enter this next year. - i'll saw, you paddle. - i'll paddle if you'll saw. - like charlie in the swimsuit. - (laughs) no. that's not gonna happen. - you're not that brave? - only if you get in a swimsuit too. and i know that's not gonna happen. >> good morning, and welcome to "new york viewpoint." i'm ken rosato. today we bring you an inspiring story about a local businessman who's helping children in underdeveloped countries to fight parasitic diseases, and he's using shoes as his tools. we also have with us an expert

on how to survive it. but first, most of us don't realize that 20.9 million people around the world are victims of human trafficking, now a $150-billion global industry. plymouth church in brooklyn was a stop on the underground railroad, with a noted history as an anti-abolitionist church in the 19th century. recently, they started an anti-trafficking ministry. as they say, this is nothing more than modern-day slavery. the name of the ministry is we are the new abolitionists. joining us in the studio are beth fleisher, chair of plymouth church's anti-trafficking ministry, and taryn merkl, assistant u.s. attorney in the eastern district of new york and currently chief of civil rights for the criminal division. thank you both for being here today. >> thank you. >> first of all, we think of human trafficking -- i think many people think of it as something from years ago or from far away. how big is that here? >> it's a very definite problem, and it takes many different forms. it's very hard to get accurate

is illegal activity, but perhaps taryn can give you some ideas of the size of this problem. >> as you mentioned, the global problem is in upwards of 20 to 30 million people, according to state department estimates and other estimates. and although we don't have precise figures for new york city because it is an illicit industry, the problem is real, and we prosecute many cases, as do our local counterparts, every year. >> so, when we say "human trafficking," to illustrate for people, are we talking in some cases, "i'll get you into the united states, i'll get you a nice job, a nice living," and so, because life might be more difficult in their home country, they get here, and once they're here, they're treated like slaves? >> absolutely. we see that in a variety of industries, including the restaurant industry, massage-parlor industry, prostitution work. and many of the cases that i do involve sex-trafficking victims who are lured here under those exact false pretenses that you mentioned. >> is it more the people from their own country doing it to get them here, or is it, in many cases, americans doing that here? >> on many of the cases that i

bringing foreign nationals to this country. but certainly there is sex-trafficking and other forms of slavery in this country that are also affecting u.s.-born victims. >> so, tell me what plymouth church does now to try to help stop this. do people come to you in tears, saying, "i don't know what to do to get out of this cycle -- what do i do to save my life?" what happens? >> well, what happens at plymouth is that we work to educate. what my story is, is that i thought, as many people do, that trafficking happens overseas or that trafficking happens in other countries and to foreign-born nationals. and about four years ago, we had an event at plymouth where i learned that trafficking is something that happens right here in new york city, right in brooklyn, right around the corner from my church and my home. so, what i needed to do was, i spent a year looking at the various organizations to figure out what we could do as private citizens, as individuals, to help. and the biggest thing that i figured out was that most people don't know. and so we have a very strong

we just had an event a few weeks ago where we had 250 people and the brooklyn d.a. coming to speak to us so that we could all learn more about what goes on. but at that same event, we also have volunteer efforts that average people can take on, things that we can do that will help trafficking survivors. >> what should people look out for? i mean, might it just be the bus person at your restaurant? could it be the person stocking the shelves in the corner bodega? i mean, who might be someone who is trafficked? >> those are two examples that are very possible. we certainly have seen cases where it is restaurant workers and people working in stores, sometimes domestic servants. we had a case on long island a couple of years ago where two domestic servants were held in slave-like conditions, as well as restaurant employees. we've done a case of that nature, as well. >> but i think most disturbing to me is understanding that there are an awful lot of young

girls, that are drawn into sex work. and any underage person who's engaged in sex work is considered a victim of trafficking because they cannot give consent. and these people are often brought in by means of force or fraud or coercion. these are girls from our neighborhood and some young men from our neighborhood that are forced to work for somebody else's benefit. >> and so what can they do to try to break the cycle to get out? because in many cases, this is probably -- they have no other means to live. they're probably -- they'll probably have no place to sleep. they'll probably be thrown out on the streets, right? i mean, the person who's enslaving them, in essence, in this lifestyle probably provide them with whatever miniscule means to survive that they have. >> well, that's where the community effort comes in, and that's one of the things that we appreciate as law-enforcement organizations like plymouth church and all of the nongovernmental organizations that we work with, including

sanctuary for families, safe horizon. all of these entities help provide services to stabilize victims and put them on the path to recovery and, if appropriate, refer the case to law enforcement for investigation and possible prosecution. but the first step is knowing that there's a problem, being willing to help solve the problem, and calling. there's a hotline number i know will be available to everyone who's watching the show. and call. if you see something, say something. >> it's on the screen, in fact, right now. the scary thing is, so many of these -- you talk about young people. i mean, how many of these young people might have even been kidnapped from their countries? their families may not even know where they are. >> well, i think the thing that i would like to reiterate -- it's not just people that are foreign-born. it's people from our city. there was one girl, whose mother happens to work for one of these agencies, who was approached on the street in a very odd and random way because she was with a group of boys and there was an

and it was in a very nice neighborhood in brooklyn. there was no reason to approach her except that this person saw what he perceived as being an opportunity. so, again, it's not just foreign-born. it's also our own children. >> so, basically, like, giving a line like, "hey, you could be a model, i'll give you a nice life, why don't you come with me?" and the next thing you know, she's in the sex industry and she's -- >> very often, it's, "i will be your boyfriend," "i will buy you nice things," "hey, will you do me a favor just this one time? we're low on money, baby." this is the story that i've heard over and over and over again. and of course there's breaking the child away from their family, keeping them isolated, and building up that bond with them by telling them that they have no other worth now, that their family won't take them back, and other forms of emotional manipulation. it's a terrible thing. >> it's a horrifying thing. and i'm sure there are not a lot of happy endings for a lot of

and this is the idea -- to educate folks right now to be on the lookout and, if you're in that kind of a life right now, that there is someplace you can call, and that's why you're here. >> absolutely. and, you know, there are many cases that don't have happy endings, but there are many that do. you know, our office has done over 65 cases in the last 10 years or so where we've indicted persons for sex-trafficking. we've assisted over 130 victims. and one of the silver linings, one of the things our office is the most proud of is we've also reunited 18 children with their mothers who were being held and the child was being used as the form of control. and so there is help available, and people should call. >> beth and taryn, thank you so much for bringing this to light. the idea that human trafficking exists right here in new york city and in the tri-state is, well, news to a lot of people, i'm sure. thank you for bringing to light. >> and thank you for giving us a chance to talk. >> thank you so much.

it's a nonprofit organization that provides shoes for barefoot children in countries that have parasitic diseases.

>> welcome back to "new york viewpoint." i'm ken rosato. did you know that parasitic diseases affect 740 million people worldwide? chronic problems like hookworm in children could lead to

intellectual development. now, believe it or not, taking a small step like simply providing proper footwear can help. please join me in welcoming someone who decided to do something about this. he's bill lerner, co-founder of billy4kids, who's also the c.e.o. of ipark. thanks for being with us, bill. >> thank you, ken. >> you know, you think -- we take for granted that we have shoes. we throw on our shoes. we walk out. and just something as simple and basic as having shoes when we walk out prevents zillions -- and, of course, i'm exaggerating with that number, using hyperbole -- but a lot of infections because it prevents us from stepping on things that would get us sick. but children and adults in a lot of places all over the world don't have that, and so they get sick. so, talk about billy4kids. >> well, my partner and i founded billy4kids. it was a whim. it was a germination of ideas. i was watching a netflix documentary on parts of the world that don't even have sewage systems. and your facts are correct.

areas that do not have sewage systems throughout their streets. so, we came up with this idea of going out to the public and trying to get donations of used shoes from the teenage kids -- because we all have teenagers, and they outgrow their size 4, their size 5, 7, 9. and these shoes are sitting in their closets. so, we decided to put boxes in each of the ipark garages and asked our customers to just drop of their children's sneakers and shoes. and we started to distribute these sneakers around the world. and then we realized that to really keep up with the pace that we wanted to keep doing this at, we had to start manufacturing our own sneakers. so we began manufacturing in china as of last year. >> no kidding. >> yes. >> so, how many are you manufacturing a year now? >> we're probably manufacturing 2,000 to 4,000 pairs of sneakers a year, getting another 2,000 to 3,000 donated through the

to date, we've distributed over 4,000 pair of sneakers to south africa, south america, the caribbean, and appalachia, all areas, even in our own country, where there's just raw sewage. and these children are dying or losing limbs. >> we don't even think that that's possible, and it does -- it exists right here in our country. >> it's so sad. >> so, you think about that -- 4,000 pairs of shoes and how many diseases you've prevented just -- we think that, "oh, it's too difficult to prevent infections." something as simple as shoes on their feet prevents that. >> it was a simple idea with a great solution, and we want to keep doing this, keep it rolling forward, and one day cover a million pairs of feet, 10 million pairs of feet. and, you know, a great goal would be to have everybody in these emerging nations to have shoes on their feet. >> did you always want to start up a charity?

>> you know, i've always been involved in charity and other people's charities. i sit on the board of st. mary's children's hospital. but i really wanted to do something that was my own. >> mm-hmm. >> i feel that i've been very fortunate in life, and i just always wanted to be able to give back. and this is my -- this is my goal and my process. >> have you gone to these places where you've donated the sneakers? >> we have, and the best reward of doing all this is to see the children's faces when you just give them a pair of sneakers -- i mean, something so simple. and the smile and the joy that they exude makes it all worthwhile. >> what is the most special story that you've ever heard? >> getting back to what i just said, i think all the stories are special, seeing each of the children's faces, just being happy and knowing that they have something to wear to school, that their feet are not gonna get damaged. >> the types of infections that we were talking about -- hookworm -- that you can get,

we talk about raw sewage in the streets. i've visited -- we can go to some of the caribbean islands that people love to go to, these -- you see these wonderful commercials on even our air here. during the cold-weather months, you know, there's -- immediately they show caribbean-island commercials, those very exotic, beautiful hotels. just go two miles off the hotel zone, and you'll see people who live in poverty, with little divots on the sides of the road. those little divots -- >> carry the sewage. >> those are open sewers, right? and so this is what you're talking about. >> these children are stepping into the divots in rain, in the rainy periods in these countries. what's going through the divots is overflowing and just washing down the streets. and the organisms stay on the streets. so, it's not like, you know, you have a rainstorm and it's over. the organisms exists there for weeks and months. >> that is something. so, how many countries have you been able to visit? >> we've been to about seven countries so far. >> okay. >> and we're gonna hopefully get to brazil and colombia and back

>> what's your goal, other than getting back to appalachia this year? what are some other goals for the rest of the year? >> we would like to distribute another 4,000 to 7,000 pairs of sneakers this year. so, we'd like to grow the number and keep growing it. and in terms of the cost of treatment versus prevention. clearly -- >> a pair of sneakers from china is $3 and change. the cost of a disease is immeasurable... >> right. >> ...loss of life, immeasurable. obviously donations of sneakers within the ipark chain is zero. so it's a great leverage. >> hey, clean out your closet. you got sneakers you're not gonna wear anymore. they're sitting in the closet collecting dust. you think to yourself, "it's such a waste. when am i gonna use them?" you save them maybe to paint the house. you're not gonna use them. donate them. these people could use them, and you could save their lives in the process. >> we in the world would appreciate you. >> thank you so much. >> thank you, ken. >> it was a pleasure having you on, bill. what a great concept. i'm sure a lot of people are

>> thank you. >> and for all the information on the organizations featured on "viewpoint" and if you happened to have missed part of the show and you want to see it at your leisure, visit us at... we're coming right back with what you need to know about fighting the flu.

>> welcome back to "new york viewpoint." i'm ken rosato. according to the cdc, the average adult can expect to contract two to three colds each year, and that doesn't even take into account contracting the flu. in addition, the mayo clinic reports children are susceptible to up to 10 colds a year. please join me in welcoming dr. ken redcross, the founder of redcross concierge. good to have you here, doc. >> thank you. thank you for having me, ken. it's good to be back in new york. >> it is good to have you back in new york. we've missed you. >> [ chuckles ] >> now, is it -- i guess let's start with that stat. is it that kids have not been exposed to as many viruses, so that's why they could have as many as 10, and by the time you're an adult, you've been exposed to all those different viruses? >> absolutely, ken. you hit the nail right on the head -- and not only that. you think about these daycares. kids are always doing what? we're wiping noses. they're touching somebody, rubbing faces. so they're also a little more

>> heck, you've never been in a newsroom, let alone kids. we do that in the newsroom, for gosh sakes. so, this is something. there are things you can do, though, to prevent getting the flu. so, let's talk about some of them. >> yeah. what i did was create the redcross flu survival kit to be ready for when we do come down with the symptoms. the first thing i always talk about is a probiotic. by this time, i think we've all heard of probiotics and know they're good for us, but a lot of us may not understand that when we get sick, we lose a lot of the good bacteria in our gut that's important for immune health. so, therefore, you need to get a probiotic to kind of replenish your gut. the second thing is a homeopathic remedy that i love. the name of it is oscillo. oscillo is all-natural and has been shown in studies to decrease both the severity and the duration of illness when hours. and it's also good for those kids we were talking about -- 2 years of age and older. >> that's that little, skinny, white box that they sell. you can find it in every drugstore. they have it by all the homeopathic remedies. they even have it right next to tylenol and everything else. >> absolutely. it's easy to find, luckily.

chicken noodle soup. ken, that's just proof that mom is always right. >> [ laughs ] >> but not only is mom right, ken. she has data. there's data that shows that chicken soup actually does, in fact, help. it slows the migration of white blood cells to the areas that we don't want them to be in, such as to our lungs, causing that pesky cough. >> no kidding. >> so, something to think about. then zinc is another thing we can do -- once again, all-natural. zinc is very important. studies show, once again, it'll decrease both the severity and the duration when taken early. >> so, that's the zinc, the slow-melt-tab stuff that would kill the virus in the nose area and the throat, correct? >> exactly, and it's very, very effective. and new, kind of hot-off-the-press, ken, is vitamin "d." some good studies that show that when our vitamin "d" is deficient, it increases our ability to get "sicker." so, we don't want that to happen. in fact, it's so important, you should definitely talk to your doctor about getting your levels checked. and there's certain companies like natural and organic

where you can actually get home vitamin "d" kits. so, it's that important to get that done. >> and a lot of people i know -- what, they only have -- even those little 400 i.u. pills -- that's like way lower than you really need. some people may need as much as like 5,000 units, but talk to your doctor, right? >> absolutely. i usually talk about 2,000. >> 2,000 safely. >> so, it's important, and you can see that -- there's a website, a good one, called thepowerofdad.org -- give you a lot of good information on that. >> and if we were -- like, i used to live in florida. 15 minutes or 10 minutes -- safe amount of time to be in the sun. 10, 15 minutes would give you like 5,000 units of "d." >> it would give you more than enough, ken. you're absolutely right. >> unfortunately, we don't get that here this time of year... >> no. >> ...through much of the cold-weather months or even spring and fall in new york. so, let's talk about then also some of the other things that we can do to prevent infection, simple things like what? >> simple things like our mom, once again, tells us -- you got to wash your hands. you have to because we usually give these cold to ourselves, to be quite honest. the other thing you need to do is make sure you're getting enough rest. rest is so important.

in my practice -- the "s" word -- stress. you got to be careful with that because that's now a cardiac risk factor, and that gets us sicker also. >> now, how about some of the misconceptions like, "oh, i feel cold, therefore i'll get a cold"? that's not necessarily true. >> no, that's not one. that's not one at all. and another one is that, "if i get the flu shot -- doc, i'm not taking that. i'm gonna get the flu." you will not get the flu from that. it's already a killed, inactivated virus, so don't worry. it will not come back to life to bite you. >> you may get some symptoms, though, for the first day. >> you can. you can kind of feel like you're coming down with a little something, but don't forget -- we're introducing something new into your body, so your body is revving up, ready to fight this infection. >> right. but it's so important to get the flu shot because how many people die from the flu each year? >> oh, gosh. well, let me tell you -- 200,000 are usually affected -- or at least by some other complication -- and 25,000 can usually die from the flu every year. so, extremely important to get your flu shot, absolutely. >> absolutely. and, what, last year, the flu shot wasn't as effective because it was a different strain of flu that really impacted americans. but this year is pretty good. >> this year is pretty good.

kind of guess and use our science and see. last year wasn't so good. this year is pretty good, and everyone in new york needs to keep in mind -- i know we've made it to february, but the flu can go all the way to may. >> wow. >> yeah. >> wow. i did not know that. >> absolutely. >> and how about in terms of young and elderly? are they more susceptible? >> yeah. unfortunately, when we talk about the deaths that we see each year, it tends to be our elderly and the very young, you know, newborns, that sort of thing. so, everyone who's in a household with an elderly person or a younger person, think about making sure you get your vaccination, too, so that you can protect them. >> and i was also reading recently about, if your house is way too dry and if you're not drinking enough water, as well. >> yeah. the virus propagates well in that sort of thing, which is why it always comes when? during the winter, the cold, dry air, ken. >> so, ultimately, then, the -- also, the distinction -- a lot of people say -- they love to say, if they have a bad cold, that they believe they have the flu. what are the distinctions, in terms of the symptoms, between the cold and the flu? >> i always talk to patients. when they talk about the stuffy nose and the head, that tends to

it's when they call me and say, "doc, i have this horrible fever, and i just feel like i got hit by a mack truck" -- it's those body aches. that's what starts to clear me in -- or clue me in, i should say, rather -- that they may have something a little bit more than a common cold. >> right. so, if you have fever and you're so beaten that you feel like you can't even get out of bed, chances are that might be the flu. >> probably the flu. you need to give us a call. >> absolutely. and that's when you could prescribe something like tamiflu or some of the antivirals. >> yeah, if you get it early enough. remember -- tamiflu is very important. like a lot of the things we're talking about today, ken, it's things early. tamiflu is one that you have to get it early, or a doctor like myself can't give it to you. >> even, like, the zinc and the vitamin "d" for a cold, you start -- the first little tickle, that's when you take the zinc gluconate tablets and whatnot. you start on those right away, and they tend to stop it in its path right there. >> stop it right in its path. and i'm impressed you knew "zinc gluconate." that's impressive, ken. >> you can tell i spend a lot of time at the drugstore. all right, dr. ken redcross -- perfect name for a doctor -- "redcross." >> absolutely. >> i love that. great to have you on today. >> thank you. >> it was a pleasure. may you stay healthy.

>> that's right. hey, i'm ken rosato. we want to thank you again for joining us.

this is new york's number one news, channel 7 eyewitness news with michelle charlesworth and rob nelson, and amy freeze with the exclusive accuweather forecast. now, eyewitness news this morning. good morning, everybody. 6:a.m. right now, and wicked winds, heavy downpours tearing through parts of the tristate area this morning. the dangerous weather left a