New Soroptimist chapter focuses on trafficking

New club of LO, WL women to partner with police to combat taking of children

By Cliff Newell

The West Linn Tidings, Jul 29, 2010

Neace

"No, no, no,” was Linda Neace’s answer when she was asked to start a chapter of the Soroptimist international club for West Linn and Lake Oswego.

“I was wanting to join the Portland Soroptimists Club,” the West Linn business owner said. “But they wanted me to begin a chapter here. I told them, ‘I don’t have enough time.’”

But Neace decided she did have enough time, even with running her business at Bullseye Coffee and all of her community, business and political activities. Her commitment to fight human sex trafficking was too strong to finally say, “No.”

Now, Neace and 20 other West Linn and Lake Oswego women who feel the same way will formally initiate their new chapter this month.

With her characteristic energy and commitment, Neace is not only serving as president for the new LO-WL Soroptimists chapter, she is also reaching out to women in Oregon City, Wilsonville, Tualatin and Sherwood.

“I was shocked when I found out how quickly a child can be snatched away for human trafficking,” Neace said. “You could be driving down the street and the car next to you might have a child being taken away.”

It was just last year that Neace read an article about sex trafficking and was immediately motivated to do something after finding out just how bad the problem was.

“Oregon is the number one state for human trafficking,” Neace said. “They run them up and down the I-5 corridor, and Clackamas Town Center is the hub. The traffickers take girls 12 and up, and they take them in groups of three.

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