DISTRICT CONFERENCE INCLUDES ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING PANEL
Saturday, April 12, 2025, a panel was assembled to speak at RI D5300’s (Orange County, California) District Conference on the issue of Human Trafficking. The panel was moderated by D5300 Governor Michael Driebe. Following the panel discussion, 300 backpacks were assembled by attending Rotarians, to be delivered to nonprofits working with survivors in the Los Angeles County and Orange County regions.
Pictured at right,: PDG Cozette Vergari, Survivor and Member of the D5300 VTT and RI President’s Rep and Chair of RAGAS (Rotary Action Group Against Slavery, an international organization) Dave McCleary, taking a photo break from the back pack project.
Pictured above, RI President’s Rep and Chair of RAGAS Dave McCleary, PDG Cozette Vergari, D5280 Westchester Rotary Club President Nicole King, D5300 Rotarian from the Pomona Rotary Club, and Survivor and President of D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking caused base club, Jenna Bruce standing.
TIM TEBOW FOUNDATION FOCUSES ON ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING EFFOR
Geoff Maleman, past president of the Rotary Club of Westchester, catches up with former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow in Century City.
In partnership with organizations in both the United States and abroad, the Tim Tebow Foundation is actively fighting against human trafficking and child exploitation in three ways: Prevention, Rescue, and Survivor Care.
The latest global estimates reported in 2022 show that human trafficking has increased by nearly 10 million people in the last five years, according to the International Labour Organization, Walk Free, and the International Organization for Migration.
Child sexual exploitation is another horrific evil hidden in the darkness that is affecting millions of minors across the world. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received nearly 85 million pictures and videos depicting child sexual abuse worldwide in 2021.
Women, children, and men are being captured, exploited, and abused on a daily basis in every country around the world. The statistics are overwhelming, but hope is not lost. The Tim Tebow Foundation is committed to advancing this fight for the millions who have been trafficked, exploited and/or who are at risk of becoming victims.
Through direct services as well as partnerships with 12 other ministries, the Tim Tebow Foundation is currently fighting against human trafficking and child exploitation in 32 countries around the world. The foundation currently operates 5 safe homes, and partners in 23 more, with 27 additional homes in progress to support survivors as they heal and transition back into a life of freedom.
To learn more about the efforts of the Tim Tebow Foundation, please visit: https://timtebowfoundation.org/
Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking Rotary Club
Adopt a survivor was a great success for our small but mighty club. The D5280 Club of Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking adopted all of the active clients currently enrolled in case management services at the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking. We took care of holiday gifts for 40 survivors of human trafficking and their children, where applicable. In total, $3500 of gifts were donated. We are very grateful to our club members, partnering rotary clubs, community members, and fellow Rotarians for helping us accomplish such a great feat.
Clean Out Your Closet- For a Cause: Please consider going through your homes and looking for the above mentioned items. We will be collecting them and distributing them to survivors of human trafficking. Many of them are moving into their first apartments since escaping their situations and have no personal belongings. There are very few items that we aren’t accepting, so please ask us if you are questioning if we will take something. As a general rule of thumb, don’t donate anything in a condition that you wouldn’t wear or use yourself. Please contact Jenna Bruce with any questions!
All my best,
Jenna
Jenna Bruce
949-648-3219
Thank you to the participants, who wrapped the approximately 80 gifts:
Jenna Bruce
Pamela Bryant
Randi Elasowich
Vanessa Galvan Reddix
Cozette Vergari
200 Attend Rotary-Sponsored Human Trafficking Program
Approximately 200 paid $20 to attend a Rotary fundraising event focused on ending human
trafficking across greater Des Moines, Iowa. Each of the sponsoring clubs matched the funds raised at the Rotary-sponsored event, which added up to a grand total of $40,000. All net proceeds will be donated to local nonprofits fighting human trafficking.
Presented by the Greater Des Moines Rotary Multi-Club Committee, the event was held at the Hilton Garden Inn in West Des Moines on May 2nd. Participants learned from some of Iowa's local heroes fighting this important issue. Their excellent panel of speakers included:
- Heather Brown - Human Trafficking Survivor
- Matthew Stephenson - Director/Learning & Development of Caseys
- John Jarvey - Retired U.S. Chief Federal Court Judge, Southern District of Iowa
- Charlotte Kovacs - Victim Witness Specialist, Program Supervisor, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Iowa
Iowa Rotary District 6000 is made up of 67 local clubs. Twenty of these clubs have formed a Prevent Trafficking Action Team. Each Rotary Club has committed to launching a prevention/education program in their local community. The Des Moines Rotary Multi-Club’s May 2nd event is their major local educational program. The Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking is collaborating with the Rotary Action Team and providing educational materials.
CREATED BY A ROTARIAN, "The SiGNAL" WINS TELLY AWARD
Rotarian is working to combat human trafficking with ‘The Signal,’ winner of a 2022 Telly Award
Rancho Santa Fe Rotarian Don Meredith, together with former Navy pilot and film director
Doug Lito from West Hollywood, created a short PSA film about human trafficking called “The
Signal.” The film features the new SOS signal, a quick hand gesture for victims to let bystanders
subtly know they are in distress and that they “Need HELP, and to Get HELP!”. The film was
co-directed by Marine Combat Videographer Phillip Elgie and Christina Rheuby.
The short film, released in January 2019, was recently recognized by the television industry’s
2022 Telly Awards. The shortened 15-second version has exploded on social media and has had
over a million views since its release in March 2022.
The film was inspired by RSF Rotary’s focus on human trafficking. Meredith, who has been a
Rancho Santa Fe Rotarian for 21 years, listened to multiple speakers at weekly Rotary meetings
on the topic and became aware of the severity and extensiveness of human trafficking around
the world. He wanted to help and the idea simply came to him in a dream.
The impetus now is getting the film and the shortened clip out to as many people as possible so
that victims are aware of the discrete SOS hand signal and that the general populace knows how
to recognize the signal and what to do next.
The national human trafficking hotline is 1-888-373-7888. To view “The Signal” PSA and view
the 15-second condensed version, go to: sharethesignal.com
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
ROTARIANS HELP AT SAVING INNOCENCE
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