Ensure Justice 2025: Safety Nets

Jennifer Friend, J.D. is Chief Executive Officer of Project Hope Alliance (PHA), which works to end the cycle of youth homelessness using a long-term, site-based model of providing whole-person trauma-informed care for youth experiencing homelessness in Orange County.
When Friend became CEO after serving on the board for many years, PHA supported one school and 65 kids. Under her leadership, the organization has grown over 450% and now serves students throughout Orange County attending 47 schools and three school districts, having built a nationally recognized model for ending homelessness, and achieving a high school graduation rate more than 30% above the national average. Friend’s personal experience as a homeless child in Orange County which inspired the Broadway play Nomad Motel, fuels her deep-rooted passion and commitment to children and youth experiencing... Read more

Ruthi Hanchett has been a leader in the field of children's and women's rights, human trafficking, and gender equality for over a decade. While working for World Vision International from 2004-2013, she regularly represented the organization to global political leaders, the UN Human Rights Council, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, UN Girls Education Initiative, and the NGO Advisory Council on Violence Against Children. Ruthi is currently an adjunct professor of Human Trafficking at Vanguard University, serving on the board of Vanguard University's Global Center for Women and Justice, and... Read more

Christine Laehle is a Program Specialist with the Orange County Department of Education. She works with public and private schools on school safety and violence prevention education. She has a B.A. in Psychology from the California State University of Fullerton, her Masters in Public Health from the California State University of Long Beach and completed the Anti-Human Trafficking Certification from Vanguard University. She currently serves on the School & Community Safety Advisory Committee through the California Department of Education and the Chair for the Violence Prevention Coalition of Orange... Read more

Dr. Sandra Morgan, an educator and nurse, is recognized globally for her expertise in combatting human trafficking and working to end violence against women and children. Dr. Morgan’s experience serving exploited women, men, and children includes direct care as a pediatric nurse, a volunteer with Doctors of the World (Athens, Greece) and as a past Administrator of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force. She is a tireless advocate for victims of exploitation, slavery, and trafficking across the world including South America, Russia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. She serves on the... Read more

Dr. Brenda Navarrete is a research associate and faculty member at the Global Center for Women and Justice at Vanguard University where she focuses on advancing efforts to combat human trafficking. She previously served as the program director for a long-term residential program and resource center for women affected by human trafficking and exploitation. Dr. Navarrete has delivered anti-human trafficking training, conducted research, and developed aftercare programming both locally and internationally. She is also the former president of the Inland Empire chapter of the California Psychological... Read more