MACUNGIE, Pa. – Golfers are teeing off with a purpose in Lehigh County.
69 News Reporter Sydney Kay was in Macungie with an event that’s raising awareness about human trafficking.
The 5th annual Bloom for Women Annual Golf Outing will be held at the Brookside Country Club in Macungie Monday.
Dr. Lorri Tomko, the Immediate Past Board Chair for Bloom for Women, said the nonprofit organization, which has been in the Lehigh Valley for more than nine years, provides protection to women who are affected by sex trafficking and exploitation.
Bloom for Women provides a continuum of care for healing, employment, and empowerment, Tomko said. Women spend time in the group’s two-year residency program, and through that they can gain empowerment and education, she said.
Tomko said women want freedom, financial stability, and long-term housing for their families.
Sex trafficking “really is happening right in our own backyard,” she said.
Monday’s golf outing is the group’s second largest fundraising events of the year. Tomko said Monday’s event is an opportunity for the community to gain awareness of human trafficking and stand in support of survivors.
She said sex trafficking happens in rural areas, cities, hotels, and online.
“There are bad actors everywhere,” she said. “The Lehigh Valley is not immune to this.”
70% of Bloom’s employees have experienced sex trafficking, she said.
Tomko said Pennsylvania consistently ranks in the top 10 for sex trafficking in the United States.
Monday’s event is sold out, but people can help out the organization in other ways. To find out how you can help, you can go to the Bloom for Women website and Facebook page.