Central FL nonprofits taking action against human trafficking, online child exploitation
A21 Global Freedom Summit to host community education screening, solidarity walk in Orlando Nov. 1, 2025 from 3-6 p.m.
SILENT CRISIS THAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND ONLINE CHILD EXPLOITATION. THAT IS THE MISSION FOR NONPROFITS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING A GROUP RIGHT HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. DEVICES LIKE THIS RIGHT HERE PUT SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY AT RISK EVERY SINGLE DAY. BUT THERE ARE LEADERS INVITING ALL OF YOU TO TAKE LITTLE STEPS TOWARD LASTING CHANGE. JOINING ME THIS MORNING ARE THE LEAD ORGANIZER OF THE GLOBAL FREEDOM SUMMIT AND WALK FOR FREEDOM CENTRAL FLORIDA. ANNA DIAZ, ALONGSIDE PRESIDENT OF PAVING THE WAY FOUNDATION JAN EDWARDS, MAKING AN APPEARANCE AS THE KIDS SAY, SPIN IN THE BLOCK HERE AT WESH TWO. YES, YES. WE’RE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU BACK AGAIN. AS WE TALK ABOUT THE WALK TOMORROW. AND I WANT TO BEGIN WITH YOU TELL US ABOUT A21 GLOBAL FREEDOM SUMMIT. OKAY. WELL, IT’S SOMETHING THAT IS DONE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND THE GLOBAL SUMMIT, YOU CAN VIEW THE VIDEO THAT THEY HAVE AND THEY TRAIN PARENTS IN THE COMMUNITY ON THE DANGERS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND OUR WALK, WHICH WILL BE NOVEMBER 1ST. AND WE START AT 3:00. WE’LL BE AT EDGEWATER HIGH SCHOOL. WE WANT EVERYONE TO COME SO THEY CAN BE AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY, IN OUR OWN STATE. UNFORTUNATELY, AND WALK AWAY WITH PREVENTION TOOLS. THAT’S AMAZING. BUT WE’RE GOING TO WALK SILENTLY AND IT’S GOING TO BE AWESOME. WE’RE GOING TO BE IN SINGLE FILE DOWN EDGEWATER HIGH SCHOOL. WE ALL WEAR BLACK IN SOLIDARITY. IT’S A SILENT WALK AND WE WALK. FOR THOSE THAT CAN’T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AND GETTING THAT MESSAGE OUT OF PREVENTION. IT’S GOING TO BE SUCH A POWERFUL MORNING. JAN, HOW DOES PAVING THE WAY FOUNDATION’S CORE VALUES ALIGN WITH THIS UPCOMING EVENT AND THE OVERALL MISSION? SURE. SO PAVING THE WAY REALLY, WE’RE OUT TO DISRUPT THE CYCLE OF CHILD EXPLOITATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING THROUGH EDUCATION AND PROGRAMS FOR SPECIFICALLY FOR KIDS, BECAUSE KIDS ARE WITH THIS THING 24 OVER SEVEN. RIGHT? AND THERE’S ONLY YOU’RE NOT WITH YOUR KIDS ALL THE TIME. OUR TEACHERS, ALL OF THAT. RIGHT? SO WE REALLY WANT TO EMPOWER THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENING AND THEN TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM PREVENT IT. AND THE WALK, WE’RE SO ALIGNED WITH THIS WALK BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE THE NUMBER OF DMS THAT KIDS AND ARE GETTING ON A DAILY BASIS IS OVER 250 A DAY. WOW. FROM UNSOLICITED. RIGHT? AND PARENTS DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT. SO TO BE ABLE TO HAVE BOTH PARENTS AND CHILDREN NOT ONLY EDUCATED, BUT EMPOWERED AND THEN TAKING A NEW ACTION, RIGHT? WALKING LITERALLY FOR FREEDOM, THAT IS ALARMING. 250 DMS A DAY A DAY FROM PEOPLE THEY DON’T KNOW. WOW, ANNA, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS YOU HOPE EVERYONE CAN BRING WITH THEM ONCE THEY COME TO THIS EVENT ON NOVEMBER 1ST? WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO TAKE AWAY TO THEIR COMMUNITY, THEIR SCHOOLS, THEIR FAMILIES, ANYWHERE? SURE THAT I DON’T WANT THEM TO FEEL OVERWHELMED BY THE SITUATION. I WANT THEM TO FEEL EMPOWERED THAT THEY’RE GOING TO WALK AWAY WITH TOOLS THEY CAN IMPLEMENT IMMEDIATELY, AND THEN SHARE THOSE WITH THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I’VE SPOKEN TO YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEY’RE EXCITED ABOUT IT. IT’S HAPPENING IN THEIR OWN LIVES, AND SOMETIMES THEY JUST DON’T KNOW HOW TO START THE CONVERSATION. YEAH, OKAY. AND PARENTS ARE NOT VERY COMFORTABLE SOMETIMES THINKING THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN IN THEIR HOME. WELL, YES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR HOMES AND WE WANT TO JUST BRING IT OUT SO WE CAN SOLVE IT TOGETHER. YEAH. AND FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T MAKE IT ON NOVEMBER 1ST, WHERE CAN THEY GO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND THE WORK AND GET THOSE CRITICAL RESOURCES? WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL WALK FOR FREEDOM, CENTRAL FLORIDA I KNOW IT’S LONG, BUT IT’S THAT’S IT’S WALK FOR FREEDOM. CENTRAL FLORIDA. AND YOU SPELL IT OUT. YES. DOT ORG. AND WE’VE GOT A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT CAN DOWNLOAD RIGHT NOW. YES. PERFECT. AND JAN, WHERE CAN PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT THE FOUNDATION PAVING THE WAY FOUNDATION AND THE THING THAT WE’RE VERY ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SO WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET RESOURCES QUICKLY SO THEY CAN FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT PAVING W, AS WELL, TO DOWNLOAD CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO START THE CONVERSATION WITH THEIR KIDS. JAN. ANNA, THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH. WE’LL PUT ALL OF THIS INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL. WESH.COM. THANK YOU BOT
Central FL nonprofits taking action against human trafficking, online child exploitation
A21 Global Freedom Summit to host community education screening, solidarity walk in Orlando Nov. 1, 2025 from 3-6 p.m.
Updated: 10:34 AM EDT Oct 24, 2025
A21 Global Freedom Summit and local nonprofits will host a community education screening and solidarity walk in Orlando Nov. 1, 2025 from 3-6 p.m.Organizers plan to unite community members, partners and resources in stand against human trafficking and child exploitation. The event will be held at Edgewater High School Performing Arts Center. Event schedule 3:00 p.m. – Registration opens4:00 p.m. – Gather for welcome and Global Freedom Summit Event4:45 p.m. – Line up for Walk for FREEDOM Central Florida5:00 p.m. – Silent walk beginsOrganizers say the route stays on sidewalks, enhanced by safety features including volunteer support, police placements, water stations, and medical stations to ensure participant well-being. The round trip walk is expected to take approximately 30 minutes. 6:00 p.m. – Event concludes3100 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL 32804 Click here to learn more.
A21 Global Freedom Summit and local nonprofits will host a community education screening and solidarity walk in Orlando Nov. 1, 2025 from 3-6 p.m.
Organizers plan to unite community members, partners and resources in stand against human trafficking and child exploitation.
The event will be held at Edgewater High School Performing Arts Center.
Event schedule
3:00 p.m. – Registration opens
4:00 p.m. – Gather for welcome and Global Freedom Summit Event
4:45 p.m. – Line up for Walk for FREEDOM Central Florida
5:00 p.m. – Silent walk begins
Organizers say the route stays on sidewalks, enhanced by safety features including volunteer support, police placements, water stations, and medical stations to ensure participant well-being.
The round trip walk is expected to take approximately 30 minutes.
6:00 p.m. – Event concludes
3100 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL 32804
Click here to learn more.