By Raylee Foster | Staff Writer
Sex trafficking survivor Sthefanie Welch took her experience and transformed it into motivation to create a support system for others going through recovery and to help raise awareness. Welch’s store, The Black Daisy Boutique, frequently holds fundraising events — including one this past Saturday — to help Wacoans stay safe from being trafficked.
The Black Daisy Boutique partnered with Jesus Said Love and Kendra Scott Saturday to host the “Shop With a Cause” event, which raised awareness and money to fight human trafficking. Welch said the cause is especially close to her heart as a result of her own experiences.
“I am a trafficking survivor myself and this is my biggest heart, helping these women,” Welch said. “It’s so important that students are aware of what’s going on in the community and looking out for each other.”
Welch said for her, raising awareness is important because trafficking can happen to anyone. With I-35 so close to campus and college students being a prime target for trafficking, Welch said Waco is just as unsafe as any other city.
“It can happen to anyone, it can definitely happen to college students and it does happen to college students,” Welch said. “I would say college age and high school age are the biggest trafficked ages so be aware. Baylor [students are] not immune to being trafficked.”
Welch said clothes are an opportunity to attract people to the shop. Once costumers are drawn in, she can then begin to bring the conversation about raising awareness.
“This is just the entry point for me. This is how I get your attention with cool stuff, but once you get in here we get into the hard stuff,” Welch said.
Belton junior and Baylor International Justice Mission President Kendall Olson said Baylor’s chapter hosts an event that also utilizes selling clothes to raise awareness on trafficking. The event, Threads, uses the same topic of clothing to teach customers the reality of the industry.
Olson said events like The Black Daisy Boutique’s fundraiser and Threads help with more than just raising money.
“Not only are fundraising events like these successful in raising funds, but also extremely successful in educating people of what human trafficking is,” Olson said. “I think humans are naturally transactional, meaning that we like to receive something in return for what we give.”
Welch said The Black Daisy is not just a store, but a movement as well. She said customers come to pray, talk or receive encouragement. She said clothes make people look beautiful but her intention is to go beyond that and into something much deeper.
“We get so many women that walk through here and just want to pray or just want to talk or need some motivation, some encouragement, some hope, and some light,” Welch said. “This is more than just a clothing store. I like making you look beautiful, but at the end of the day I want to make you feel beautiful on the inside too.”
