Saved in America’s leadership are more than willing to help other organizations as they too fight against human trafficking. One such instance that exemplified this model is when Joe Travers, Executive Director at our own Saved in America (S.I.A.) spoke at a breakfast for the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club meeting. 

Joe Travers Spoke

As part of his speech which lasted a full half hour, Travers explained the purpose and goal of S.I.A., along with its makeup. He communicated how the group is made up of former military specialists and those with a professional law enforcement background, and that our all-volunteer organization features professionally licensed private investigators. Furthermore, as part of his presentation, Travers explained that S.I.A. is dedicated to assisting both parents and law enforcement as they seek to locate missing and runaway children, who are without a healthy family. He said the following in the speech: 

“This group of children is one of the most vulnerable to becoming victims of child sex trafficking.”

Why This Vulnerability?

It makes sense when you think about it but of course, those kids who are without a healthy family structure would be most at risk for being victimized by the human trafficking industry. If they want to run away from their home due to abuse or simply neglect, or they don’t have a home, to begin with and are part of the foster care system, they are already more vulnerable to the efforts of these vicious predators who seek to pull them away from everything they know and lure them into the industry. This is a process called grooming. It is nuanced and subtle and will eventually have a young girl believing everything a predator is telling her. When she realizes she is being tricked, it is often too late as she is addicted to drugs or in the sex industry. 

More Awareness

Thankfully, through increased awareness like happens when representatives visit organizations like the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club, more people are given the signs to look out for and there is a greater awareness of human trafficking overall. Add to this many people’s willingness to help fund these efforts, and you can see how the work of S.I.A. has been able to continue, all without charging parents even a single dime for their expert and needed services.