Our Foundation takes time each year to discuss great organizations and the impact they are making. One of the organizations that has stood out to all of us here at Mercy Lab is the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), which is based in Los Angeles. It’s a nonprofit organization that works to end modern slavery and human trafficking. In the past few decades, CAST has supported thousands of survivors. Some of their stories are on their website. It’s really amazing to read/view them.
CAST also advocates for policies and legislation, which has positioned this organization to be a leading charge to help the trafficking crisis. It is one of the pioneers of the US anti-trafficking movement. It also provides individual support to the people who need services such as counseling, legal services, housing, educational leadership training, and mentorship.
Their mission is to end modern slavery through education, advocacy and empowering survivors of human trafficking. Most Americans do not know how prevalent this issue really is. According to the CAST website, human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise that is second only to drugs, in terms of organized crime. It is an estimated $150 billion dollar industry.