348 — Grab Your Handle: How Anyone Can Join the Fight

Andrew Kroeger joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as the two discuss how anyone can find their unique role in fighting human trafficking without changing careers, using the metaphor of grabbing a handle on an ancient Greek pithari jar. Andrew Kroeger Andrew Kroeger is a podcast producer with over a decade of experience and a proud Vanguard alum. Before podcasting, he worked in book publishing as an editor and spent years as a live sound engineer. He's also passionate about global missions, having spent many summers living in Romania, doing outreach work for the past eight years. Andrew has been the invisible force behind this podcast, editing every episode, managing the website, and ensuring content reaches listeners in over 170 countries. What's fascinating is how Andrew never set out to work in anti-human trafficking - this opportunity came to him through his existing skills and connections. Key Points Andrew's journey into anti-trafficking work began as a Vanguard student doing live sound for events, which led to connections that eventually brought him to podcast production work eight years later. The pithari metaphor illustrates how fighting human trafficking requires many people finding their unique "handle" - you don't need to carry the entire burden alone, just find where your skills fit. Andrew emphasizes that people don't need to change careers or entire life directions to make a meaningful impact in anti-trafficking work - opportunities often come through existing skills and connections. His global mission experience, particularly in Romania and Egypt's "Garbage City," gave him firsthand perspective on trafficking issues that keeps him passionate about the work. Eight years of editing every episode has transformed Andrew from a "tech guy" into a content expert who can now play an editorial role in shaping the podcast's message. Working consistently with anti-trafficking content can lead to emotional numbing, requiring intentional effort to maintain compassion and avoid becoming cynical about the work. The podcast's focus on hope and human dignity, rather than just statistics and outcomes, sets it apart from other anti-trafficking content and prevents burnout. Andrew's favorite episodes are those featuring Romania because they connect to his personal mission experience, and the recent AI episode with David Tyre because it showed how emerging technology can help rather than hinder anti-trafficking efforts. The podcast is transitioning to video format to reach more students and young professionals who prefer visual content and want to share episodes with friends and classmates. Finding your "handle" means recognizing opportunities that come to you naturally rather than forcing your way into anti-trafficking work - partnership is often more effective than starting from scratch. Resources Connect with Andrew 282 – Crisis Prevention of Ukraine Refugee Trafficking, with Ioana Bauer 341 – Following the Money: How Financial Crime Investigations Disrupt Human Trafficking Transcript [00:00:00] Sandie Morgan: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast here at Vanguard University's Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. I'm Dr. Sandie Morgan, and this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. [00:00:24] Today I'm flipping the script and putting our producer Andrew Kroeger in front of the microphone. Andrew is a podcast producer with over a decade of experience. And a proud Vanguard alum. Before podcasting, he worked in book publishing as an editor and spent years as a live sound engineer. He's also passionate about global missions, having spent many summers living in Romania, doing outreach work for the past eight years. [00:01:05] Andrew has been the invisible force behind this podcast. He's been editing every episode, managing our website,