Swink, who was a special education teacher with a heart of gold and is the epitome of altruism, founded Selah Freedom eleven years ago with the vision of ending the epidemic that is human trafficking. Sacrificing personally, professionally, and financially, Swink is determined to help victims of sex trafficking have a chance at a real life; one void of violence, crime and poverty. Since Swink founded Selah Freedom, the organization has served over 6,000 survivors, trained more than 27,000 children and adults, mentored 60 organizations, and educated 171 million people on the dangers of human trafficking.
The grant tonight will be used to support the mission of Selah Freedom. Specifically, the grant will be used to create new, and expand existing, prevention programs. These programs are aimed at youth to aid in the prevention of human trafficking. The funding will allow Selah Freedom to continue training and educating both youth and adults on the signs and prevention strategies for trafficking.
Swink became the 533rd Lightning Community Hero since Jeff and Penny Vinik introduced the Lightning Community Hero program in 2011-12 with a $10 million, five-season commitment to the Tampa Bay community. Through tonight's game, in total, the Lightning Foundation has granted $29.02 million to more than 700 unique nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2021, the Viniks announced that the community hero program will give away another $10 million over the next five seasons.
