Soroptimist Working to Stop Traffick(ing)

Soroptimist join with community partners to STOP Trafficking at several Orange County awareness events. Please join us to learn more about what is it and how you can help.

Help Stop Human Trafficking Call 1-888-3737-888 for info/to report concerns

HUMAN TRAFFICKING: MODERN SLAVE TRADE ALIVE IN ORANGE COUNTY

Congress Declares January 11th “National Human Trafficking Awareness Day”

“Trafficking thrives in the shadows, and it can be easy to dismiss it as something that happens to someone else, somewhere else. But that’s not the case. Trafficking is a crime that involves every nation on earth, and that includes our own.”

~ Hilary Clinton at the release of the Ninth Annual Trafficking in Persons Report, June 2009

ORANGE COUNTY – January 7, 2010 Human trafficking is defined as the sale, transport and profit from human beings who are forced to work for others – and it is the modern equivalent of slavery. In 2009, human trafficking overtook arms trafficking to become the second largest organized crime globally, and it is now the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. Approximately 200,000 American children are considered “at risk” for trafficking in the sex industry each year. In order help bring the public’s attention to this heinous, hidden global crisis that counts an estimated 27 million people worldwide as victims, the U.S. Senate approved a resolution to create National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, observed on January 11th of every year.

Orange County will participate in National Human Trafficking Awareness Day this year on Monday, January 11th from 4 – 6 p.m. with moving accounts from human trafficking survivors and educational presentations targeting at-risk local youth at The Salvation Army, 1710 W. Edinger Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92704. The Salvation Army is also partnering with members of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force to host a youth awareness concert. A candlelight vigil will follow at 7 p.m. at Vanguard University, 55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Law enforcement officials and other members of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force will be available for on-camera interviews.

Human trafficking can happen in any neighborhood in the United States, and it definitely happens right here in Orange County. Those who attend National Human Trafficking Awareness Dayin Orange County will have the opportunity to view a never-before-seen video sharing the story of Shyima, a 9-year Egyptian girl sold into slavery and shipped from Cairo to her masters’ mansion in Irvine, California. She spent two years as a domestic slave until a neighbor called to report something suspicious. National Human Trafficking Awareness Day aims to put valuable information into the hands of every day citizens and increase their sense of participation in recognizing and reporting suspicious circumstances to the Human Trafficking Hotline (888-3737-888).

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The Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force is led by Lt. Derek Marsh, Westminster Police Department, Sandra Morgan and Heidi Thi of Community Service Programs, Inc., and Sherri Harris of The Salvation Army. For more information on events offered by the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, please go to the calendar at www.ochumantrafficking.org. Concerned citizens can find out what’s happening in their neighborhood or download an OC 1/11 Toolkit by clicking on Download Resources. A hi-resolution 4-minute video called “The Cost of Demand” is also available for download and highlights the issue of modern-day slavery in Orange County.

For more information about OC 1/11, human trafficking, or to schedule an interview with a member of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, contact Sandra Morgan, Tel: 714-556-3610 Ext 2240, Cell: 949-887-9674, Email: smorgan@cspinc.org

Also in Orange County on January 13, 2010: “At the End of Slavery: The Battle for Justice in Our Time” International Justice Mission

St. Andrews Presbyterian Church has been selected to preview this new video on Human Trafficking

In addition, the evening will include:

Dinner ($5 per person) – 5:30 PM

Viewing of this new film – 6:45 PM

Presentations: 7:30-8:00pm (Orange Country Human Trafficking Task Force & A Victim of Human Trafficking who was rescued locally)

Where: St. Andrews Presbyterian Church

600 St. Andrews Rd.

Newport Beach, CA

Dierenfield Hall

Gain vital information regarding the scope of the problem - in our own community and globally ~ Learn what you can do!

FREE Look Beneath the Surface materials such as posters, brochures, stickers and much more in many languages from Health and Human Services go to: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/about/form.htm

Soroptimist International Newport Harbor Area is working to Stop Trafficking. We are Soroptimists helping women and girls locally and globally to live their dreams. Visit our websites to learn more about what were are doing and how you can become involved at https://www.soroptimistnha.org and https://www.soroptimist.org .

Help Stop Human Trafficking Call 1-888-3737-888 for info/to report concerns