Many people still think human trafficking only happens somewhere else, like foreign countries. Certainly not in Orange County.
Sorry. Orange County is a hotbed for human trafficking. That is why we have an Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, started in 2004 with Waymakers, a nonprofit organization.
The task force consists of a variety of nonprofit agencies, law enforcement agencies, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, faith-based organizations, service clubs such as Soroptimist International, Rotary and Kiwanis, plus Higher Ground and other nonprofits, all part of the fight to end human trafficking.
The task force has monthly meetings, open to the public, that usually take place on the last Wednesday of the month at Waymakers’ offices in Irvine. Some of us from Soroptimist International of Brea-La Habra attend these meetings, where we learn how trafficking is being addressed in Orange County and how we can help.
We’ve learned many horrible stories about young people being caught up in human trafficking through Internet contacts, running away and that very nice stranger who befriends a vulnerable youth.
According the OCHTTF, 14-year-olds are the fastest growing group of victims. And now the OCHTTF and its associates are trying to educate youngsters about how not to become a human trafficking victim.
One successful way of getting that message to those 14-year-olds is through Know More, Do Better 4.0 presentations from the OCHTTF. They help young teens learn how to be aware of human trafficking and not to become a victim online and in person.
Targeted to junior high school students, the Know More, Do Better 4.0 program takes place at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, and is presented by Vanguard students, not older adults.
The students are bused in from various Orange County schools.
Besides the presentation, there are booths and displays with information reinforcing what is presented. The students can win prizes by correctly answering a question at each booth about something they learned from the presentation.
Orange County Soroptimists are part of the task force. The first year, fellow Soroptimist Jane Shellhouse and I volunteered for Know More, Do Better 4.0, we sat at the back of the auditorium, expecting to see the phones come out or the poking and whispering to start. But it didn’t. Those junior high kids’ attention was on what was presented. I think the Vanguard students as the presenters had a lot to do with it.
The first Know More, Do Better 4.0 for this year is Jan. 26 at Vanguard University. January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
At the Know More, Do Better event, there is also artwork and other items created by adult survivors of human trafficking. It is one thing to rescue someone from being trafficked, but then they need help to learn skills to work and provide for themselves once they are no longer under the control of a trafficker.
One of the supporters of the task force is the nonprofit Kherut, which has a catering company, Savor, where it trains and employs survivors in food service jobs. Our Soroptimist club has used Savor many times and it is always the best.
If you want to learn more about the fight against human trafficking in Orange County, check out ochumantrafficking.com.
Terri Daxon is a freelance writer and the owner of Daxon Marketing Communications. She gives her perspective on Brea issues twice a month. Contact her at daxoncomm@gmail.com.
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