Orange County is especially attractive to commercial sex traffickers who generate higher revenues due to local affluence, as well as capitalize on Southern California’s tourism industry and the Hollywood dreams that attract youth to the Los Angeles area. In 2017, the Orange County Human Trafficking Taskforce assisted 284 victims locally.
Youth are particularly vulnerable, especially to sex trafficking, and more easily lured by predators through the Internet, at school, and in their neighborhoods. Parents of the youth we serve in the Santa Ana area are also at higher risk of labor trafficking due to social-economic factors.
We want to end this atrocity, protect our kids, strengthen our communities, convict offenders, as well as fight for the rights and restoration of victims. A community without human trafficking and actively involved in combating this crime is a safer, healthier, wealthier and more attractive community.
The Freedom Ambassador Program targets those closest to this crime: youth and families who are in communities at the highest risk of both sex and labor trafficking, such as Valley High School in Santa Ana, the site of our first official program. We lift up youth leaders – aka AMBASSADORS – who transform their communities, boots on the ground, at their schools, in their neighborhoods and through social media.
The Freedom Ambassador Program integrates six critical elements, which not only raise awareness, but also move kids to action and create lasting impact in our communities.
Education
Freedom Ambassadors learn how to recognize and address human trafficking on their campuses and in their communities.
COMMUNITY IMPACT PROJECTS
Freedom Ambassadors develop their own human trafficking project to address issues that impact their communities and pitch in a “Shark Tank like” presentation to sponsors and mentors, who support them in implementing their projects.
FREEDOM AMBASSADOR IMPACT VIDEO
A video tracing the journey and impact of our Freedom Ambassadors is created to raise awareness about human trafficking nationally and beyond, and to inspire other communities to start grass-roots initiatives like the Freedom Ambassador Programs.
Watch Our Freedom Ambassador Documentary Trailer
Freedom Ambassador Projects
• The Untold Truth, student-produced and directed short film about a girl who is lured into trafficking through her boyfriend.
• The launch of a small business called “Mirror Empowerment” helping at-risk youth find hope and escape trafficking, which is being distributed through partner organizations who target youth in the foster care system.
• A anti-human trafficking awareness campaign called BeTheONE, including a student assembly for Valley High School students planned for March 28, 2019.
• A student-led social media campaign which is already actively raising awareness about human trafficking in OC and beyond.