A former San Diego strip club is in the process of becoming a resource center for victims of sex trafficking, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The club was purchased by San Diego's the Rock Church and several other investors in 2018.
Originally, they planned to allow the business's adult entertainment license to lapse and then sell the property. But a new plan was formed over the pandemic.
They now plan to repurpose the 4,000 square-foot building into a place that will offer resources for victims of sex trafficking.
A new San Diego nonprofit, The Freedom Center, will renovate the building and transform it into a center where people can get information on shelters, counseling, education, and job opportunities that can help them get as far from the sex trade as possible.
San Diego is ranked as one of the 13 worst regions in the nation for human trafficking. The FBI reports 3,000 to 8,000 victims are trafficked in the area each year. Human trafficking is San Diego's biggest underground economy, racking in an estimated $810 million per year.
“We hope to serve hundreds of women here,” Kristen Zimmermann, executive director of Freedom Center, said during the demolition’s ceremonial kickoff event. “Because of something called trauma bonding, it’s often very hard for these women to stay out of this industry. Our vision is to remove the barriers so women don’t feel that returning to that work is their only option.”
You can find more information about the Freedom Center here.