Goya Foods expands its fight against child trafficking through the company’s global initiative Goya Cares in support of Human Trafficking Awareness Month and Day (January 11).
Traffickers traffic two children and exploit over 100,000 children each year in the United States every sixty seconds. Human trafficking rates are highest in California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and New York.
Goya Foods is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States.
“The mission of Goya Cares is to educate, support, and protect children, and families, from being enslaved, abused and subjected to the trauma and mental health associated with child trafficking. Goya Cares encourages community collaboration by recognizing this growing epidemic and working collectively to raise awareness and provide education that will help protect our youth,” said Bob Unanue, President & CEO of Goya Foods.
Goya Cares, established in 2021, has helped raise awareness worldwide. It has provided preventative education in schools throughout the United States and supports organizations and individuals through the Goya Cares coalition. In partnership with The Center for Safety and Change, Crime Stoppers of Houston, Christie’s House, Salt and Light, Aspira, and The Monique Burr Foundation, Goya Cares provides free classroom curriculum and school assemblies featuring the Goya Cares LIGHT series to educate students on the warning signs and red flags to watch out for both online and in unsafe environments, the dangers of online exploitation, and how to get help.
Related Article: Goya Cares: A Humanitarian Commitment that Goes Beyond Food
Human Trafficking Awareness Month
“Human Trafficking Awareness Month serves as a poignant reminder that the exploitation of humans for the use of sex and/or labor persists in our midst, affecting countless lives and leaving a trail of devastation. It is imperative that we unite as a society to raise awareness, educate, and eradicate this heinous crime. By fostering a culture of vigilance and compassion, we can build a resilient community that actively works to dismantle the networks that exploit the vulnerable,” said Elizabeth Santiago, CEO of The Center for Safety and Change, and Goya Cares Coalition Partner.
Goya Cares also launched a cause-related marketing campaign. The company stamped the Goya Cares QR code on 30 million cans of Goya’s top-selling products, which led to the Human Trafficking Hotline on goyacares.com, developed new social media content, and continues to expand the Goya Cares coalition. The coalition comprises organizations and businesses that recover, restore, and reunite survivors, raise awareness, and provide preventative education.