Human Trafficking Survivor Theresa Flores Partners with the YWCA and It’s A Penalty to Save Human Trafficking Victims at Super Bowl LIV
On Saturday, January 25th, five human trafficking survivors, led by Theresa Flores, founder of The S.O.A.P. Project (SaveOur Adolescents from Prostitution) will team up with more than 500 volunteers to label 60,000 bars of soap with thenational human trafficking hotline and deliver them to every hotel in Miami, in an effort to save victims of humantrafficking in the days before Super Bowl LIV.WHO:Human Trafficking Survivors
- Theresa Flores – Human Trafficking Survivor, Best Selling Author of “The Slave Across the Street” and Founder of TraffickFree and The S.O.A.P. Project
- Gina Cavallo – Human Trafficking Survivor, Founder of Paying it Forward Foundation
- Joyce Dixson-Haskett – Human Trafficking Survivor, Clinical Therapist, and Author of L.O.R.T.E. (Levels of Response to Traumatic Events)
- Toshia Lynn Hogan – Human Trafficking Survivor, Founder of CleanUP HT™
- Dr. Katariina Rosenblatt – Human Trafficking Survivor, Founder of There is H.O.P.E. for Me
Sarah de Carvalho, CEO | It’s a Penalty CampaignKerry-Ann Royes, CEO | YWCA Greater Miami DadeWHAT:Theresa Flores, founder of The S.O.A.P. Project will share her story of survival as she trains hundreds of volunteers on how to spot the signs of human trafficking and what to do if they suspect someone is being trafficked. More than 60,000 bars of soap will be labeled with the human trafficking hotline and delivered to every hotel in Miami, in TheS.O.A.P. Project's largest outreach event ever.Over the past ten years, thousands of volunteers with The S.O.A.P. Project have distributed more than 1.5 million bars of soap, labeled with the National Human Trafficking Hotline, and victims have been rescued as a direct result. Human trafficking is the second-leading crime in the world.MEDIA: Please contact Lennie or Meagan (below) to coordinate interviews with human trafficking survivors: Theresa Flores, Gina Cavallo, Joyce Dixson-Haskett, Toshia Lynn Hogan, Dr. Katariina Rosenblatt (bilingual, Spanish and English)
- Lennie Mason, The S.O.A.P. Project (On-Site at YWCA)Cell: 734-777-9579
- Meagan Swingle, The S.O.A.P. ProjectCell: 678-427-6321
When:Saturday, January 25, 20209:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.Where:The S.O.A.P. Project Location 1:YWCA Greater Miami Dade,351 NW 5th StreetMiami, FL 33128The S.O.A.P. Project Location 2:Downtown Miami Charter School305 NW 3rd AveMiami, FL 33128AGENDA:• 9:30 - 10:00 a.m. - Doors Open - Registration and Welcome• 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. - Label soap and creation informational folders for hotels• 10:30 - 12:00 p.m. – Theresa Flores training presentation (Location 1, YWCA)• 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. - Lunch• 12:45 p.m. - Teams head out to hotels to deliver soaps• 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. - Return to YWCA Greater Miami DadeTheresa Flores Bio:Founder of The S.O.A.P. Project (Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution), Theresa Flores, is a survivor. As a 15-year-old girl in a well-to-do suburban neighborhood, Theresa survived two years of living hell being trafficked to men in their 20's and 30's. She was given as a reward to men in this criminal ring when they did a good job. She was an avid track runner, an older sister to three younger brothers. No one, not even her parents, knew she was being trafficked for sex. Twenty years later, Theresa is speaking out on the reality of human trafficking in the U.S. She is the author of The Slave Across the Street, a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller, and The Sacred Bath. Her new international book, a top seller on the UK Sunday Times list, offers a look into her escape from her traffickers and her struggle to heal. Theresa has been invited as a guest on The 700 Club, The Today Show, and, MSNBC's Sex Slaves — The Teen Trade. She has also been featured on Nightline, America's Most Wanted and For the Record. Theresa is featured by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Museum in a traveling exhibit entitled, Invisible Slavery. Theresa began The S.O.A.P. Project ten years ago not only to educate the public and save victims, but also to fill a need. The S.O.A.P. Project allows concerned citizens to help put a stop to human trafficking in their community and savemissing children. Over the last ten years, more than 100,000 volunteers have come together to label and distributemore than 1.5 million bars of soap to hotel rooms and victims of human trafficking have been saved as a directresult.
SOAP Up Super Bowl MiamiFacts about Human Trafficking:
Human Trafficking is the 2nd-leading crime in the world — including the U.S.An estimated 1.3 million go missing in the U.S. every year, and 33,000 remain missing at any given time.If a missing or homeless child is not recovered within the first 48 hours, there is a 1 in 3 chance they will be trafficked or solicited for sex.12-14 years of age is the average age of entry into child “prostitution” in the U.S.If a person under the age of 18 is involved in commercial sex, they are being trafficked.If a person is over 18 and has a pimp, they are being trafficked.The majority of trafficking occurs in hotels and motels.Although there is always a demand for sex, sporting events and large events that draw many people – particularly men – increase the demand for sex-for-sale.