The Hidden Epidemic: Raising Awareness on Sex Trafficking Today
- Sex trafficking is a hidden crisis affecting our neighborhoods, hotels, schools, and online spaces - not “somewhere else.”
- North and South Carolina rank among the highest states for trafficking activity, with South Carolina reporting 315 tips in 2025 alone (86% sex trafficking).
- An estimated 300,000 U.S. children are at risk annually, with 50–60% of victims being minors and 71% female.
- Destiny’s Calling Ministries provides long-term residential care, trauma-informed counseling, life skills, and spiritual support for girls ages 13–21.
- Their 12.36-acre restorative campus in Clover, SC, includes safe homes, a chapel, transitional micro-homes, and a ReSale Store to fund the mission.
- You can help close the funding gap, volunteer, donate, or pray - healing and freedom are possible.
Understanding the Hidden Epidemic
Sex trafficking thrives in the shadows, exploiting vulnerable individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for commercial sex acts. It often begins with grooming using drugs, alcohol, or false promises of love and opportunity.
What Is Sex Trafficking?
Traffickers target runaways, those in unstable homes, or youth facing poverty and abuse. Victims are manipulated into compliance, frequently moved between locations to evade detection.
National Statistics
Approximately 71% of sex trafficking victims in the U.S. are female. An estimated 300,000 children are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation each year, and 50–60% of trafficking victims are minors. These numbers represent real daughters, sisters, and friends whose lives are stolen.
The Crisis Closer to Home: North and South Carolina
This is not a distant problem - sex trafficking is happening in our backyards across the Carolinas. Both states consistently rank among the highest for trafficking activity, fueled by tourism corridors, online platforms, and hidden networks.
Statistics in the Carolinas
South Carolina reported 315 human trafficking tips in 2025 across 41 of 46 counties, with 86% involving sex trafficking and 323 victims identified (234 minors). The state saw a 48% increase in adult victims. North Carolina has identified thousands of cases historically, with 301 new cases reported in 2024 alone, maintaining its position among the top states for hotline reports.
Real Stories from Our Community
These statistics come to life in heartbreaking local accounts. One Clover mother shared how her son-in-law forced her daughter onto a street corner; from a single $100 transaction, the young woman was trafficked further. Her husband later died of an overdose, and the mother still receives only occasional calls confirming her daughter is alive. At a local fair, Diana Lynne Gaddey met a woman who lost one daughter to fentanyl and has another hospitalized for overdose. These are not abstract numbers - they are families in our community.
Destiny’s Calling: Bringing Hope, Healing, and Restoration
As a woman of deep faith, Diana Lynne Gaddey has always carried compassion for the hurting. Her calling crystallized through personal connections to addiction recovery and women’s retreats, where she witnessed the need for long-term, intentional care.
A New Direction, A Clearer Calling
Initially planning an addiction recovery ministry in the Carolinas, Diana Lynne and her husband Roy heard story after story of young girls lured and trapped by sex traffickers - often using drugs and alcohol as tools of control. They realized there were not enough long-term residential programs designed specifically for survivors. Destiny’s Calling Ministries was born from that revelation.
Why Clover?
Diana Lynne grew up in a small Michigan town and cherishes the closeness and kindness of community. Clover feels like home. The Gaddeys are committed to strengthening the town they love, turning it into a place known for courage and compassion.
What Destiny’s Calling Will Provide
Destiny’s Calling Ministries walks alongside survivors with comprehensive, long-term care - far beyond short-term shelters. This faith-centered approach focuses on full restoration so each young woman can reclaim her God-given destiny.
- Safe, secure housing in a trauma-informed environment
- Trauma-informed counseling to process deep wounds
- Life skills training and education
- Job training and workforce reintegration
- Long-term mentoring and spiritual support
The Vision: A Campus for Healing
Destiny’s Calling has purchased 12.36 acres to create a dedicated restorative campus - a place of safety, growth, and transition.
Destiny Girls Homes
Three 10-unit residential homes will serve girls ages 13 to 21 rescued from sex or human trafficking. These faith-centered homes offer counseling, life skills, and structured support to rebuild confidence, identity, and hope.
Chapel and Pavilion
A chapel and pavilion will host worship, after-school programs, fellowship events, and community gatherings - even weddings - while helping offset operational costs for sustainability.
Victory Village
Micro-homes will provide transitional housing for graduates, offering up to three years of semi-independent living with accountability and support - the vital bridge to full independence.
Destiny’s Calling ReSale Store
Staffed 100% by volunteers with 100% donated inventory, every purchase at the ReSale Store directs 100% of proceeds toward building the homes.
Where Things Stand Now
Construction has begun on the 12.36-acre campus. Infrastructure costs alone total $1,000,000, and momentum depends on continued community support to complete the homes and open doors to survivors.
A Call to Action: Be Part of the Rescue
Destiny’s Calling is building more than homes - they are building safety, dignity, and second chances. Exploitation will not define our daughters when communities stand together.
You can help today by:
- Donating toward the building fund
- Attending upcoming fundraisers
- Volunteering at the ReSale Store
- Sharing the mission with friends and family
- Praying for the girls who will one day call this place home
The need is urgent. Get involved at https://www.destinyscalling.com. Stand with Destiny’s Calling - because freedom should not be rare, and healing should not be out of reach.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is sex trafficking?
Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, or obtaining of a person for commercial sex acts through force, fraud, or coercion. Minors under 18 are considered victims even without force.
How is Destiny’s Calling different from other shelters?
Unlike short-term crisis shelters, Destiny’s Calling offers long-term (up to several years) faith-based residential care with counseling, life skills, job training, and transitional housing - focused on complete restoration.
Who does Destiny’s Calling serve?
Girls and young women ages 13–21 who have been rescued from sex or human trafficking and are ready for long-term healing in a safe, Christ-centered environment.
Where is the campus located and when will it open?
The 12.36-acre campus is in Clover, South Carolina. Construction is underway; visit the website for the latest timeline and progress updates.
How can I donate or volunteer?
All donations are tax-deductible (EIN 46-4596049). Volunteer at the ReSale Store, give to the building fund, or attend events - every gift moves the vision forward. Details at destinyscalling.com.
Is sex trafficking really happening in small towns like Clover?
Yes. Stories from local mothers and families in Clover and surrounding areas prove this crisis touches every community - rural, suburban, and urban alike.
Together, we can shine light on the hidden epidemic and restore hope to every survivor. Visit https://www.destinyscalling.com today and be part of the solution.
