We are phasing out this blog. Please see our website at www.soroptimistvista.org for all of our club’s activities, including our Human Trafficking Awareness program. Lots going on! (Scroll down to see some of our past activities.)
Join Soroptimist’s 30/30 Walk to Stop Human Trafficking Fitness Challenge In lieu of our Soroptimist club’s usual annual Human Trafficking Awareness Walk and Event, this January 1st, 2021, Soroptimist International of Vista and North County Inland will launch its “30 Miles in 30 Days” virtual fitness challenge Walkathon to raise money for our anti-human trafficking program. The challenge begins January 1, 2021 and ends on January 30, 2021.
Also, on Saturday, January 30, 2021 we will be hosting afree online webinar featuring guest speakers Monica Dean from NBC7 News and Jaimee Johnson from Sisters of the Street. Please join us to find out what has been done and is being done locally, and how you can help!
Whether you choose to walk or run outside, on a treadmill, or ride a real or stationary bike…we only challenge you to cover 30 miles in 30 days in January. This challenge is excellent motivation for you to get in shape while raising money for a good cause. You can also sponsor a walker.
Order a Tee Shirt to wear while you walk or to reward yourself after you finish (ORDER HERE ). Net proceeds from t-shirt sales will go to Soroptimist International of Vista and North County Inland
We had three guest speakers at our November 7 Collaborative meeting.
From Vista Unified School District: Michelle Walsh, Student Support Services Coordinator
Michelle presented the Human Trafficking curriculum which has been added to Wellness Education classes for middle and high school students across San Diego County. The population she assists include homeless (of which there are 1700 registered students in VUSD) LGBTQ community, military and incarcerated students. She is also the Parenting Youth Liaison, SARB and attendance supervisor, mental health and offers crisis services. She has a true commitment and interest to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
From the Center for Community Solutions: Ivonne (Olguin) Ibarra, Sexual Assault Victim Advocate and Maria Hernandez, Legal Advocate
Ivonne spoke of her work with the victims of sexual violence at the Escondido Center for Community Solutions. She explained that during interviews and forensic exams, she is able to ascertain the specifics of their trauma. She will also accompany them to court hearings if they request her presence. She is also a member of the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and the volunteers who work in this arena must be available 24/7 to respond to crisis calls. Children between the ages of 6-17 are treated with special care, with specific forensic exams to include preventive medications for possible HIV and STD’s. With patience and kindness, Ivonne advocates for their safety and offers multiple resources to assist their recovery.
L-R: Terry Haskins (SI Oceanside Carlsbad), college seniors Autumn Williams and Jessica McDaniel from Cal State Univ. San Marcos, Maria Hernandez and Ivonne Ibarra from Center for Community Solutions, and Kaye Van Nevel (SI Vista and North County Inland.
Maria guides the clients to available family law services to help them with issue such such as child custody and restraining orders. Available services are also offered with the client’s choice of acceptance. She stressed that the decision is always theirs, and must be honored. She has noted that it is very difficult for these women, and occasionally men, to go through the legal process, sometimes taking months.
ATTENDANCE: Ivonne Ibarra, Victim Advocate, Center for Community Solutions (CSS), Maria Hernandez, Legal Advocate, CSS Jessica McDaniel, Autumn Williams, Students, Cal State University San Marcos Holly Herring, N.C. Serenity House Marianne Grisez, Sr. Maureen Brown Phillip Goscienski, M.D., St. Thomas More: Terri McMurtry Callie Grett, Donna Hubner, Terri Nash , concerned citizens Donna Weber, doTERRA Ken Kostedt, Shining Stars Judy Horning, SI Poway, STAT and BSCC: Chari Goddard, Teri Haskins, SI Oceanside/Carlsbad: Jackie Huyck, Elizabeth Freed, Kaye Van Nevel of SI Vista and North County Inland
INTRODUCTIONS and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Kaye Van Nevel welcomed all attendees, and asked them to introduce themselves and speak to their interest in Human Trafficking. Highlights:
Donna Weber’s company doTERRA Essential Oils shared a report from the U.S. Department of Justice takedown of the largest dark net child exploitation website. The site had over 1 million downloads of child exploitation material. Eight terabytes of material was seized, and 23 minors were rescued who were actively being abused by the site users, residing in the U.S., Spain and the UK.
Ken Kostedt, of Shining Stars, continues to work toward a better understanding for issues of abuse among men. Shining Stars exists to restore, support, and empower women, children, and men from human trafficking.
Kaye has a copy of the DVD Shattered Dreams, a documentary about sex trafficking in San Diego. It was produced by Palomar College TV and is available for free screenings.
Teri Haskins and her Human Trafficking Committee at Soroptimist International Oceanside/Carlsbad (SIOC) are collaborating with Soroptimist International of Vista and North County Inland (SIVNCI) to better educate and raise awareness about these issues.
Jackie Huyck announced Soroptimist’s QuarterMania Fundraiser Sunday, Nov. 24 at the Vista Optimist Club, 600 Optimist Way, Vista, noon to 3 p.m. Full details are at http://www.soroptimistvista.org
Kaye reported the passage of Assembly Bill 629 which amended current law (Prop 35) to give the California Victim Compensation Board express guidance that a human trafficking victim is eligible to receive compensation from California’s Victims Compensation Program for income losses incurred as a result of human trafficking.
Kaye also shared two recent articles from the Union Tribune featuring stories of how young women are affected by their neighborhood cultures to enter prostitution, and young men to become pimps. The articles clearly state how the multilayered issue affects communities of color, specifically in Southeastern San Diego. Armand King, a former pimp, has written a book entitled Raised In Pimp City.
Save-the-Date: 14th Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day Walk, Saturday, January 11, 1-3 p.m., Vista Library Community Room. SI Vista NCI AND SI Oceanside-Carlsbad together!!!
JANUARY COLLABORATIVE MEETING CANCELLED
SAVE-THE-DATE for next Collaborative Meeting: MARCH 5, 2020, UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 9:00 A.M.
YMCA Street Outreach targets young adults experiencing homelessness in North County San Diego. Homeless youth are a prime target of sex traffickers.
July 18, 2019—Soroptimist International of Vista and North County Inland will host the North County Anti-Human Trafficking Collaborative meeting on Thursday, September 5th, 2019 at 9 a.m., at United Methodist Church of Vista, 490 S. Melrose Ave., Vista. The event is free to the public, and coffee and pastries will be provided.
Our guest speaker is Charity Brant, YMCA Outreach Coordinator, Youth And Family Services, Transitional Housing Development. This outreach offers innovative, effective programming in a safe and welcoming space for young adults experiencing homelessness in North County San Diego through street outreach, drop-in centers, housing, family finding, and therapy. Charity Brant is the current Housing Navigator for TAY Services assisting TAY in getting connected to housing resources.
The North San Diego County Anti-Human Trafficking Collaborative is a Program of Service of Soroptimist International of Vista and North County Inland in partnership with United Methodist Church of Vista. The Collaborative is a diverse group of individuals and community organizations committed to eliminate human trafficking and modern day slavery. Our mission is to raise awareness of human trafficking, provide a platform to share information, improve services, educate ourselves and the public, and advocate for policy and legislation related to human trafficking. Our Collaborative Meetings are held bi-monthly on the first Thursday of the month from 9 am to 10:30 am in the at the Church’s Fellowship Hall (lower level) at 490 S. Melrose Drive, Vista. Admission is free and all are welcome. Complimentary coffee and pastries will be available.
Our next Collaborative meeting is Thursday, May 2nd at 9 am at our usual location: United Methodist Church, 490 South Melrose Drive, Vista, California (downstairs, in Fellowship Hall). Our guest speaker is Andrew Schmidt of Awaken Fair Trade.
Emily and Andrew Schmidt started Awaken with a vision that a business could create one of a kind products and change lives at the same time.
“We’ve always felt blessed to grow up in a country that supports freedom and has given us opportunities many would only dream of.We set off to find partners that were doing amazing work in challenging socioeconomic communities. Through a lead at a human trafficking presentation we heard about a Thai business that employs those coming out of prostitution and human trafficking in Thailand. We headed off to Bangkok to share our vision and hear theirs and have now been working together for over 5 years. Awaken products are handcrafted by women who are rebuilding their lives and finding restoration through dignified employment,” they said.
The North San Diego County Human Trafficking Collaborative is a diverse group of individuals and community organizations committed to eliminate human trafficking and modern day slavery. Our mission is to raise awareness of human trafficking, provide a platform to share information, improve services, educate ourselves and the public, and advocate for policy and legislation related to human trafficking
NORTH SD COUNTRY HUMAN TRAFFICKING COLLABORATIVE March 7, 2019 WELCOME, INTRODUCTIONS, UPDATES, EVENTS
Notes by Allison Metzler, SI Vista and North County Inland
Next Meeting is May 2, 2019 Guest speaker TBD
Kaye called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m. Several first-time visitors joined us. (note *’s by their names on the attendance list). • Andrew Schmidt from Fallbrook and his wife have launched program which assists trafficked survivors from Thailand. • Several members of United Methodist Church expressed interest in our work which correlates with their United Methodist Women’s mission outreach program to address human trafficking. • Mandy May-Fitzgerald, Registered Aroma Therapist, stated as a private citizen she wanted to learn more. (Later in the meeting she volunteered to join Friends of the Park, homeless outreach.) • Jackie Huyck, Soroptimist Int’l Vista and North County Inland invited all attendees to attend the SIVNCI Live Your Dream Awards Gala on March 23, 2019. It’s a fundraiser for the local Club and will celebrate our three Awardees with $5000 scholarships to help them achieve their educational goals. Tickets and sponsorships are still available. Please go to www.SoroptimistVista.org for registration and tickets. • Kaye shared the January 2019 report from the office of SD DA Summer Stephan. The recently formed San Diego Trafficking Prevention Collective received a $3 million grant from UBS Optimus Foundation to fund the curriculum in all San Diego County schools which will reach students through three programs that emphasize education, empowerment and intervention. The program will educate students in the fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh grades about human trafficking The program will also help to train other district staff, such as nurses, bus driver and cafeteria employees on how to recognize the signs of a child who is being used by traffickers. Legislation
• Several bills have been submitted by various authors regarding human trafficking. Kaye emailed the list, and will continue to receive updates as the session continues. • Kaye received hopeful information from Ginger Shaw, Executive Director, California against Slavery and Vice Chair/San Diego Human Trafficking Advisory Council. “There is a $10 million ongoing budget inclusion for human trafficking victim providers that the Governor has added to his Budget. It looks like the Assembly will include it in theirs. Not sure where the Senate stands. Each house can make modifications until May, and then they choose either the Governor/Assembly/Senate, so it’s important to include all three.” • We are encouraged to send letters of support, once the final version(s) evolve.
GUEST SPEAKERS: PASTOR KATHY (KAYSEE) MOROTA, CHURCH OF CHRIST, FRIENDS IN THE PARK, HER HUSBAND, NORIO, AND LISA ADAMS
Kaysee is the Pastor of the Community of Christ. She and her husband, Norio, and Lisa Adams serve the homeless community in Carlsbad and Oceanside. Every Sunday, they and many of the homeless members themselves, prepare and serve a meal in McGee Park in Carlsbad. They also provide clothing, shoes, fellowship and most importantly, relationships. This year-round ministry not only assists homeless individuals and families in meeting their daily needs, but strives to educate those in securing those services that might be available to them and assist in helping people find lodging, employment and future stability. Eleven years ago the membership of the Community of Christ made a radical decision: to sell their beautiful church building in Vista and to “leave the pews” to promote communities of joy, hope, love and peace. They began Friends of the Park. This journey has not only included members of this faith movement as well as a new-founded relationship with our community members living on the streets in Carlsbad, but also the many new partnerships with individuals and organizations who also desire to be part of a team with a vision of making this world a better place for all. We heard stories of amazing recoveries, the support of law enforcement, and members of the local community. We all enjoyed their video which captured a busy Sunday morning and lots of smiles.
Present:
Kaysee Morota, Pastor, Community of Christ Church, Carlsbad Friends of the Park
Norio Morota, Community of Christ Church, Carlsbad, Friends of the Park
Lisa Adams, Friends of the Park
Evelyn Llewelyn, Community Church of Christ, Friends of the Park*
Vickie Lancaster, Friends of the Park, Operation Hope, Vista*
Kaye Van Nevel, Soroptimist Int’l of Vista & NCI SIVNCI
Judy Horning, SIP, Soroptimists Together Against Trafficking, S.T.A.T., Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, BSCC
Pam Warnock, Soroptimist Int’l, North San Diego, S.T.A.T., BSCC
Lynn Flanagan, Soroptimist International of Poway SIP
Michelle Walsh, Coordinator, Student Support Services, VUSD
Suzanne McMurchie, Interested individual*
Mandy May-Fitzgerald, Interested individual*
Jacquie Howard, United Methodist Church, Vista, and United Methodist Women
Lyn Berry, United Methodist Church, Vista, and United Methodist Woman
Samantha Chacon, Interested individual*
Laura Kirkland, Vista Library*
Andrew Schmidt, Awaken Fair Trade, Fallbrook
Orquidia Contreras, Manager Vista Library*
Steve Valdivia, FBI Victim Specialist
Le’Jeane Ellis, FBI Victim Specialist
The North San Diego County Human Trafficking Collaborative is a diverse group of individuals and community organizations committed to eliminate human trafficking and modern day slavery. Our mission is to raise awareness of human trafficking, provide a platform to share information, improve services, educate ourselves and the public, and advocate for policy and legislation related to human trafficking
The next meeting of the North County San Diego Anti-Trafficking Collaborative is Thursday, March 7, 2019 from 9 am to 10:30 am at the United Methodist Church of Vista’s Fellowship Hall located at 490 South Melrose Drive in Vista. Guest speakers for the March 7, Collaborative meeting are Kaysee and Norio Morota and Lisa Adams, of “Friends of the Park” homeless outreach in Carlsbad. The event is free and open to the public. All are welcome and coffee and pastries are available.
Kaysee Morota is the Pastor of the Community of Christ in Carlsbad. She and her husband, Norio, are engaged in a year-round ministry to assist homeless individuals and families in meeting their daily needs, help them find services that might be available to them help them secure lodging, employment and future stability. Lisa Adams works tireless as a community activist for Friends of the Park.
The North San Diego County Human Trafficking Collaborative is a diverse group of individuals and community organizations committed to eliminate human trafficking and modern day slavery. Our mission is to raise awareness of human trafficking, provide a platform to share information, improve services, educate ourselves and the public, and advocate for policy and legislation related to human trafficking.
Soroptimist STOP Trafficking Program 