Here’s something you may not know about Sacramento: the capital city is among 18 medium-sized US cities identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a hub for human trafficking.

Sacramento is among the top cities experiencing an epidemic of child prostitution, according to the nonprofit refugee resettlement agency Opening Doors. The agency’s Website said an estimated 600,000-800,000 people are trafficked across international boundaries every year, and some 14,500-17,500 people are trafficked into the US.

Modern slavery

HUMAN TRAFFICKING, or modern slavery, exists in every part of Sacramento. The members of Soroptimist International of Sacramento South (SISS) donated books on this issue to the Sacramento Library, which did not have any literature on this issue prior to the donation. / Photo courtesy, Soroptimist International of Sacramento South (SISS)

What is human trafficking? According to Opening Doors it is defined as “modern slavery” – victims as young as 13 and as old as 54, and of both genders, are forced, frauded or coerced into the commercial sex industry, involuntary servitude, debt bondage or slavery.

What makes Sacramento such a hub for human trafficking? Opening Doors said one reason is its large immigrant population. And Kathleen Crone, treasurer of Soroptimist International of Sacramento South (SISS) said it also has to do with Sacramento’s location.

“We’re so centrally located to so many freeways. If a group has been identified, it’s very easy for whoever is in charge of this group to get them out of Sacramento quickly,” Crone said. “And (it’s) then easy access to Reno, Las Vegas, Los Angeles – it’s just kind of the hub of the wheel.”

Lack of information

As ending human trafficking is one of the major programs of Soroptimist International, the South Sacramento chapter was looking for a way to help by educating their members on the subject. As they started the process, however, they soon found that for a city where human trafficking is a problem, the information was not that easy to find.

“I started acquiring some books (on human trafficking) that I passed around to (our) members, but some of them were very expensive that we wanted to read,” said SISS member Dori Holmer. “So I contacted the (Sacramento Public Library) to find out what they had and they had nothing – they had not supplied any human trafficking books to their readers at all. So one of our members suggested: why don’t we buy some books for the library. So we did.”

Books at library

Holmer said SISS presented the Sacramento Public Library with a list of 20 suggested books on human trafficking. SISS chose 10 of those books to purchase and donate to the library system, while the library purchased the other books to add to their collection.

“Any time someone approaches us and they want to donate materials, especially when they are quality materials of a nature that is current and it’s relevant to the community, we want to take those in and make those available to the public,” said Brenda Haggard, strategic communications officer for the Sacramento Public Library.

Travelling display

However, SISS also felt it was important for library patrons to know such books were available. To help spread the word, they asked Sacramento Public Library if they could put up a display about the books and the human trafficking issue and the Library said “Yes.”

A TRAVELLING DISPLAY on human trafficking, also put together by the Soroptimists, is at the Central Library through February. It will travel to five additional libraries in the Sacramento Public Library system during 2012. / Photo courtesy, Soroptimist International of Sacramento South (SISS)

“We felt that we needed some way of letting people know that the books were there and available and to create an interest in reading them,” Holmer said. “We had discovered in talking to people that they are shocked to learn that first of all slavery exists, and second that it exists in Sacramento. So we thought a display would be helpful.”

The books and human trafficking display were officially made available on Jan. 11, which was International Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Haggard said.

“(The display) will be at the Central Library for about a month and then travel to five other libraries in the system over the next few months,” she said.

According to Crone, the display will be moved to the Colonial Heights Library in March, Belle Cooledge Community Library and Martin Luther King, Junior Regional Library in April, and Rancho Cordova Library in May. The display includes information on the human trafficking books, as well as informational sheets, objects that represent trafficking – such as handcuffs and barbed wire – and also posted hotline numbers in the hopes if a trafficked individual happens to see the display they would have access to ways of help, Crone said.

Awareness is first step

Both SISS and the Sacramento Public Library hope both the books and the display will help create awareness around the issue of human trafficking.

“Awareness is always the first step to solving a problem, so providing the information that brings the awareness will be a vehicle to help solve the problem we hope,” Haggard said.

Crone hopes this project may be the beginning of more for SISS, such as possibly utilizing rooms at various libraries to make presentations and other projects to help make hotline numbers more accessible to trafficking victims.

“We hope that we can do a little bit more than just this – it’s really just the beginning of a big problem,” she said.

For more information on SISS, visit http://soroptimistssacramentosouth.com.

Albie-Carson

The Albie Carson Breast Cancer Foundation is a local Sacramento organization, created in memory of the late Albie Carson who succumbed to breast cancer on July 4, 2002. She was a 50 year Sacramento resident who attended school here, raised a family and made a career in real estate. / Photo courtesy Albie Aware Foundation

Five of the six teams are currently ranked by the Sacramento Bee. The sixth team, Dublin High School from the East Bay, is currently ranked No. 5 in the Division II North Coast Section by MaxPreps Sports. Dublin will play No. 4 Franklin of Elk Grove at 12 noon, No. 1 Elk Grove will face off with No. 5 Oak Ridge at 3 p.m., and No. 2 Jesuit will take on No. 18 Christian Brothers at 6 p.m.

“This event was created to showcase some of the best high school baseball in the greater Sacramento area, while raising money for a great cause that affects so many women each year,” said Chris Fahey, director of athletics at Jesuit High School. “All players, coaches and umpires will wear pink items during the game, the bases will be painted pink, and breast cancer survivors will throw-out ceremonial first pitches before each game.”

Tickets will be sold at the gate and are $8 for adults and $4 for students and senior citizens. Children under 5 and breast cancer survivors wearing pink are free.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Albie Carson Breast Cancer Foundation which was created in memory of Albie Carson who succumbed to breast cancer on July 4, 2002. Albie was a 50-year resident of Sacramento where she attended

school, raised a family, and made a career in the real estate community. Last year’s event raised over $10,000.

In preparation for the back to school season, Rose Kwett, RN, joined representatives of the Sacramento Board of Supervisors and California School Nurses Organization to declare “Voices of Meningitis Week” in Sacramento County to help raise awareness of the dangers of meningococcal disease and the importance of vaccination. 

Students from Norwood Junior High School, educators and public leaders participate as Sacramento County declares “Voices of Meningitis Week” to raise awareness of the need for teens and preteens to get meningitis vaccines. /Photo courtesy.

Meningococcal disease is a serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis and take the life of a child in just a single day. School nurses nationwide are urging parents to help protect their children against meningococcal meningitis by getting them vaccinated.

Kwett joined Voices of Meningitis, a national educational campaign of the National Association of School Nurses, in an effort to help raise awareness of this devastating disease in Sacramento County.

“I lost my daughter MaryJo to meningococcal disease just before her 16th birthday,” she said. “I believe MaryJo would still be here today if she had been vaccinated against this disease.”

At the age of 15, MaryJo was a vibrant and intelligent girl who celebrated life and was off to a seemingly bright future; then catastrophe struck. One morning, MaryJo began to feel sick – complaining of a sore throat and feeling weak. Later that afternoon, MaryJo developed a blotchy, purplish rash, a tell-tale sign of meningococcal disease, and was rushed to the hospital. Despite best efforts to save her, MaryJo died within 13 hours of her first symptoms.

“This disease is so scary because early symptoms are similar to those of common viral illnesses. I’m a registered nurse and I still was unable to tell that something was terribly wrong with my daughter until it was too late,” Kwett said. “I know firsthand how quickly meningitis can take a life. Other parents need to know that meningitis can happen to anyone at anytime.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccination for preteens and teens 11 through 18 years of age and college freshmen living in dormitories. Vaccination has been available for years and is a safe and effective way to help protect against meningococcal disease.

Since MaryJo’s death, Kwett has made it her mission to raise awareness of meningitis. She conducts presentations at schools in northern California through her work with Meningitis Awareness Key to Prevention and Voices of Meningitis.

Visit www.VoicesOfMeningitis.org to learn more and to hear from other families who have been affected by this disease.