By Andrea Martone
The Dark Side of Paradise
The Gulf Coast of Florida is known for its pristine beaches, vibrant art, music & culture scene. With an average daily temperature of around 70.7°F and over 2,800 hours of sunshine annually, the Gulf Coast enjoys a mild and pleasant climate year-round. But despite the light of the sun, a very dark side permeates the region, and it’s called sex trafficking. Sex trafficking is not limited to Florida’s Gulf Coast, in fact it can be found in nearly every zip code in America. Unfortunately, Florida ranks as the # 3 state in America for this $173 billion-dollar global industry, trailing only California and Texas. Staggering statistics paint a grim picture of what many call a “pandemic.” In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the Florida Abuse Hotline Number reported 2,076 reports of human trafficking of which 1,627 were children. Approximately 80% of sex trafficking victims are girls and women, with the average age of initial trafficking experience ranging from 11 to 17 years old.
To address this issue, Gulf Coast states and cities have implemented various strategies, including awareness campaigns, law enforcement training, and partnerships between government agencies and non-profit organizations. One of the most successful nonprofit organizations is Selah Freedom. Headquartered in Sarasota, Selah Freedom’s five programs service “survivors” of the trade in multiple counties on the Gulf Coast and beyond.
For 13 years strong, Selah Freedom’s programs (Prevention, Awareness, Outreach, Residential, and Consulting) has enabled thousands of students, educators, law enforcement agents, community groups and churches to become educated about this pandemic which affects so many at-risk children and teens. Selah Freedom’s success is evident by the fact that in 2023 alone, our prevention team trained 9,564 youth and adults; awareness team trained 4,020 adults; 64 survivors were served in our residential program; 169 survivors were serviced in our outreach program and in our consulting program, we helped 12 organizations nationwide to use our model, four of which established new safe homes under the guidance of Selah Freedom. Sources: www.myflfamilies.com, Favicon, www.cbsnews.com
How can you help to fight sex trafficking of our American boys and girls? There are many ways you can help eradicate sex trafficking, especially financially. Selah Freedom is a nonprofit that relies mostly on philanthropic donations. Selah Freedom also hosts two annual fundraisers each Fall called “Light the Path to End Sex Trafficking.” Held in October and November in both Tampa and Sarasota, this important fundraiser aims to raise funds and awareness to support survivors of sex trafficking through the five programs and services offered by Selah Freedom. To become a major sponsor of Light the Path, or to donate to a worthy cause, please visit: www.selahfreedom.com/training-and-events. This year’s celebrity keynote speaker is former Mets baseball star Darryl Strawberry.
Light the Path North will be held on Oct. 22 at 6pm at Armature Works, Tampa.
Light the Path South will be held on Nov. 14 at 6pm at the Westin Hotel, Sarasota.
For more information and to participate in the event, you can visit Selah Freedom’s website at www.selahfreedom.com or call 1-888-8-FREE ME.
Sex trafficking can happen to anyone, child or grandchild. No one is immune and everyone needs to join forces to raise awareness. Protecting the welfare of our children, preserves the quality of life here on the Gulf Coast.