Sister Mary John Paul smsm has been working with the STOP SLAVERY COALITION in northern California for several years. Here is an article recently published in their newsletter:
Members of the nine Religious Congregations form the STOP SLAVERY COALITION: Northern California Catholic Sisters against Human Trafficking have had as their focus for the past two years Super Bowl 50, scheduled for Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on February 7, 2016. The focus is due to the anticipated rise in human trafficking connected with that event.
One of the Coalition members, Sister John Paul Chao, SMSM, wrote the following regarding her experiences:
"Our Stop Slavery Coalition began visiting hotels before the America’s Cup International Sailing Race. We visited the Starwood Hotels (8 chains) because they sponsored this sporting event. We had some success, so the following year we visited the Choice Hotels (10 chains). As the Super Bowl 50 is coming to San Francisco area, we have been training volunteers to visit hundreds of hotels around the San Francisco Bay.
“Since I live in San Leandro, I was assigned the work of covering the 28 hotels in San Leandro, Castro Valley, Hayward and Union City. The San Leandro Times published my training, and flyers went out to all the libraries, post offices and churches. The volunteers who came signed up to visit hotels along Interstate 580. Later the Fremont Chinese Catholic community volunteers signed up for the hotels along Interstate 880. I can finally report that all of the volunteers have completed their visits and have sent their reports to the coalition chairperson for the Hotel Committee, Sr. Marie Jeanne Gaillac, CSJO.“
On the whole, the experiences of the volunteers have been positive. The hotel personnel received them warmly and expressed interest in their materials, which help their staff to spot human trafficking. It seems that the world has become more aware of the horror of the rampant slave trade around the globe and is willing to help to stop it and to rescue victims. Thank God!”