By: Daylen Kinser
Redwood is full of many different clubs devoted to many different great causes and activities. A new addition to these amazing organizations is the Student Against Trafficking Club.
A group of students has formed and connected with Operation Underground Railroad, or “O.U.R.”, to help stop human trafficking in their city and abroad. The club was started to raise awareness for human trafficking, a serious issue they would like to bring attention to in hopes of being able to make a difference, and help those who are in need.
Operation Underground Railroad is a non-profit organization, founded by Tim Ballard, that assists the government as well as the local law enforcement around the world to rescue human trafficking, and sex trafficking victims, especially the children. Izek Nelson, ‘24, is the President of this new club and has been a part of O.U.R. since 2014, “It has always been my goal to begin a Students Against Trafficking Club at my high school so that we can educate students, families, and those in the community about human trafficking.” Students Against Trafficking is sponsored and under the direction, and oversight of Operation Underground Railroad.
They have already begun holding meetings via zoom and hope to even have a guest speaker. They have worked hard to plan a possible future virtual fundraiser to begin helping O.U.R. in the near future. Hailey Rasmussen, ‘23, the Treasurer of this new club gets into the details of why this issue is very real, “California has some of the highest human trafficking rates out of the entire United States. In the last ten years over 800 victims have been identified and rescued in the central valley alone, and there are even more out there who need our help.” The goal of this new club at the moment is to get their voices out and recruit new members.
You can get involved and help by following their Instagram account, as well as their website posted below along with the Operation Underground Railroad website. This all in efforts to get connected to the organization of Redwoods new club to make a difference, and spread awareness in our community and around the globe.
Click here for Our Rescue‘s Website
Click here for the Club’s Website and Instagram
Tags: Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high, redwood high school, redwood highschool, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, redwood sports, redwoodhighschool, redwoodrangers, trafficking
