The HER Campaign was founded by Britney Higgs and her husband Sammy in 2016 after Britney returned from filming a documentary in Iraq. The mission of the HER Foundation is to help survivors of human trafficking heal, grow and find purpose. They operate shelter/recovery facilities in Billings, Montana and Denver, Colorado.
Britney and Sammy were hired by a Non-Governmental Organization to produce a documentary regarding the victims of human trafficking in war torn regions. They went to Iraq right after ISIS occupied Mosul and were escorted by ex-special forces personnel. Britney shares that it was her interaction with one particular survivor that set her on the path to founding the HER campaign. The victim said she wishes she had just died in captivity because she had nothing more to offer. Britney realized that even though the victim was physically free, she was still imprisoned in her mind. At that point Britney realized that there must be more that can be done after these victims are rescued.
We are also joined by retired DEA Agent Stacy Zinn who is a member of the Foundation Board. She shares some of the shocking data on human trafficking right here in the United States. While Stacy talks about the connections to the cartels, forty percent of trafficking incidents are fellow family members. She emphasized that we really have little idea how bad the situation is because people don’t really want to talk about it. In 2020 the FBI reported over 2,000 trafficking incidents but Stacy says that figure is definitely on the very low end. People can learn more and get training on how to help at IAMONWATCH.ORG Listeners are also encouraged to use the National Trafficking Hotline (888-373-7888) to report incidents or seek help.
Britney will be walking 580 miles from Billings to Denver along with her pet baby goat “Freedom” to raise awareness of this critical issue. At an average of 20 miles per day, she anticipates she and “Freedom” will be on the road for 30 days. She is hoping to raise $1,000 for each mile walked to raise funds to expand their services. Listeners can learn more, track progress and make donations at their website.
TAKEAWAY: Stacy is willing to speak with any individuals or organizations across the country who would like to establish a facility in their community.