Do you know someone impacted by sex trafficking in Northern California? Here's a list of places that can help
The alarming practice of sex trafficking is unfortunately more common than many people think.
According to the U.S. Department of State, sex trafficking encompasses the range of activities involved when a trafficker uses force, fraud or coercion to make another person engage in a sex act.
Sex trafficking is difficult to track, but a 2022 estimate from the International Labor Organization posited that 6.3 million people were victims of forced commercial sexual exploitation across the globe.
The Community Against Sexual Harm estimates that between 2015 and 2020, there were 13,000 victims trafficked for sex in Sacramento County alone.
The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office has a unit specifically appointed to pursue and prosecute those who sexually exploit victims.
But many survivors need more than judicial justice. There are a number of organizations across the community working to help survivors recover and build better lives.
Here are resources in the Sacramento area and elsewhere.
Community Against Sexual Harm
CASH works to educate the community and empower women to control their own destinies. The Sacramento organization offers peer-based mentoring and harm reduction services. It offers street-level and online outreach, mentoring and coaching and access to services that can make a difference in the lives of survivors.
The organization has a drop-in center, a safe haven where women can get a hot meal, clothing, hygiene products and other support.
CASH offers a program called RESET, or Reducing Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking. The program works in collaboration with the court system to offer education and connection instead of criminalization for commercial sexual exploitation-related charges.
Find out more information about CASH and its resources on its website or by calling 916-856-2900.
Children's Law Center of California
CLC is the largest children's legal services organization in the nation. The center advocates for over 25,000 children and youth in foster care systems in Sacramento, Placer and Los Angeles counties.
In speaking with multiple survivors of sex trafficking for our special report "Escaping The Blade," KCRA 3 Investigates found that for many the trauma started when they were children.
CLC doesn't just provide legal resources, but can also connect children with resources they need for a safer, more supported life. Resources can include financial assistance, housing, food assistance, internet, education and mental health.
Find more information on the CLC website or by calling 323-980-1700.
City of Refuge
Sacramento-based City of Refuge hopes both men and women make personal changes to lead a thriving life. It offers support services for individuals experiencing homelessness, formerly incarcerated and woman who have been exploited by sexual exploitation, trafficking or abuse.
City of Refuge also offers programs for youth, workforce development, community outreach, life enrichment experiences and classes.
Find more information on the City of Refuge website or by calling 866-733-8438.
Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center
The Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center offers a safe environment for victims of different crimes, including human trafficking.
The center collaborates with public, private and community-based programs to help survivors most effectively.
The organization uses case managers for crisis intervention and safety planning to help survivors escape danger and unsafe situations. The center also offers legal services for those who need to file a restraining order.
The center's survivors support network, VOICES, is a committee of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault who volunteer to help others through advocacy, education and empowerment.
Find more information about the Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center on its website or by calling 916-875-4673.
WEAVE, Inc.
WEAVE's mission is to promote safe and healthy relationships and support all survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and sex trafficking, including men, women and children.
WEAVE, which was initially established as Women Escaping a Violent Environment, provides services for survivors at the Rape Crisis Center in Sacramento County.
The organization provides services to out of its Midtown Services Center, but also offers a 24-hour support and information line.
WEAVE provides emergency safehouses and transitional housing. It also offers legal and counseling services. It also works to help survivors develop a safety plan.
Find more information on the WEAVE website or by calling 916-920-2952.
EMPACT
EMPACT is a nonprofit grassroots organization that aims to bridge the gaps between various communities to provide support and amplify the voices of those who typically go unheard.
One facet of the organization is Project TAKE, which stands for Trafficking Awareness Knowledge Empowerment. Project TAKE's street outreach provides direct support to individuals who are at risk of sexual abuse or exploitation.
The group has also provided a human trafficking summit to raise awareness of the issue in Sacramento County.
Find more information on the EMPACT website.
PREVAIL
PREVAIL, which stands for Pioneering Restoration and Elevating Voices of Advocacy, Idealism and Leadership, helps individuals in San Joaquin County experiencing crisis.
For those experiencing sex trafficking or exploitation, the organization offers a number of sources of support including peer counseling, case management, emergency shelter and support groups.
The group also linked with other easily accessible community services for survivors to discreetly ask for help. Survivors can board any San Joaquin RTD bus, Manteca, Lodi, Tracy, or Escalon Transit and ask for a Safe Place or go to any McDonald’s in San Joaquin County and ask the cashier to connect you to a Safe Place.
Find more information on PREVAIL's website.
My Sister's House
My Sister's House serves Asian and Pacific Islander and other underserved women and children in the Sacramento area impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.
The organization provides a safe haven, job training and community services.
KCRA 3 covered the organization in 2016 when it debuted a short film to highlight the problem of human trafficking in Sacramento.
Find more information on the organization's website or by calling a 24-hour multilingual helpline at 916-428-3271.
Stars Behavioral Health Group
The Stars Behavioral Health Group, which is funded by the Division of Behavioral Health Services in Sacramento County, has a team specifically devoted to helping youth impacted by sexual exploitation.
CSET, which stands for Consultation, Support and Engagement Team, was developed to address the growing instances of commercially exploited children in the community.
The program provides community-based outreach to build relationships with youth survivors and provide support and appropriate services. Those services include needs assessment, crisis intervention, education, housing, job guidance and help with benefits to assist with transition back into the community.
Find more information on the organization's website or by calling 916-844-2426.
Stand Up Placer
Stand Up Placer is a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Placer County survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking to heal from the trauma and create new self-sufficient lives.
The group provides safety planning, a gender-inclusive and pet-friendly emergency shelter, transitional housing, emergency food and clothing, transportation, legal assistance, advocacy and accompaniment, peer counseling and therapy, educational workshops and age-appropriate children's services.
Find more information on the organization's website.
3Strands Global Foundation
3Strands Global is a national organization, but it has roots in California. The foundation was founded in response to an event in a tight-knit town where a young girl was trafficked for eight days before she was rescued by law enforcement.
The group's mission is to mobilize communities to combat human trafficking through prevention education and reintegration programs.
3Strands' Employ and Empower program serves survivors of sex trafficking and other abuse. Case workers and social workers meet with participants to first understand their physical, mental and emotional needs so they can provide the best support. Program participants are then connected with resources they need to succeed in the workforce, including transportation, professional clothing, job application assistance, child care, mental health services and more.
Find more information about 3Strands on the organization's website or by calling 916-365-2606.
Connect2Change
Connect2Change offers shelter and support to women who are fleeing sex trafficking in the greater Sacramento area.
The organization works with community partners to provide couseling, medical care, education and programs to connect survivors with permanent housing. Connect2Change was founded by a sex trafficking survivor.
For more information, visit Connect2Change's website or call 916-287-3312.
Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home
Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home is a non-denominational home in south Sacramento that provides shelter, food and support for pregnant women in need of help.
The organization has two houses with 10 private rooms. Two workers live at the shelter to provide 24-hour support.
The group helps drive women and their infants to doctor and housing apointments and jobs.
Women in urgent need of help can call 916-395-9370 or visit the maternity home’s website here.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Although not a local resource, the National Human Trafficking Hotline helps connect survivors with anti-trafficking programs and organizations.
In fact, under Senate Bill 1193, the state of California mandates that certain businesses and organizations display a poster to raise awareness about victims of human trafficking with resource information.
That poster links people to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
The hotlines, available by text or phone, are toll-free, available 24/7, anonymous and confidential and accessible in more than 160 languages.
Find more information on the National Human Trafficking Hotline website. Find help by texting 233733 or by calling 1-888-373-7888.
The story was produced as part of the KCRA 3 Investigates documentary "Escaping The Blade" about sex trafficking in Sacramento County. Watch the full report here.
