Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to January Riggin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

January, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I never thought in a million years. I would be the founder of a nonprofit. I am a survivor of trafficking and exploitation, domestic violence, addiction, and the criminal justice system as well as a lifetime of trauma.

I am the founder of Soap2Hope nonprofit organization. Our organization is dedicated to taking bold, collaborative action with harm reduction strategies to change the way communities and systems support individuals experiencing homelessness, pre and post treatment, and women involved in survival sex work, sex trafficked, and exploitation. We believe that everyone deserves access to support and resources to address the root causes of their circumstances. By working together with community partners and utilizing evidence-based harm reduction strategies

I am in the fight to advocate for others who are forgotten. Soap2Hope helps raise awareness in our community with women at risk behind our city lights. I am also the Co-Chair of 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. I am a mother, grandma, and work full-time as a Executive Assistant for Canna Business Services!

I started this nonprofit to be a voice for the voiceless. I 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. I have over 17 years in recovery and healing that 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.

I wanted to be in the fight against silence and be a voice. I love dancing, playing sports, writing, and helping others find hope. I share my story to benefit others in her shoes and break the chains of exploitation in all areas of her life that held her hostage. I self-published a book in 2022 to end the silence of my own story.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

We were established in August of 2019. The next year 2020 was the lockdown and Covid. It was a turbulent time for everyone. Much less the community we serve that lacked resources, health insurance, healthcare system overwhelmed with Covid cases, access to resources were limited, and lacked funding and donors. It was critical for us to continue our mobile outreach efforts with our programs, build trust, and help others navigate resources.

The people most affected by sexual exploitation often come from the most marginalized populations in our society, which we see reflected in the multicultural communities Soap2Hope serves. Our demographics are majority Black, Indigenous, and people of color, women, trans and queer people, the mentally ill and disabled, and people suffering from homelessness and other socioeconomic barriers. Addiction, abuse, and trauma render these individuals highly vulnerable and frequently invisible in terms of care, support, and access to resources – and this marginalization often manifests itself in generational cycles. The people we work with suffer from homelessness, poverty, addiction, and violence. They lack education, health care and insurance, digital resources, and support due to barriers in the justice system and societal stigma. These factors all serve to isolate and trap people in unsafe and exploitative living conditions.

COVID-19 has only compounded these challenges. We have seen a drastic cut in access to resources, including digital access to resources as street-level services have been curtailed by the quarantine. Because the majority of the people we serve are in the sex trade, they work all night and are frequently unable to access community resources only available during the daytime. In addition, our communities are suffering from a lack of education on resources that are still available, as well as general education on COVID-19. Access to crisis housing or safe housing has been severely impacted, and the state’s economic downturn is reflected in a rise in poverty and financial instability. The people we work with are at an extremely high risk of exposure to the virus and overdose on a daily basis, as they are trafficked in and out of motels and on the streets with little to no PPE or access to basic hygiene like soap or hand sanitizer. These communities are in need of emergency basic needs, in addition to consistent, continued support and advocacy throughout this crisis. We worked with local teams offering Covid Vaccinations weekly to the people we serve.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://soap2hopeut.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soap2hopeut/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soap2hope