With Bars of Soap, Human Trafficking Survivor Spreads Message of Hope – and Help – to Victims

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Theresa Flores, who was a Top 10 finalist for the L’Oréal Women of Worth Award in 2017. Each year L’Oréal and Points of Light recognize and celebrate Women of Worth who make a beautiful difference in their communities. Ten honorees each receive a $10,000 grant to support their most cherished cause, and an online vote determines one honoree who will receive an additional $25,000 grant. Nominations for 2018 are now open! If you know a woman who works to create lasting and significant change in her community, nominate her to be one of the 2018 Women of Worth.

Every year, an estimated 1.3 million children go missing in the United States. If a missing child is not recovered within the first 48 hours, there is a 1 in 3 chance that they will be trafficked or solicited for sex. After surviving human sex trafficking as a teen, Theresa Flores founded S.O.A.P, which stands for ‘Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution,’ to raise awareness and provide resources for other victims.

Before her escape, some of Theresa’s darkest moments were experienced in motels. Today, Theresa is a passionate advocate for the defense of human trafficking victims and hopes that S.O.A.P will provide other victims with the resources they need to heal. S.O.A.P leverages a team of nearly 5,000 volunteers to place missing children posters, trafficking educational materials and bars of soap in motels and hotels across the country containing information on how to seek help and guidance in emergencies.