Women Leaders of Loyola Strive to Increase Awareness about Human Trafficking

“Bringing awareness to human trafficking is so important because it is not just something that happens in far away places as we might imagine when we hear the term,” says Ms. Ashley Sanks ’10, who moderates the Women Leaders of Loyola Club. “Not many people know the serious threat it poses here in the United States. It's important to hear these stories to better understand the experience of the people around us.”  

The Women Leaders of Loyola Club reached out to of Selah Freedom, a nonprofit organization with the mission to end sex trafficking and bring freedom to the exploited through awareness, prevention, outreach and residential programs. Selah is a Hebrew word which means to pause, rest and reflect. “We give survivors a chance to do just that,” the nonprofit’s website states. “Women in our sex trafficking outreach program are provided the opportunity to dream again; to discover who it is they were created to be.”

Loyola Academy junior Meghan Calk participates in the Women Leaders of Loyola Club and also serves as the vice president of Selah Freedom’s junior advisory board (JAB), which was formed in 2018 to accommodate high school volunteers who want to work with the nonprofit. Calk explains that the JAB plays a crucial role in fundraising for Selah as well as spreading awareness. 

“This year we are implementing a scholarship opportunity for two girls that have made it through Selah’s recovery program in an effort to financially assist them in receiving college educations,” she says, noting that Chicago is among the top five cities in the nation for human trafficking. “It’s much more local than many may think. Shocking statistics are part of the reason I was so drawn to becoming a member of such an important and necessary cause.” 

Wednesday afternoon’s discussion drew nearly one hundred attendees from the Loyola community including students, faculty, staff and parents. “It was a wonderful turnout, and we’re glad that so many people tuned in to learn more about this issue,” says Sanks. “The more we know, the more we are empowered to act and create change.”