Unplug & Connect

🌟 Why We Unplug & Connect

 

Today, more than ever, children—some as young as 8 years old—are being silently targeted and groomed by traffickers through gaming platforms, social media apps, and private messaging. Predators don’t need to lurk in alleyways anymore—they have 24/7 access to our children through their devices.

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According to the San Diego Trafficking Prevention Collective, there are an estimated 3,000 to 8,000 victims of human trafficking in San Diego County at any given time—many of them minors. A joint study by Point Loma Nazarene University and the University of San Diego found that sex trafficking is a $810 million underground industry in San Diego, and most of these kids?​

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• They weren’t kidnapped.

• They were recruited.

• Through conversations that started online.

• Through connection that felt safe—but weren't.​

Unplug & Connect was created to protect what matters most: our children, our families, and the sacred trust between them.

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Before founding Where 2 Or More Gather, our founder spent years in Community Policing, developing gang and violence prevention programs for youth. Even back in the MySpace days, she was warning kids not to overshare online. And yet today, we live in a world where we post not only where we are, but where our kids are, what they’re wearing, and even what they’re eating—sharing it not just with friends and family, but unintentionally, with predators too.

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According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, over 80% of child trafficking survivors were lured online—often through apps we see every day, like Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, or gaming chats.  We’re not here to shame parents for using technology—we all do.

 

But we are here to help families recognize the need to stay actively involved in their children’s digital lives.  At every Unplug & Connect event, we provide practical tools—resources, conversation starters, and trusted apps to help parents monitor, filter, and reduce online access for potential predators.

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Still, the most powerful protection we can offer our children doesn’t come from technology.  It comes from us.  We must reclaim the power of presence in their lives—To create space for real connection, eye contact, trust, and conversations that build protection from the inside out.

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One survivor shared her story with us, and I’ll never forget it.  She grew up in a single-parent home, helping raise her siblings while her mom worked multiple jobs. She felt invisible, overwhelmed, and like she had no childhood.  “That’s who they target,” she said. “The most vulnerable families, the kids who feel like no one sees them.”  When we make intentional time to unplug, even just for an evening, we show our children: “I see you. I hear you. You matter.”  That’s something traffickers can’t compete with.

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As the Founder & Executive Director of Where 2 Or More Gather, we opened our hearts and gardens to provide a Creative Retreat Sanctuary where teen and young adult survivors of trafficking and abuse know they are seen, heard, and loved.

 

Our prayer is that God be in the midst of ALL we do—and that He would also draw in the families who need this space the most:

the single parents doing their best, the children who feel overlooked, and the families who are willing to come alongside others and be part of the healing.

 

Whether you're here to strengthen your own family or to stand in the gap for someone else—you are welcome here.  Every family that attends helps make space for a survivor family who may not have the means to come on their own.

 

Your participation helps us offer scholarships and support to moms, dads, grandparents, and children who are walking through deep healing and would never ask—but deeply need a safe place to connect.  Even if you’re unable to attend, you can still make a difference.  Sponsor a survivor family, donate to the HOPE Fund, or help cover the cost of a creative workshop or milestone celebration.

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When we gather with intention, love, and presence—we all grow stronger together.

• Let’s unplug.

• Let’s protect.

• Let’s connect.​

 

​Ready to Unplug & Connect with Purpose?
Bring your family—or sponsor another. Every gathering plants hope.
Whether you attend, give, or come alongside another family in need, you’re making a difference.

🟣 BOOK AN UNPLUG & CONNECT WORKSHOP
💛 SPONSOR A FAMILY
🌿 DONATE or SPONSOR A FAMILY

 

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💖 Ticket Info:

• Suggested Donation: $65 per family per session (or more if you can)

• 6-Week Series Package: $300 for all 6 sessions

• Can’t attend? Sponsor a family!
  Every ticket supports the HOPE Fund, helping provide housing, job training, and creative healing experiences to survivors of trafficking and abuse.

Let us help your family start meaningful conversations, deepen your connection, and become part of the solution—one unplugged moment at a time.