IN OUR BACKYARD

Today at 10AM Pacific, the Missing Children Outreach to Convenience Stores will raise awareness about the World Cup Games in Santa Clara at 1228 Brookfield Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94087! Thank you, Unity Missionary Baptist Church, for hosting!

Convenience Stores are the Eyes and Ears of our community! Over 54,000 stores link arms with In Our Backyard to create a safer world!

Today, in the Santa Clara area, we are grateful to partner in the community with volunteers and https://safety4thebay.org/

Major events create vital opportunities to educate everyone beyond the moment, creating long-term pathways to freedom. Visit www.InOurBackyard.org to join us by posting Freedom Stickers at your local convenience store during our Go Grow Give Summer Campaign!

Race with a purpose! This year, over 1,000 Oregon Students received IOB's Teens Against Trafficking presentation by volunteers!

She said she wished she had received this presentation while she was still in school. With the right information and support, she believes, “my life might have ended up a lot different.”

That is why this work matters. Will you join the Pink Duck 5k to help protect all children for a lifetime through prevention?

Prevention starts with awareness. And every student deserves access to information that could change, or even save their life.

Visit www.InOurBackyard.org to register before Sunday!

Human trafficking in our backyard is happening wherever there is internet access, and awareness helps prevent it before it starts. In 2025, 113,500 child trafficking cases were reported to the NCMEC Cyber Tipline. Check out their report below!

Run, walk, roll, or waddle with courage to talk about it! Every race registration raises awareness and supports In Our Backyard’s work to help find missing children faster and empower students to keep themselves and their peers safe.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s 2025 report reminds us that child s*xual exploitation is a crisis on a massive scale, enabled and accelerated by technology. That is why prevention, education, and community awareness matter.

Prevention Starts with Awareness.
Everyone can make a positive difference.
$30 Race with T-shirt anywhere, or in Bend, OR, June 7th!
Register at www.InOurBackyard.org

NCMEC 2025 Report https://www.missingkids.org/ourwork/impact

THE PINK DUCK 5K IS HERE — TWO WAYS TO RACE!
Join the Speak Up Pink Duck 5K on June 7th and help protect youth from human trafficking! Join the local race, or join from anywhere!

IN PERSON: Sunday, June 7 at 11:00 AM (collect ducks along the way!)
Athletic Club of Bend, Bend, OR
VIRTUAL: Race anytime June 7 – July 14, wherever you are!
$30 entry includes your official race t-shirt.
Register now: www.InOurBackyard.org!

The Pink Duck 5K promotes the prevention of human trafficking through education to students and increasing the speed to recover missing children. Your race, your way, to empower a world where all live in freedom!

GO 🌎
Step out into your community and help create pathways to safety for vulnerable children this summer.

GROW 🌱
Grow your awareness by learning the warning signs of trafficking, exploring prevention resources, and helping educate your family and community about how to help protect missing and at risk children.

GIVE 💛
Volunteer your time either remotely through our Command Post or in person during community outreach events in Santa Clara County.
Together with Safety for the Bay and South Bay Coalition, volunteers will help distribute awareness materials to convenience stores throughout the community while supporting missing children outreach efforts connected to World Cup season activities.

Outreach Dates
📍 June 6th
Unity Missionary Baptist Church
Sunnyvale, CA

📍 June 13th
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Saratoga, CA (new location)
🖥 Command Post Volunteer Opportunities
May 30th, June 7th, and June 8th
Remote or local participation available

Every volunteer helps spread awareness.
Every conversation can create hope.
Every action can help protect a child.

Learn more and sign up at www.inourbackyard.org

A man from Trenton, New Jersey has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for trafficking and s*xual crimes against children.
According to prosecutors, the case involved the exploitation of minors and the distribution of child s*xual abuse material.
Cases like this are a reminder of why awareness, prevention, and community involvement matter.

While law enforcement and prosecutors work to hold offenders accountable, communities across the country continue working to help protect vulnerable children and create pathways to safety.
Every child deserves protection, support, and a community willing to speak up.

Source: TAPinto Hamilton/Robbinsville
Read more:
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/hamilton-slash-robbinsville/articles/22-years-in-prison-for-trenton-man-charged-with-trafficking-s*x-crimes-against-children

Did you know most Android phones do not automatically turn on safety protections for children?

DIRTY DOZEN 2026: Android

“An Android device used by a minor looks and behaves like a regular adult device, with no automatic content filters, app rating restrictions, or communication protections on at setup.”
– NCOSE Researcher

While Apple now automatically enables many child safety settings for minors, Android still relies heavily on parents to find and turn protections on themselves.
That means many children and teens are left exposed to harmful content, s*xtortion, and unsafe interactions online.

Companies should never put the burden of child safety entirely on families.

Yet too often, prevention is treated as optional instead of essential.

This is where YOU come in.

Take action by linking arms with NCOSE:
https://advocacy.charityengine.net/Default.aspx?isid=2765

Your voice matters.
Change happens when we demand it.

GO 🌎
Take action in your community by helping place Freedom Stickers in locations where they can reach those who may need help most.
GROW 🌱
Learn more about human trafficking awareness and help educate others about the signs and resources available.
GIVE 💛
One sticker may seem small, but it could become a lifeline for someone in need and a reminder that help and hope are available.
Freedom Stickers receive more than 20 million daily views across the United States, helping spread awareness where it matters most.
You can help place Freedom Stickers in your own community this summer.
Learn how to get involved:
https://inourbackyard.org/ordering/

T-SHIRT SIZE DEADLINE: MAY 17TH ⏰

Want to guarantee your preferred t-shirt size on race day?

Register by MAY 17TH!

After May 17, you’ll still get a shirt, but your size isn’t guaranteed on race day.
Pink Duck 5K | June 7, 2026
In Person: Bend, OR @ 11:00 AM
Virtual: June 7 – July 14

Don’t wait: runsignup.com/Race/OR/Bend/FunDuck5k

This summer, go out into the community and make a positive impact by volunteering during World Cup events alongside South Bay Coalition and Safety for the Bay.

We are looking for volunteers who want to help create a safe, supportive, and informed environment throughout these community events.
This is a great opportunity to connect, serve, and be part of something meaningful this summer.

Visit www.inourbackyard.org to learn more and sign up for upcoming World Cup in person and virtual volunteer opportunities available!


BC