Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) Gym
301 W. Court Street, Ithaca
Please join us for an evening with Theresa Flores — a survivor of and campaigner against sex trafficking, best-selling author, licensed social worker with a master’s degree in education, nationally acclaimed speaker, trainer and educator, and founder of The SOAP Project (Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution) a nonprofit organization that aims to help prevent sex trafficking.
“I realize,” Flores said in the introduction to her bestselling book, “The Slave Across the Street” co-written with PeggySue Wells, “that this (sexual exploitation and trafficking) is a difficult subject for many to embrace.” But “it is vital that people understand how easily this can happen to any child.”
At age 15, Theresa became a victim of sex trafficking. She was excited when “Daniel” offered her a ride home from school one day. He was handsome, cool, older, and she was thrilled to be noticed. Then Daniel raped her, and used images of the rape to threaten and control her. Her affect became sullen, silent, depressed. She dropped out of sports. Her grades dropped. Her parents and other adults knew something was wrong but attributed the changes to teenage angst. Out of shame, guilt, and fear, Theresa stayed silent.
Now thirty years later, Theresa speaks about how an epidemic of trafficking continues within the U.S. impacting youth of all backgrounds. Her story is a heart wrenching, gripping, and a motivating lesson on resilience. She is a best-selling author, licensed social worker with a master’s degree in education, nationally acclaimed speaker, trainer and educator, and founder of The SOAP Project (https://www.soapproject.org/).
Theresa shares her passion, resilience, and strength as a survivor, and more — her presentations are her way of helping people understand how they can help. She encourages us to answer the question- If you see something happening or are concerned about someone, what do you do? How do we come together as communities to support and protect children and teens?
Proudly sponsored by the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Critical Team:
Advocacy Center
Tompkins County Youth Services Department
Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga
Child Development Council
Family & Children’s Services of Ithaca
GIAC (Greater Ithaca Activities Center)
The Learning Web
Ithaca Police Department
Planned Parenthood of Greater NY
TC Probation Department
TC Department of Social Services
Tompkins Community Action
William George Agency
To learn more about the Tompkins County CSEC Critical Team and ways to support local anti-trafficking projects, reach out to the Tompkins County Youth Services Department at (607) 274-5310 or visit: https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/All-Departments/Youth-Services
If you are concerned about someone or seeking support services yourself, please call the Advocacy Center’s 24 hour hotline at 607-277-5000.
Ms. Flores has received numerous awards for her bravery in speaking out, her best-selling books, and for her work in rescuing missing teens during major sporting events. She has received the “L’Oréal Women of Worth Award”, the “Courage Award” from Ohio Governor Kasich, and has the distinct honor of having a law named after her in Michigan. Michigan’s “Theresa Flores Law” removed the statute of limitations for any trafficked or sexually exploited victim, making Michigan the only state in the U.S. that a person can prosecute their offenders at any time they are ready.
The SOAP — Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution — project, a volunteer driven organization dedicated to mobilizing communities to protect teens from domestic sex trafficking, distributes millions of bars of soap to motels and hotels, where trafficking frequently occurs, with the National Human Trafficking Hotline number on the back of each bar.
Learn more about her and the SOAP project here: https://www.soapproject.org/theresa-flores