Rotary Clubs Fighting Human Trafficking

Rotary Clubs Fighting Human TraffickingRotary Clubs Fighting Human TraffickingRotary Clubs Fighting Human Trafficking
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Rotary Clubs Fighting Human Trafficking

Rotary Clubs Fighting Human TraffickingRotary Clubs Fighting Human TraffickingRotary Clubs Fighting Human Trafficking
  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
  • RESOURCES
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • NATIONAL / STATE
    • CENTRAL OREGON AREA
    • LOS ANGELES AREA
    • SACRAMENTO AREA
    • SAN DIEGO AREA
  • LEARN MORE
    • BOOKS
    • VIDEO/FILM
    • EDUCATION
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OPTIMIST CELEBRATES CHAMPIONS FOR CHILDREN

Optimist Youth Homes and Family Service Holds Gala Event

Each year, we pause to gather, celebrate and support the incredible youth and families served at Optimist Youth Homes and Family Service, a Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking partner.


In October, the group celebrated the incredible life-changing work at Optimist and honored two champions for children, Matt Ware and Dennis Andolsek. The group also heard stories of success, including Lourdes Pichardo, a foster parent who has opened her home to over 70 children; the Luppers, a foster family with personal ties to the foster care system; and Dacia, a young lady who, having spent the majority of her childhood in the foster care system, has thrived due to her resiliency and the support of her foster family and staff at Optimist.


Click here to access a short video from one of our current foster youth.

OPTIMIST 2022 GALA PHOTOS

THE APATHY EFFECT EXHIBIT

Rotary Club of D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking


In recognition of National Slavery And Human Trafficking Prevention  Month, and in partnership with nonprofit iEmpathize,  the cause-based  Rotary Club of D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking sponsored “The  Apathy Effect Exhibit,” which was graciously hosted by the Westchester  Family YMCA on January 21st  and 22nd , 2023. The  Exhibit dramatically depicts the horrors of a lucrative criminal  activity, second only to drug trafficking, which impacts and can enslave  ALL ages and genders, as well as all geographic and socio economic  groups.

ROTARIANS HELP AT SAVING INNOCENCE

Rotary Club of D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking


"On  Nov. 11, 2022, Margi and Randi met Peju and Sophie at Saving Innocence  to prepare 15 bags for trafficked victims who want to travel outside the  state back home.  Our Rotary club donated the funds to purchase the  items that went into the bags and together we packaged the bags with a  t-shirt, sweatpants, slippers, Addidas slides, a blanket, and hygiene  items such as shampoo/conditioner, toothbrush/toothpaste, lotion,  deodorant, lip balm, and a brush.  After completing the bags we helped  organize bins and bins of donated items into labeled bins that are used  for victims to come and take what they need and also for employees of  Saving Innocence to use for emergency items when called upon to help a  victim in need."


– Randi Elasowich

Find out more

The Signal Team

A NEW SOS HUMAN TRAFFICKING HAND SIGNAL HAS BEEN DEVELOPED so that victims can discreetly bring awareness to themselves and their situation.

    

This simple hand signal means
"Need HELP, Get HELP!"


Don Meredith, Past President of the Rotary Club of Rancho Santa Fe, California, is working to promote this new hand signal that he hopes will save lives and get human traffiicking victims to safety.


This is one of several short videos on various media. It is also in Spanish and 9 dialects being deployed in India soon.


The Signal is proving to be an effective outreach.

500 Completed Legal Matters!!!

Dear Friends,

I’m  thrilled to announce that this week, Free to Thrive completed our 500th  legal matter on behalf of our incredible survivor clients!!!! This  milestone represents hundreds of individual stories and lives changed  forever. Every single legal matter we work on symbolizes a legal barrier  that stands between our clients and freedom from exploitation. Among  these 500 legal matters, we’ve successfully cleared 215 criminal records  through 45 petitions! These matters also include getting law  enforcement agencies to destroy these records pursuant to court orders –  which is sometimes even more difficult than getting the court to make  these orders. When we succeed in clearing a client’s record, it clears a  path to housing, employment and financial stability. We’ve also helped  47 clients obtain restraining orders, 43 get or increase custody of  their children, 13 change their names and/or gender markers, and so much  more!
 

This work would not be possible without our dedicated staff, board  members, donors, pro bono attorneys, interns, volunteers, and community  partners. This truly is a team effort and YOU are a critical part of  that team. I am beyond grateful for your support and the support of  everyone who makes our work possible.
 

Thank you so much to those who will be attending our sold out Journey to  Freedom event. If you are not attending in person, I hope you will join  us virtually this Saturday at 7:15 PM PST to celebrate this milestone together. 


With deepest gratitude,


Jamie

Member of Rotary Club of D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking

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A WIN-WIN FOR ALL!

Rotary  International D5280 Past District Governor, Cozette Vergari, working  several years in the fight against human trafficking, was contacted by  high school student, Madison Vieira, from Palos Verdes in the Los  Angeles region, seeking to be connected with a nonprofit serving  survivors of human trafficking. This started as a Girl Scout Silver  Award Project. Her vision was to create a peace garden, a place for  these survivors to find a safe and peaceful place. Cozette connected  Madison with Alan Smyth, Executive Director for Saving Innocence. Saving  Innocence is a member of the RI D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human  Trafficking caused based Rotary Club, and is licensed and approved as a  Foster Family Agency. 


Madison  is excited to announce that “I completed my project yesterday (August  5, 2022).” Saving Innocence invited her to showcase her multi-sensory  garden for their Middle School Graduation Party. Madison shared “I am  happy that the participants can enjoy the sight of the plants, the bees  and butterflies, and the fragrances of the herbs. The best part is that  they can enjoy eating some of the edible plants.  I was told that this  was the first time that the organization had a party outdoors. Now that  the backyard has a welcoming, engaging environment with herbal healing  multi-sensory plants, the counselors plan on having many more events and  sessions in the backyard.” 


Just  for added fun at the party, Madison decided to organize a garden pizza  making activity, with succulent planting and pot painting projects. She  made mint lemonade using fresh lemons and mint, adding a strawberry to  each cup. The lemonade was a big hit. Madison included a nature trivia Q  & A. For those who answered correctly, she gave them edible dirt  with worms (chocolate Jell-O pudding topped with crushed Oreo cookies  & gummy worms) as a prize for answering. The lunch ended with  everyone frosting their very own carrot cupcake. She worked with Trader  Joe's and Ralphs, who donated garden vegetables and fruit, as well as  Costco, Home Depot and Loews. 


Prior  to the garden day presentation, Madison had been told that most  graduates are not fans of vegetables, herbs, and fruit. They said that  they would rather have Cheetos. However, “after I had them make their  own garden pizza using fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruit, they loved  all the natural ingredients so much that they ended up eating the extra  raw vegetable toppings that were left over. I am so happy that Saving Innocence now has tomatoes, strawberries,  rosemary, lavender, mint, peppermint, sage and other therapeutic plants  in their garden.” Alan, Executive Director of Saving Innocence, shared  that the staff was amazed at the effort made by Madison and how the  middle school graduates raved about its success.”


Cozette  was able to highlight this proposed project, plus many other of  Madison’s experiences with community service and leadership  accomplishments, in a letter of recommendation tied to a national award  application submitted by Madison, out of which she was one of only four  recipients selected, from approximately 230 applicants, for the National  Junior Honor Society Outstanding Achievement Award.


When sharing this news she stated “I want to thank you again for introducing me to Saving Innocence. At  the start of this project, I was nervous because I had not been to  formal meetings before. I have not had the opportunity to write formal  letters or had a chance to meet managers and community leaders. I  learned communication and written skills along the way. Also, I gained  confidence to meet with outstanding members of the community, write  formal email letters, and publicly speak. This project helped me develop  new skills that I had not learned at school. I plan to continue with  Model United Nations in High School, so that I can educate other  students on human trafficking issues. This project has been such a great  and unforgettable experience!”   

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    RI PRESIDENT JENNIFER JONES HIGHLIGHTS THE MOVEMENT

    When Dave McCleary first heard about human trafficking, it seemed  like something that happened far away, probably overseas. But not in the  United States. And certainly not in his hometown.

    Then one day he invited a speaker who knew otherwise to talk to his  Rotary club in Roswell, Georgia. Her name was Melissa. She was  originally from Roswell and had gone to the same high school McCleary’s  girls had attended. Melissa dropped out at 16 and was offered a modeling  job by a man who turned out to be a sex trafficker. For two years, she  was trapped and trafficked in downtown Atlanta before police and a local  organization helped her escape.

     

    Students on their way to morning class at Pace Universal, a  school for girls in Piyali Junction, outside Kolkata, India, that is  funded in part by Rotary clubs and The Rotary Foundation. It was founded  by Rotarian Deepa Biswas Willingham to educate girls and protect them  from slavery, trafficking, and early childhood marriage in a community  where these are common dangers for girls.


    After the meeting, another Rotarian approached Melissa and gave her a  big hug. McCleary asked him how he knew the young woman. He said she  used to babysit his kids when she was 12, and he had wondered what had  happened to her.

    Read the Full Story

    VOCATIONAL TRAINING LAB GETS $50,000 GRANT

    $50,000 Vocational Training Global Grant benefits survivors of human  trafficking. The training lab is housed at C.A.S.T. (Coalition Against  Sex Trafficking). The funds were provided by Rotary International  District  5280 (Los Angeles Region), Rotary International District 3650  (Seoul, Korea Region), The Rotary Foundation, along with Los Angeles  Region Rotary Clubs Beverly Hills, D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human  Trafficking, Woodland Hills, and lead club Westchester guided by  Rotarian Warren Bobrow. The vocational training lab will provide  opportunities for these survivors to look to a brighter future.

    End Human Trafficking Summit

    Nearly two dozen Rotarians attended the joint District 5340/Point Loma Nazarene University Ending Human Trafficking Summit on March 4. Nearly 300 community, government, education, law enforcement, and non-profit leaders gathered to discuss the plight of this scourge in our region and how we can jointly fight  bank to end this $800 million illicit San Diego County industry.  

    Check Out the Video

      California Rotary Human Trafficking Prevention Campaign

      On January 16th, the RC of D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking sponsored the Los Angeles leg of the California Rotary Human Trafficking Prevention Campaign. Approximately 25 Rotarians participated in a noncompetitive 5K walk to raise awareness about the very serious issue of human trafficking, both labor and sexual exploitation of people of all ages and genders, as well as all socio and economic groups, within the Los Angeles region.     Rotarians from the D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking Rotary Club were joined by other Rotarians from Playa Venice Rotary, Rancho Park Rotary, Westchester Rotary, Manhattan Beach Rotary, South Bay Sunrise Rotary and Santa Monica Rotary. The walkers were led by Rob DeCou, Ultra Athlete and Rotarian. Thanks to the generosity of the Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation, District Governor Guity Javid presented $1000 checks to each of the keynote speakers from Journey Out and In Our Backyard, nonprofits assisting victims and survivors of human trafficking, as well as providing the site for the start and finish of the walk. 

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