The Rotary Club of Santa Maria South, in collaboration with the Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary and numerous sponsors and supporters, is hosting a forum on Human Trafficking Awareness on the Central Coast (HTCC) from 2-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at Santa Maria Elks Lodge.
Annually held in alignment with January's national Human Trafficking month, the event Be Prepared, Not Scared: Sextortion, Internet Safety and Human Trafficking Awareness updates parents and local residents on sextortion, human trafficking risks and countywide anti-trafficking efforts.
It features a panel of four human trafficking survivors sharing their stories. A short appetizer reception will be held after the event to allow attendees to mingle with program presenters. Key event co-sponsors are McDonald's, Allan Hancock College, Dignity Health, NSBC United Way, Santa Maria Times and SESLOC.
Keynote presenters on sextortion and internet safety are Detective Kourtney Brown and Sergeant Kari Gomes of the UC Merced Police Department. Survivors will discuss their recruitment into and departure from trafficking, as well as their actual experiences. Survivor panelists include Jenna McKaye, author, founder, the Jenna McKaye Foundation; Brianna Moseley, founder, The Be Free Mindset; Odessa Perkins, author, founder, emPOWERment Dess Perkins Foundation; and Kate Wedell, founder, CherishedLA, author, EXPOSED Surviving the Commercial Sex Industry.
Parents, grandparents, guardians, teachers and youth workers are especially encouraged to attend to learn of the many red flags indicating that children or youth under their care may be at risk of being trafficked or sextorted. Also speaking will be Maria Barriga, giving a law enforcement training update.
Megan Riker-Rheinschild, Victim-Witness Assistance Program director, Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, and Jeff Shaffer, Kingdom Causes, will provide an update on the activities of the Santa Barbara County Human Trafficking Task Force.
Riker-Rheinschild, Task Force chair, states, "The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office is grateful to the Rotary Club of Santa Maria South and Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary for highlighting the issue of Human Trafficking on the Central Coast. Their ongoing efforts to provide outreach and training to the community is an important step toward educating the community about Human Trafficking and Intervention strategies by our community partners and law enforcement. January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and the District Attorney's Office appreciates the Rotary's efforts toward bringing attention to this important issue."
Rotary Santa Maria South's Terri Lee Coleman, Forum co-chair with Victoria Conner, emphasizes the purpose of the event: "Three years ago the Rotary Club of Santa Maria South spearheaded this annual effort to bring awareness to the human trafficking issue and support to anti-traffickers and survivors. We are extremely proud of the information, officer training and law enforcement support we have been able to provide."
Hampton Inn, Santa Maria Inn, Community Bank of Santa Maria, Toyota of Santa Maria and the Santa Maria Valley Chamber are also sponsoring the event.