TraffickingAwareness
Soroptimist International of Woodland has provided education on the prevalence and conditions of human trafficking in our communities for over a decade. Our club has co-hosted several educational presentations about human trafficking and its victims, provided our club with invaluable speakers on the topic, curated and donated several necessary items for victims, and provided education to the public.
Backpacks
As part of the Stop Trafficking Committee, Soroptimist International of Woodland, in partnership with Soroptimist International of Davis, has been donating “rescue backpacks” for victims of human trafficking. These backpacks contain a change of clothes (sweatshirt and pants), toiletries, small blankets, and other comfort items. Many victims come in with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Rescue backpacks give victims much needed items to which they may not have had access. Once filled, these backpacks are then donated to the emergency rooms of local hospitals, such as, Sutter Health in Davis, and Woodland Memorial Hospital, as emergency rooms are usually the first point of contact for human trafficking victims.
Backpacks and the contents are donated by community and club members during our backpack drives that are hosted by haven a boutique, a local woodland store. All items are dropped off at haven a boutique and then compiled into backpacks by the committee and club members at a backpack filling event.
Library Books
In coordination with the Woodland Public Library, SI Woodland reviewed, selected, and bought 10 books to raise awareness about human trafficking. The books will be available for checkout by library patrons in August 2023. On the inside cover of these books will be a sticker indicating they were gifted by SI Woodland. We hope these books will assist our community in becoming more educated about human trafficking issues. Below is a list of the books purchased by our club:
Groomed by Elizabeth Melendez Fisher Good
Human Trafficking Around the World by Stephanie Hepburn
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Sex Trafficking by Siddharth Kara
Forbidden Workers by Peter Kwong
Girls Like Us by Rachel Lloyd
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Trafficked by Kim Purcell
Somebody's Daughter by Julian Sher
A Crime So Monstrous by E. Benjamin Skinner
The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea
The Cellar by Minette Walters
We continue to look at additional books from different perspectives to add to the Woodland Library's collection.
Rescue Backpacks for Human Trafficking Victims
Regular, full-sized backpacks
sweat pants
sweat shirts
t-shirts
underwear
socks
refillable water bottle
water bottles
snacks
Kleenex travel size packs
packaged hand wipes
thin blanket, personal sized
packages of sanitary pads/tampons
journals with pens
small stuffed animal
Target/Walmart Gift Cards $10-$20
travel sized toiletries (soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion deodorant, lip balm, tooth brush, floss, toothpaste)