The center and church are also in an underserved community. “There are almost no parks or anything for children after school,” Spears added. “In the church and center itself, we’re doing a lot to strengthen the community and help with families.”
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Those steps include a food pantry and after-school programs. However, residents throughout the city have become so frustrated by issues like relentless homelessness that they’ve all but lost faith in elected officials to offer a solution.
Send Relief won’t be the only group headed to the Super Bowl with the intent to fight human trafficking. A key partnership for them will be In Our Backyard. Volunteers will canvass convenience stores, coffee shops, restaurants and other locations to leave information for those caught in trafficking who are trying to find a way out.
One in particular will get the group’s attention. “Gas station bathrooms are one of the few places these girls can go to and not be around those trafficking them,” Spears said.
The group has identified 32 children – 12 of them boys – that it is certain are being trafficked this weekend. Those fliers will be shared as well.
Time is of the essence to reach them, and the clock is already winding down.
“Around 10 days after the Super Bowl is over, they’re taken off to other parts of the state and country. They’re consolidated into this area for a few weeks, so we work hard two weeks before and up to 10 days after the game,” Spears said.
He and his family will be at SoFi Stadium this Sunday, but not to watch the Bengals and Rams. They’ll be working alongside others, advocating for those suffering in human trafficking. Groups will cover every entrance and exit.
A larger issue is at play, he added. The Gospel is the encompassing solution to these problems. It’s just that many remain closed off to it as an answer.
“L.A. is a place where people come because they have hope in many things,” he said. “When they get here, though, one of the biggest reasons they struggle is broken relationships with others, with themselves and with God.
“It’s a place of prosperity, but many here aren’t experiencing that. People have tangible needs. They’re looking to experience hope, and we can explain that hope to them.”
This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.
