Today, we are celebrating Greenlight Operation’s second birthday! It is hard to believe that just two years have gone by. Our team and volunteers have worked tirelessly to accomplish many goals in such a short time!
I remember driving with my husband on an early May 4th morning in 2018 to meet with the Greenlight Operation founding team at a local Harrisburg café. We set out to discuss our vision and dreams for this anti-human trafficking organization and to decide on a name. It was on that morning that we pieced together the winner: Greenlight Operation. The name holds a great deal of meaning for our team. The color green is a symbol of new life and renewal. This paired with the word “light” symbolizes new life out of darkness. And that is our operation. However, as many have noted, the name holds multiple meanings of hope and mobilization, which is one of the many reasons we fell in love with it.
Following that landmark meeting, we met frequently to launch our vision, mission, and goals. We wanted to accomplish the following goals within three years:
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Establish relationships with other anti-human trafficking organizations within Pennsylvania and along the East Coast.
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Learn how to conduct, and eventually provide, human trafficking trainings for the community at schools, workplaces, churches, and events.
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Get involved with state policy that would (at the time) transform Pa. into a Safe Harbor State.
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Build relationships with local law enforcement and provide free consultations to support police efforts in combating human trafficking.
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Open a restoration home within the first three years for women who have been sexually exploited through human trafficking.
Friends, I am ecstatic to report that we have accomplished goals one through four, and are well on our way to accomplish goal five.
When we are not under stay-at-home orders, the Greenlight Operation team is regularly on the road training about human trafficking, engaging with organizations and agencies, talking with police, attending legislative briefings, assisting with trafficking cases, and staying connected with all our incredible supporters. Although much of our work is temporarily being done virtually, great strides are still being made.
One of the projects we are actively working on is finding a property that meets the needs of our restoration home. Thanks to our wonderful realtor, we have started to narrow down the search. We are working hard as a team to raise $500,000, and believe that we will accomplish our fifth original goal within the next year.
We are so grateful for what these past couple of years have held, and the hundreds of individuals that have helped us exceed expectations. Our sleeves are rolled up, and we’re boldly stepping into the new territory that’s before us. Will you join us for year three?
Jordan Pine