Riley Wasek
This past Saturday, January 10, 2026, the Vista division of the National Soroptimist Foundation held its twentieth annual Human Trafficking awareness walk at the United Methodist Church on Melrose in Vista. The walk was roughly one mile and went North up to Sunset Drive and back. The event consisted of information booths of charities, organizations, and foundations, as well as a speaking presentation held before the walk, and then of course the walk itself. One booth that stood out to me was Petals of Hope. This is an organization in which survivors of trafficking and domestic abuse can receive work experience by helping create bouquets and flower arrangements that the company is hired to make. At the event, many of the survivors put together floral bracelets which were given out to people participating in the walk to wear. There were many high school students in attendance, which was so amazing to see.
Many dignitaries attended including Vista Mayor John Franklin who spoke to the attendees.
In speaking with Jackie Hyuck with the Soroptimist Foundation I learned about what exactly the Soroptimist Foundation does. The Soroptimist Foundation works to help women receive the education and training they need to better their lives. Money raised throughout the year is given in cash grants to single moms and households in need. This helps fund their education, food, diapers, rent, gas, and any other necessities they might need. This year, the local Soroptimist sector will award 12 cash grants to people in need, some of whom are trafficking victims. Karen Thompson, a retired teacher and elementary school librarian, explained,
“We want to empower young girls to know that they do have a future, and teach them how to say no.”
I spoke with Adela Giessen who ran the booth for the Petals of Hope Foundation. Petals of Hope is a boutique flower farm in the San Pasqual Valley. One of their main partners is Trader Joes, who through their shared flowers program, donates flowers to the organization weekly. This organization allows women who have survived domestic abuse and human trafficking to gain work experience by arranging flowers as well as working at fundraising weddings held at the flower venue. The survivors are able to gain vocational experience in the field of floral arrangement and photography. The organization also partners with five safehouses to help integrate surviving women into successful jobs and lives.
The walk itself went extremely well. When it comes to issues such as trafficking that affects so many innocent people, and creates such torment and pain in people’s lives, it ignites an anger inside of people especially when a significant portion of trafficking is children. Children are helpless in those types of situations. It is good to know there are so many people in the world who are so passionately against that.
