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Santa Barbara proclaims January 2025 Human Trafficking Awareness Month; local groups highlight prevention efforts
Summary
The council issued a proclamation recognizing Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Local service providers described prevention and survivor-support activities and announced community events and fundraising goals.
Mayor Randy Rouse proclaimed January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Santa Barbara during the council's Jan. 14 meeting, and local providers described outreach, prevention and survivor-support efforts.
Why it matters: Local organizations told council that human trafficking occurs in multiple forms and can affect youth and adults in the county. Providers urged the community to recognize signs of trafficking and to support countywide education, prevention and survivor services.
Local provider testimony: Representatives from the district attorney's Human Trafficking Task Force partners and community nonprofits asked the council to join awareness efforts. A speaker who identified herself as working with Kingdom Causes and the district attorney's office said the Channel Islands YMCA program Noah's Anchorage assisted 13 girls under age 18 who were confirmed to be trafficked in the county between January and May 2024. She described expanded coordination among Noah's Anchorage, local sexual-assault response organizations and other partners for prevention, early intervention and survivor care.
Kayla Peterson, a local provider, thanked council for the recognition and described fundraising and partnership work. "Just this past year, we were able to raise in gifts and pledges half a $1,000,000. And so this year, we're working to raise that other half a $1,000,000 to support countywide agencies who are doing education in the school system, caring for vulnerable youth, showing up for women who are experiencing homelessness and vulnerability and housing instability," Peterson said. She also noted upcoming events including a human-trafficking awareness vigil on Jan. 29 in De la Guerra Plaza and a Students for Survivors awareness event on Feb. 8.
Community engagement and next steps: Providers asked the public to participate in the vigil and in a newly formed Strategic Alliance to Fight Exploitation that will coordinate cross-sector prevention and fundraising. Staff and council members thanked the organizations and noted ongoing partnership with the county task force and local nonprofits.
Public resources: Providers listed safesbc.org as a source of information about local prevention and survivor-service work and said they would announce fundraising details in March for the countywide effort.
