The 13th Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Walk in Vista took place on January 12th and was covered by the North County Daily Star. Unfortunately, the event, organized by the beloved Vista’s Soroptimist Club, was dampened by a chilly rain, which could’ve prevented participation. Thankfully, even with the rain, participants remained vigilant and just grabbed umbrellas and continued their walk in earnest. Participants donated $10 to take part in the fundraiser, money which was given to victims of human trafficking after the event. 

About Soroptimist International

The yearly human trafficking walk benefiting Saved in America was organized by Vista’s Soroptimist club, as mentioned above. Group member Kaye Van Nevel explains the motivation behind the group’s inception and what they are doing to help fight back against human trafficking. “Soroptimist International is an organization for women. Its name is loosely translated to ‘best for women.’ Our mission is to support women’s rights and the status of women. Human trafficking, particularly that for commercial sexual exploitation of children, has been of huge interest to me for 15 years with the support of my club.” 

The Reality of Human Trafficking in America

While many assume that human trafficking is a crime that primarily impacts other countries, in reality, Americans are very much affected by this horrific crime. In fact, according to numbers shared by Soroptimist International, some 72 to 80% of human trafficking victims within this nation are American citizens. This means that the victims are not brought into the United States across the border but are instead enslaved within our nation, making this a crime that should concern every American citizen as it can happen to anyone in any state within America. 

Saved in America 

Saved in America is an organization committed to fighting back against human trafficking. Our group consists of professional volunteers who use their military and law enforcement training to find missing and exploited children at risk of being victimized by human trafficking. Our group depends on donations and fundraising events like this walk to continue fighting back against human trafficking all at no cost to families. Therefore, events such as this one put on by the Soroptimist International Club allow Saved in America to continue offering hope for families going through the horrific nightmare of discovering their child missing.