Welch spots a woman with long, brown hair. She walks quickly with her arms crossed, the sleeves of her hot pink hoodie stretched and worn, her breath visible against the morning air. Welch and a volunteer look back at the woman as she walks past the concrete buildings. She shoots a quick glance at the bus and continues down the sidewalk. Welch pulls the bus into a turning lane so he can park on Sturm Street.
Before he can get off Warsaw, a blue car zips up to the curb. The driver throws open the passenger door, the woman gets in, and they ride away. Nearly half of those complaints were made in East Price Hill. WCPO spent time with Welch over two months to see just how prevalent it is. Prostitution in East Price Hill happens in plain sight on the streets 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Welch says. It also operates a street outreach ministry that involves Welch and seven volunteers driving the bus around the city.
Welch loads up the bus with fresh doughnuts, hot water for cocoa, coats, gloves and purses. If they need personal hygiene items, they get a purse full. Some women just want a safe place to be.
Other times, a woman will talk for 45 minutes and ask how she can get into treatment. Brandon Welch, outreach chaplain, has been driving the bus for nearly three years. Welch sees at least women yearly, executive director Scott Bowers estimates. Gym shoes. Welch believes people need consistency, so he drives the bus every Tuesday night and every Friday morning. Before he pulls out of the parking lot, he and Orlemann bow their heads. Orlemann perks up when she thinks she spots a woman she knows.
She turns her head as Welch drives past. Volunteer Kim Orlemann says her goal in the ministry is to get women into treatment. Now, Orlemann has been volunteering for over three years. Her main goal, she says, is to help get women into treatment. Briana looks no older than a teenager. She wears two hoods on her head, layered for the February cold. The year-old says she just used fentanyl 30 minutes ago. Briana agrees, and Orlemann immediately makes the call.
