MORRO BAY ROTARY MEETING…..August 15, 2017

Meeting called to order by President Pete

Invocation by:   Michael Shaffron

Pledge Allegiance to the Flag by:   Gary England

Joke By:   Pete

Song:   The Rotary Song…  (we are getting better…  I think)

Guest Rotarians:   Julie Jenkins from Cambria, Ruth Ann from MB Sunset, and our good friend, Deepa.

Guests of Rotarians:  Melissa brought Stella and Teresa, an exchange student from Spain who is staying with Melissa while she is attending her sophomore year of high school.  Heidi’s son Noah was with us again, Linda brought Dan and Pete introduced Max, our Rotary exchange student from France.

John Weiss thanked everyone for the cards and well wishes.  He said he is doing much better after having major surgery…  May have additional medical needs, will know more later.   A special thanks to Deepa who has helped by driving him around. 

Jamie passed around the sign-up sheet for the Margarita Festival.  She also has posters that need to be put up in local businesses if you know anyone who can use one.

Heidi made an announcement about PRLS….  Introduction to PRLS will be in Santa Maria on Sept. 22 from 2:30 - 4:30.

Board meeting tomorrow morning at 7:30 at the View. 

Mike said there is another roundabout cleanup on August 26 at 9am.   Please remember that date and come to help.

Pete drew several badge numbers to give away a free lunch, but the owners of the numbers were absent.  
Flags were exchanged between Max and our Club.  

We passed around buckets to give donations for Lorraine’s new granddaughter.  We collected over $131.00 which Lorraine will match as the start of a bank account for the baby.

Nick is celebrating 33 years of marriage. 

Andrea announced that her daughter, Ava, is in the Bay Area Football and Cheer League and they are raising monies through selling hot dogs etc. at Miners this weekend.   Miners is also having a 20% bag sale so come on down for lunch and bargains.

Judy introduced our speaker this week, SLO Assistant District Attorney, Lee Cunningham.   He has been part of the office since 1989…  a major part of his job is being Chair of the Human Trafficking Task Force.

There are two kinds of Human Trafficking…  Labor and Sex.    It is the Modern form of slavery and is the fastest growing form of crime around the world and in the U.S.

There is more money to be made in human trafficking than in guns or drugs.  The gang members threaten to harm the farm workers family back in South America if they do not give their wages to the gang.   

Wherever you have a transient population, you will have trafficking.  Girls may go to ten or more houses a day.   San Luis Obispo County is a natural corridor for human trafficking activities between Los Angeles, Central Valley and San Francisco.

The Human Trafficking Task Force was founded in 2014…involves local police, FBI, Homeland Security, Sheriff’s Deparment, etc.

THE MISSION of the Task Force is to prevent trafficking through education, protect victims, and promote cooperation among law enforcement and community organizations.

Needs:    Law enforcement…..the public is the eyes and ears of the police.   If you see something….say something. 

Housing:   Need safe houses for victims.   Sometimes Victims may not want to be rescued.  

Signs of a trafficking victim… young girl with older man, homelessness, special tattoos, someone who is not in control of her/his own documents, often avoid eye contact, multiple people in a cramped space, fearful…etc.

Internet enticement through Chat rooms, modeling companies, acting, or dancing opportunities.  

Truckers as a group have gotten involved to curtail trafficking.

A local case concerned a runaway who came from a troubled home life,…  hooked up with a boyfriend who took her to Santa Cruz, where he told her she would have to be a prostitute.    He took her cell phone, never left her alone, and advertised her on the internet.    She was used in homes as well as in hotels….she was able to get to her cell phone and called her mom who immediately called the police and she was rescued. 

Next week’s program will be Dr. Raffy Dorian, the mobile veterinarian in this area.    Will be a great program…..Hope to see you there!!

50/50 drawing was won by Lorraine…..more money for baby!!