We recently stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the most driven people we've ever met at the Rotary Human Trafficking Summit in Kingsport, Tennessee — and we left more fired up than the day we started Serenity Shore Coffee. Hosted by Rotary District 7570, the summit filled a room with people who have decided that human trafficking will not have the last word. We came to learn. We left with a mission burning brighter than ever.
If you've ever wondered whether one cup of coffee can really do anything about a problem this big, this is the day that answered the question for us.
What is the Rotary Human Trafficking Summit?
Officially the Rotary Human Trafficking Awareness, Education & Prevention Summit, it's a gathering of advocates, survivors, first responders, business leaders, and everyday people who refuse to look away from one of the most hidden crimes in the world. Hosted by Rotary District 7570 in Kingsport, Tennessee, it brought together the people and organizations who do this work every single day — not for a headline, but because lives depend on it.
And it was no small gathering. More than 675 attendees came from healthcare, education, law enforcement, first responders, government, faith organizations, and community leadership — proof of what's possible when an entire community decides to move in the same direction at the same time. The day was the vision of Tom King, whose leadership, determination, and tireless fundraising turned an idea into a room full of people ready to act.
The scale is hard to fathom: an estimated 50 million people are trapped in modern slavery worldwide, according to the 2022 Global Estimates from the International Labour Organization, Walk Free, and the International Organization for Migration. Human trafficking thrives in silence. Summits like this one break that silence. They turn "somebody should do something" into a room full of people who already are and who are ready to pick up the mantle.
Who did we hear from?
The speakers didn't deal in abstractions. They brought real knowledge, real stories, and firsthand testimonies that reminded us exactly why this mission matters.
Keynote speaker Tim Tebow, whose foundation has become a leading voice in the fight to protect the vulnerable, challenged the whole room to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves — and reminded us that every single person has the power to make a difference.
Through its anti-human trafficking work, the Tim Tebow Foundation fights human trafficking and child exploitation on three fronts — prevention, rescue, and survivor care — partnering with organizations around the world to reach the most vulnerable. It's exactly the kind of front-line effort that consistent support helps make possible.
Dave McCleary, a longtime leader in Rotary's anti-slavery efforts, shared the work of the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) and moderated panel discussions featuring some of the very best experts in the anti-trafficking field. Marc Pritchett reminded us all that this evil goes after the very young more often than any of us would like to believe and he and the Destiny Rescue team have rescued kids 18 months to 18 years old.
By the end, one thing was clear: this is not someone else's problem in some faraway place. It's happening in our communities, and it will take all of us to end it.
Which organizations are on the front lines?
One of the most humbling parts of the day was simply being in the company of the organizations doing this work day in and day out. We were honored to share the room with:
- Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS)
- Destiny Rescue
- The Freedom Drivers Project
- Tennessee Businesses Against Trafficking
- Enough Is Enough
- The Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking
- Grow Free Tennessee
- The Johnson City / Washington County Family Justice Center
- Ballad Health
Each of these groups is carrying a piece of the same mission — rescue, recovery, prevention, awareness, and restoration. Seeing them all in one place was a powerful reminder that no one fights this alone, and that a small business like ours has a real seat at the table.
What does a coffee company have to do with any of this?
Everything. It's the reason Serenity Shore Coffee exists.
Serenity Shore Coffee gives 40% of profits to the fight against human trafficking. Not 40% of what's left over after a good month, and not a one-time donation for a photo op — a standing commitment built into how the business runs. Every bag we roast and every subscription we fill turns an ordinary morning cup into fuel for rescue and restoration.
That's what "This Mug's On A Mission!" means. It isn't a slogan we printed on a label. It's the whole point.
The catch is simple: consistency is what changes lives. A single sale helps once. A subscriber helps every month, which means the organizations on the front lines can plan, hire, drive, rescue, and rebuild with support they can count on. The more consistent our support, the more lives can be reached.
And here's the part we love most: we're not asking you to spend more, give more, or add one more thing to your budget. You're already buying coffee. We're simply asking you to change your store. Same morning ritual, same cup in your hand — but now it's fighting to pull someone out of the darkness of human trafficking.
Better still, you're not giving anything up to do it. Every order is fresh, small-batch roasted coffee — the kind of cup you'd happily buy on taste alone. You get a genuinely great morning, and the fight gets a genuine boost. That's the whole idea.
How can you join the movement?
Tim Tebow's challenge that day has stayed with us: every single person has the power to make a difference. You don't have to run a shelter, work a case, or travel across the world to matter in this fight. You just have to decide that your ordinary, everyday choices will count for something bigger than yourself. That's the whole invitation — and it starts with something as simple as where you buy your coffee.
Our goal is 4,000 monthly subscribers, and every single subscription moves us closer. The best part? None of this asks you to change your life — just your coffee.
- Switch your store. You're already buying coffee. Make it Serenity Shore Coffee — fresh, small-batch roasted — and the cup you'd drink anyway starts fighting human trafficking with every pour.
- Subscribe. A recurring monthly bag turns a one-time good deed into steady, reliable support the front-line organizations can count on.
- Share. Tell a friend why your coffee is different. Awareness is the first step in prevention, and every share widens the circle.
The summit reminded us that ending human trafficking is not the job of a few heroes — it's the work of a movement. We'd be honored to have you in it.
If this stirs something in you, join us. You're already reaching for a cup of coffee tomorrow morning — let it be one that helps someone find their way out of the dark.
Visit SerenityShoreCoffee.com to start your subscription.
Quick Takeaways
- We attended the Rotary Human Trafficking Awareness, Education & Prevention Summit in Kingsport, Tennessee, hosted by Rotary District 7570.
- More than 675 people attended, representing healthcare, education, law enforcement, government, faith organizations, and community leadership.
- Keynote speaker Tim Tebow, along with Dave McCleary shared knowledge, stories, and firsthand testimonies.
- We stood alongside organizations like RAGAS, Destiny Rescue, the Freedom Drivers Project, and Ballad Health, among others.
- Serenity Shore Coffee gives 40% of profits to fight human trafficking.
- Our big goal is 4,000 monthly subscribers — and consistent, recurring support is what rescues and restores the most lives.
- The best way to help is to subscribe, share, and grow the movement one cup at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Rotary Human Trafficking Summit? It was the Rotary Human Trafficking Awareness, Education & Prevention Summit, hosted by Rotary District 7570 in Kingsport, Tennessee. More than 675 attendees from healthcare, education, law enforcement, government, faith organizations, and the community came together around one goal: ending human trafficking.
How does Serenity Shore Coffee fight human trafficking? Serenity Shore Coffee gives 40% of profits to the fight against human trafficking. Every purchase — and especially every monthly subscription — helps fund rescue and restoration work.
Why do subscriptions matter more than one-time purchases? Consistency is what allows front-line organizations to plan ahead and sustain their work. Recurring monthly support turns a single act of generosity into ongoing impact.
How can I get involved? The easiest way is to switch your store. You're already buying coffee — make it Serenity Shore Coffee, subscribe for recurring impact, and share the mission with people you know.
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