My name is April Casillas, a wife, a mom, and a lover of the word of God who has brought me through many trials. I am a recent graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Vanguard University of Southern California where my focus included Women, Justice and Anti-Human Trafficking. I am the founder of a nonprofit organization called the Katherine Elaine Gallegos Foundation or Keeping Every Girl Free, driven to provide hope to women in the commercial sex industry, and walk alongside survivors of sex trafficking through mentorship and restorative services.

My passion in anti-human trafficking efforts, is partly driven by my personal experience as a child sex trafficking survivor and over ten years of lived experience in the commercial sex industry. My heart is to advocate here in my local community, as well as neighboring communities sharing and providing resources to victims of human trafficking through tools, resources and hope, that I am compassionate about and the more I get involved the more I feel the urge to use my story as my gift to share what God has bought me through, which has been empowering by giving me a voice and to be part of making a difference and advocating for others.

Over the last five years as I have been involved in anti-human trafficking efforts, my past pain has fueled a fresh calling to “See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God”, Micah 6:8 (CEV). My volunteer experience has been with the OC Human Trafficking Task force, Way Makers, Lives Worth Saving, Strong Beginnings, Refuge for Women SoCal, The Epik Project, and Northeast of The Well.