human Rights at local, regional, national and international levels. Article Four of this document states “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.”

            Members of the Church of Scientology sponsor this secular, grass-roots program, funding the printing and distribution of booklets, public service announcements and a short documentary about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

            “Central to Scientology beliefs is a conviction that all humankind is entitled to inalienable rights,” said Church spokesperson Pat Harney. “It is in the spirit of our founder L. Ron Hubbard’s statement that ‘Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream’ that our parishioners contribute to such programs.”