At the heart of One More Child’s Anti-Trafficking program is a simple but urgent mission: Bring hope and healing to survivors and prevent one more from being coerced into exploitation. Every January, National Human Trafficking Prevention Month allows us to live out that mission in powerful and unique ways.
Last month, our Anti-Trafficking team mobilized our mission through influential speaking opportunities, training sessions, awareness events, and a sting operation that led to the rescue and restoration of survivors.
In total, our Anti-Trafficking team held 43 events during the month of January. Here is a roundup of a few highlights from One More Child’s National Human Trafficking Prevention Month:
Leading the Way in North Carolina
One More Child’s Anti-Trafficking team is emerging as a trusted leader in North Carolina’s anti-trafficking and child welfare space. Last month, the team led two significant advocacy and education initiatives to prepare youth and adults to recognize and combat trafficking and exploitation in their communities.
Parker Barnes, the North Carolina Anti-Trafficking Team Supervisor, and Taylor Bowman, Anti-Trafficking Advocate, led a training at Hope Community Church, in partnership with LINKS Academy. They spoke to 35 students currently in the foster care system, equipping them with knowledge, skills, and guidance to enter the workforce, college, and adulthood.
Additionally, our team helped lead an impactful training event hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, which One More Child co-sponsored. The event featured a panel discussion with law enforcement, service providers, and advocates from across the state. Parker Barnes was requested to facilitate this panel, guiding a conversation on how to identify familial trafficking, best practices in response, and how to bring hope to those affected. Barnes was also recently appointed to the board of directors for the North Carolina Coalition Against Human Trafficking (NCCAHT), signifying One More Child’s expertise and trusted reputation in the field.
Leading the Fight in Florida
As our national impact expands, so does our leadership near our Florida headquarters. One More Child’s team was featured on expert panels at the 18th Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Conference, hosted by United Abolitionists, Inc. and the University of Central Florida’s Center for the Study of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery.
This annual conference brings together survivors, lived-experience leaders, advocates, researchers, and policymakers to examine the growing role of technology in human trafficking, while identifying strategies and solutions to combat exploitation.
The panel discussion, “Voices of Resilience: From Exploitation to Systemic Change,” featured One More Child Anti-Trafficking Survivor Mentors Savi Reyes and Stacie Ham, moderated by Anti-Trafficking Team Supervisor Olivia Littleton. This survivor-led panel engaged in dialogue on grooming, tech accountability, and the journey to reclamation. According to post-conference survey results, this panel was the clear favorite of attendees.
In addition, Olivia Littleton and Chief Operating Officer Jodi Domangue served on the panel, “Do Major Events Provide an Effective Platform to Tackle Human Trafficking?” This robust conversation covered data, education, funding, service providers, AI, and technology.
Across Florida, experts, nonprofits, churches, policymakers, and communities are looking to One More Child for dependable guidance and thought leadership in the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Photo Credit: Spyglass Imaging
Leading for Survivors
With every speaking engagement, every training session, every partnership, we lead with steadfast determination to bring freedom to survivors. We ensure survivors and potential victims of trafficking remain at the forefront of our mission and motivation. One powerful way we accomplish this is through hosting and participating in Red Sand events.
The Red Sand Project is a participatory art initiative that raises awareness about the vulnerabilities that can lead to trafficking. By pouring red sand into sidewalk cracks, we recognize those who slip through the cracks of social, economic, and political systems and fall into a life of exploitation. During National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, One More Child hosted five Red Sand events across Florida.
Standing alongside survivors, law enforcement, government officials, legislators, and community leaders, our Anti-Trafficking team shared their expertise and stories—which included testimonies from survivors and lived-experience experts. Through events in Kissimmee, Orange, Seminole, and Hillsborough counties, we reached hundreds of individuals, raising awareness about the dangers of trafficking and the need for action.
In Hillsborough County, we hosted the inaugural Red Sand event in partnership with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Children and Families. This event brought together 22 organizations and agencies providing services in Hillsborough County, creating space for networking, connection, and collaboration.
The Red Sand Project serves as a powerful reminder and bold declaration that no victim is left unseen, unheard, or unsupported.
Photo Credit, photos 1-4: Spyglass Imaging
Leading with Law Enforcement
As a key part of One More Child’s Anti-Trafficking services, we partner with law enforcement to care for survivors and potential victims of trafficking immediately following their recovery. We regularly join law enforcement—local, state, and federal—for sting operations, and during Human Trafficking Prevention Month, our Circuit 18 Mobile Team served in an operation in Seminole and Brevard counties.
Partnering with the Altamonte Springs Police Department and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, we supported a multiday undercover sting operation from Jan. 7-10. This coordinated effort resulted in the arrest of 71 traffickers and buyers, including nine individuals who were attempting to meet with a minor. Throughout the operation, our team ensured that victim-centered support was present at every stage, providing immediate crisis response, safety planning, and needs assessments on-site to 21 potential victims.
By aligning with law enforcement in these operations, we are not only disrupting exploitation but also creating meaningful pathways toward stability, safety, and healing for survivors.
Leading as Award-Winning Experts
One More Child’s Anti-Trafficking teams consist of incredible leaders serving as supervisors, advocates, clinicians, and survivor mentors, or lived-experience experts. These team members provide compassionate, specialized care as they support clients on their journey to physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. And last month, two incredible One More Child team members were recognized for their exceptional work.
Every year, United Abolitionists, Inc. and UCF’s Center for the Study of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery host their prestigious award ceremony, the Polaris Star Award Gala. These awards honor outstanding efforts in the fight against modern-day slavery and exploitation and celebrate champions making a significant impact.
At this year’s award ceremony, One More Child Survivor Mentor Yolanda James received the Survivor Champions Wellbeing Award, and Survivor Mentor Stacie Ham received the Polaris Survivor Champions Individual Advocate of the Year Award. Stacie also received an award from the Circuit 10 Human Trafficking Task Force for Advocate of the Year. These awards recognize Yolanda and Stacie’s distinguished service and steadfast devotion to the fight against trafficking.
Photo Credit: Spyglass Imaging
We are so grateful for the dedication of our Anti-Trafficking team, not just during Human Trafficking Prevention Month, but all year-round. We will continue this important work until human trafficking is eradicated, and every survivor feels supported, heard, and valued.
Join the fight to end human trafficking today!