More than 200 people gathered for Hope Inspire Love's second annual Hope Gala & Awards Ceremony at the Lancaster Country Club on June 8. The event raised funds to continue fighting human trafficking and bring hope to Pennsylvania's women, men, and youths.

After a red carpet entrance, the event kicked off with welcome addresses. Liz Ackerman, executive director of the Northern Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce, spoke about the event's focus on combating human trafficking and exploitation in Pennsylvania, and Jen Mack, chair of the board of directors of Hope Inspire Love, introduced The Rug Beater Cleaning Enterprises as the premier Flourish & Thrive sponsor for the gala.

After the opening remarks, Heather Castellino, chief deputy attorney general with the Human Trafficking Section of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was recognized as a recipient of the inaugural Shine Hope Award. The Shine Hope Award recognizes individuals who have made a unique contribution to the anti-trafficking field and demonstrated outstanding leadership and dedication to combating human trafficking.

In her remarks, Castellino highlighted the work of her office's Human Trafficking Section. Castellino shared how important her team was in achieving the goals and purpose of her office and the work the team does to fight human trafficking. Castellino also thanked Hope Inspire Love for its work of education, prevention, and trauma-informed mentorship.

Castellino has served in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General since 2000. She was recently appointed by Attorney General Michelle Henry to lead the newly created Human Trafficking Section at the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

Prior to this appointment, Castellino worked as a prosecutor in the Organized Crime Section. She began her career as a deputy district attorney in Bucks County. Since 2008, she has been prosecuting human trafficking cases. She has coordinated and prosecuted numerous human trafficking cases with the Pennsylvania State Police Organized Crime Unit, agents from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, local municipality police departments, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. These cases have resulted in multiple convictions in both state and federal court.

Before her career as a prosecutor, Castellino received a political science degree from Temple University in 1992 and a Juris Doctor from Villanova Law School in 1995.

At the Hope Gala, the Hope Inspire Love board of directors also honored Bethany Zimmerman, mentorship program director, and Amy Thurston, co-founder, president, and chief executive officer of Hope Inspire Love, for providing distinguished service to the organization. The board recognized their dedicated contribution to the anti-trafficking field and their outstanding leadership and dedication to the nonprofit's mission.

Under the theme "You Are Seen," this year's Hope Gala celebrated the relentless courage of trafficking survivors and communicated to survivors that they are seen and heard and that Hope Inspire Love will journey with them through their restoration and healing. The event was paired with an arts experience, including Seen Collective's concert-style show with original music that shares how women are seen, and a live painting by artist and Hope staff member Sarah Racine.

Thurston reflected on her organization's work over the past year. Thurston expressed gratitude to gala attendees and supporters, and she showcased a map of Pennsylvania that illustrated Hope Inspire Love's impact.

In addition to reflecting on the successes of 2023, the event provided a glimpse of the organization's vision for 2024 in its fight against human trafficking and online exploitation in Pennsylvania. Funds raised through the Hope Gala will help to continue the work of Hope Inspire Love's Trauma-Informed Mentorship Program for at-risk people and survivors of sex trafficking; education efforts; and prevention initiatives, which include survivor-led curricula for schools and raising awareness in businesses, health care, civic groups, churches, and other groups and settings.

The Hope Gala & Awards Ceremony closed with remarks by Lori Stoltzfus, owner of The Rug Beater Cleaning Enterprises, who reflected on the power of unreasonable generosity.

To learn more about Hope Inspire Love, visit http://www.hopeinspirelove.org.