SAN DIEGO — A former strip club in the Midway District called Body Shop will become a resource center for sex trafficking victims sometime next year.
A group of investors purchased the building back in 2018 and now they plan to help hundreds of victims get their lives back.
It will be called the San Diego Freedom Center and renovations started this week. The nonprofit group says it’s received grants and donations for the project but it’s also asking for community support to see it through.
The San Diego County D.A.’s Office says San Diego is ranked by the FBI as 13th in the nation for high intensity prostitution areas. Eighty percent of the victims are women, they come from every part of the county, including all ages and socio-economic backgrounds.
“What we know about human trafficking in San Diego is that it’s estimated that 8,000 to 11,000 individuals are trafficked every year. It’s an underground economy that grosses $810 million annually. So the need for this resource is very great,” said Kristen Zimmermann, San Diego Freedom Center Program Director.
The 4,000-sq.-ft. San Diego Freedom Center will offer services for women ages 18 and up and use referral services for anyone else that comes to them for help. Services will include case management, mental health, vocational training, shelter referrals, food and clothing.
“I believe wholeheartedly that even those small steps make a significant difference. Really our goal is to partner with women on their restoration journey on a holistic level,” Zimmermann said.
Zimmermann said they’re planning to collaborate with other organizations that also work with sex trafficking victims. Marisa Ugarte has been working with victims for two decades and said she hopes the Freedom Center will have an impact on all victims of trafficking.
“In a nutshell, there’s not many real resource centers anywhere in San Diego so it’s innovative and it is good," said Ugarte, who is the Executive Director of the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition.
Rock Church, Thank You Heroes real estate company and other investors have already contributed to the Freedom Center but they still need to raise $1.5 million to complete renovations and hire staff. If you’d like to donate, click the link: San Diego Freedom Center
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