Today we’d like to introduce you to January Riggin. They and their team shared their story with us below:
January is a survivor of trafficking and exploitation, domestic violence, addiction, and the criminal justice system as well as a lifetime of trauma. She is the founder of Soap2Hope nonprofit organization. Soap2Hope helps build awareness, offers resources, and advocates for women, men, and teenagers; who have been sexually exploited, sex trafficked, and working in the high-risk sex trade. Individuals who are facing addictions, abuse, and trauma in our local vulnerable community in Salt Lake City, Utah. We provide night outreach with harm reduction strategies.
She is in the fight to advocate for victims and survivors who are forgotten. She helps raise awareness in our community with women at risk who are suffering behind our city lights. She is Co-Chair of the Victim Services of Human Trafficking subcommittee with Utah Trafficking in person as a survivor’s voice. She is on the Board of Directors of Hope on T.A.P.P. organization that provides outreach, mobile testing, treatment, and education.
She started this nonprofit to be a voice for the voiceless. She wanted to bridge the gap between services and help others navigate resources with survivor peer support and effective case management meeting people where they’re at. She has 15 years in recovery and healing which has been one of the hardest journeys she has walked facing her own story. The silence almost killed her and she believed silence was her first trafficker due to childhood trauma.
She wants to be in the fight against silence and be a voice. She loves dancing, playing sports, writing, and helping others find hope. She shares her story to benefit others in her shoes and break the chains of exploitation in all areas of her life that held her hostage.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This has not been a smooth road. We are a harm reduction program and the community has their opinions about harm reduction strategies and funding is limited for harm reduction programs. Our programs street outreach, harm reduction, and victim/ peer advocacy aim to work in 3 pillars; relocation, reduction, and recovery.
Survivors’ voices are limited at the table in the State of Utah. At times survivors don’t want to remember this piece of their story or Utah lacks level 1 care for trafficking victims/survivors. One of our challenges is Utah being naive to trafficking in the State of Utah and having this idea we need to remove/police homelessness as a solution.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a person in long-term recovery. In October 2023 will celebrate 17 years in recovery. In 2022, I published my book called “The Dark Side of The Moon Child” a memoir, writings, and poetry.
Ending the silence to my whole story not just certain pieces has allowed me to feel safe in who I am and break the chains that have held me hostage for years.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Humility, honesty, and building comprehensive collaboration with community partners are key to being successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.soap2hopeut.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soap2hopeut/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soap2hope
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/january-riggin-3600b8200/
- Other: https://a.co/d/bQGNHOH
