Higherground OC Ministers to Kids Most at Risk

Rotary Club of Placentia
Weekly Meeting
January 26, 2022

In attendance for the weekly meeting at Alta Vista CC of Placentia Kathi, Glenn, Ward, Alice, Roy, Nate, Maverick, Paul, Craig, Hugh, Ron, Patti, Polly, Hugh, TC,
ZOOM – Elizabeth, Art, Jim, Lisa
Welcome Miss Yorba Linda Miss Placentia contestants! Brynlee Snyder, Veronica Chapman, Bella Vino!!!
We kicked things off at 7:00 am with the pledge from Kathi and words of inspiration from Polly.
COMMUNITY REPORT WARD
• Prepping for Summer programs
• Deciding on a Love Placentia project, Date TBD
• Formal announcement made for new Fire Chief
• New Police Chief also to be named. (Acting Chief Butts)
• Working with County Health Dept. Flu Shots and COVID updates
• Will be going today to pick up 3 cases of masks (3000) o Distributing tomorrow with Fullerton City Council members
• We are responsible for Blessing Boxes this month

CHAMBER NEWS KATHI
• This evening at Meat Up Wind Down Wednesday 5-7pm
• Friday power network, Edward Jones Speaker at Rems 11am
• Next Thursday Excellence in Placentia o 17 members attending $75 a person to attend and support Maverick
• Irvine Rotary Club May 9th 6th annual Golf Tournament

HUGH
April 21st Golf Tournament K of C Western Hills CC
GUEST KAREN
A thank you to Rotary for supporting Scholarship program for Miss Placentia Miss YL program
Club is sponsoring 2 girls this year
Sat Feb 5th will be contest at Valencia HS. Need volunteers to take tickets and hand out programs
BREAKFAST 7:20
Fine Master: HUGH
NO FINES TODAY!!!!!
TODAY'S PROGRAM
Shun Kato & Joe Baldo – YOUTH MENTORING / HUMAN TRAFFICKING
JOE
• HIGHER GROUND YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES o Nonprofit ▪ Outreach to homeless and then prison ministry

o Moved to mentoring youth upon release from jail
o Working with Anaheim gang unit ▪ Work out of parks
• Chapman University and CSUF involved now o Teen pregnancy issue and personally hygiene and Anti-Bullying program

• Now have a nursing class from CSUF and Chapman every day at Higher Ground
• Have a facility offering classes and mentoring
• Discovered the number 1 issue in SoCal is Human trafficking o Built a program to address ▪ Deploy college age kids to Health classes to teach about Human trafficking

SHUN
• Aspiring pediatric cardiologist but knew he needed to address larger problems in the community
• Found Higher Ground and became a part of organization o Human Trafficking prevention program
• What is it? o Modern day slavery
• Billion-dollar business
• California a hot bed for Human Trafficking
o 1-3 victims’ minors (average age 12)
o Relationships
o Human Trafficking ▪ 2 types of Labor & Sex
o Social Media ▪ Affects of it
▪ Safe vs unsafe behavior
o College age kids make presentation to kids
• 3-day program with kids
• Partnered with police agencies and school districts
• Unique because of the peer-to-peer approach
Spoken to over 7000 students and many more to reach

SPREAD AWARENESS EVERYONE… Need to bring this into the open and discuss
Get involved at HIGHERGROUNDOC.ORG
GREAT WORK SHUN AND JOE!!!!!