Ryan Bautista | News Editor
May 16, 2025
Right in our backyard, human trafficking is ripping children away from their families and subjecting them to untold horrors. It can happen to anyone at any time, even in broad daylight, because people are still ignorant of it. Thankfully, organizations like the i-5 Freedom Network are stepping in to gather public support and raise awareness about this pressing issue.
The i-5 Freedom Network is an organization founded in 2015 in San Clemente that has since grown to encompass most of Southern California. Their mission: Helping existing survivors by giving them a path forward, empowering businesses to end their ignorance, and mobilizing communities to join the fight.
Stacey Enmeier, wife of AP Euro teacher Mark Enmeier and executive director of the organization, described how she will “fight until her last breath” to stop what she views as one of the most important issues of our world. She stated how human trafficking is so dangerous because “it happens to people who we don’t expect it to happen…and is constantly changing.” This dangerous combination makes human trafficking one of the most difficult problems to fight against, but the i-5 Freedom Network is committed to its mission of ending it permanently. Only then, Enmeier added, will she “finally retire.”
One of the many ways the i-5 Freedom Network completes this mission is by organizing large-scale fundraising events to help raise support. One such event is The Big Cheese, which just happened this past weekend. The Big Cheese, hosted at San Clemente Presbyterian Church, saw people pledge their support to the cause through events like the silent and live auctions, wine pull, and just plain donating. In order to make such a large event happen, the organization reached out to San Clemente High School juniors to volunteer and help the night run smoothly. One such junior was Timothee Bernardin-Bigle, who expressed shock at “the sheer amount of support” shown at the event. He also revealed how “rewarding [it was] to play a small part” in the overall experience, and how the entire night was “quite humbling.” Bernardin-Bigle additionally said “the overall atmosphere was very welcoming…[for] both organizers and guests,”and that made “the entire event fun” and worthwhile. As one of the other volunteers at the event, I can personally support his claims and say that all of us volunteers were glad we could help support this great cause.
For everyone else not fortunate enough to attend the event, who often wonder where to even begin to push back against this daunting issue. Fear not! Even as high school students, we can help make a difference in the fight against human trafficking. One of the main things we can do is…learn? Yep. As Enmeier put it, “education is needed so everyone knows what it looks like…and can start becoming aware of what dangers look like.” These people, once educated, “can become advocates, and anyone of any age can become one. These advocates are what drives our mission for change and even greater education for everyone.”
Human trafficking is an important issue that many people don’t fully understand, and that ignorance has allowed it to fester and grow. This stains our entire community, and it is necessary for all of us to eliminate that black mark as soon as possible. The i-5 Freedom Network stands to do so, but it is up to us to support them in their mission.
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