JL Daytona Beach Human Trafficking Committee

The Junior League of Daytona Beach Human Trafficking Committee

The Junior League of Daytona Beach's human trafficking committee educates the public by raising awareness of the issue through informational seminars, special events and local outreach relief efforts. Florida ranks third in the country with the most reported cases of human trafficking.  

The Junior League of Daytona Beach hosts an annual luncheon that brings awareness to human trafficking. The inaugural event drew almost 100 people and featured a panel of human trafficking expert speakers including featured guest speaker Filmmaker Mira Chang, whose film “A Path Appears” deals with abuses women face and the current successes of programs worldwide to reduce risk factors for young women. The luncheon included a panel discussion with U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis; Special Agent Jose Ramirez of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Susan Danish, the executive director of the Association of Junior Leagues International; and Bonnie Jo Daniels, a director with Hope for Freedom, an organization that gathers community support and also hosts a safe house. 

The Junior League of Daytona Beach Human Trafficking committee also works with the Volusia County Sheriff's department and donates backpacks filled with clothes and toiletries to the Freedom 7 Human Trafficking Task Force, which is dedicated to fighting the crime in Volusia, Putnam, Flagler and St. Johns counties. The backpacks are labeled for size and gender and then distributed to first responders to provide to victims to help meet their initial needs of personal hygiene items and a change of clothes until other services can be utilized. The packs also include a journal and a flashlight, which have been shown to help with therapeutic efforts.