DAYTONA BEACH — January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and Jan. 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
To raise awareness of human trafficking in Volusia County and empower local trafficking survivors, The 1st Annual Human Trafficking Walk: Steps for Freedom, will be held Jan. 10 in Daytona Beach.
Participants will meet in the parking lot next to the City Island Library beginning at 8:30 a.m. to register, chat with one another and enjoy Krispy Kreme doughnuts, juice and coffee.
The walk to support survivors on the path to freedom will begin at 9 a.m. Participants will stroll north on Beach Street, and then hike up the International Speedway Boulevard bridge. Signs and posters are encouraged.
Once the group reaches the east side of the bridge, they’ll gather in an area safely away from traffic and listen to a few speakers. After that, they’ll go back over the ISB bridge and head to the library on City Island.
The speakers will include the event’s organizer, Arletha Baxter, who several years ago founded a safe house in Daytona Beach for human trafficking survivors. A sheriff’s deputy and a few trafficking survivors will also say a few words.
Baxter founded the nonprofit STEEP House in Daytona Beach in 2018. STEEP is an acronym for Stop Trafficking Exploitation and Emphasize Prevention. Baxter’s nonprofit focuses on advocacy, education and healing for victims, offering support and a safe haven for those impacted by trafficking in Florida.
Important information for the walk and trafficking victims
The walk is free and open to anyone who wants to participate. Those who want to get involved with the event can call Baxter at 904-908-7755.
To register so organizers can get a head count and have ample refreshments for those who come to the walk, log on to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0549ADAD2DA0F4C52-60779631-steps
Those who’ve been pulled into human trafficking and need help can call 888-373-7888.
How big of a problem is human trafficking?
Human trafficking is a $32 billion per year global criminal enterprise that currently has an estimated 25 million people ensnared.
Florida ranks third in the nation for reported human trafficking cases. In recent years, Florida has recorded around 2,000 human trafficking cases annually.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline receives roughly 35 million reports related to child sexual exploitation each year. Tens of thousands of those reports are connected to Florida.
You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Human trafficking awareness walk set for Daytona Beach on Jan. 10
Reporting by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
