Catholic Charities of San Antonio CEO on urgency of combating child trafficking
July 14, 2021
Antonio Fernandez, president and CEO of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of San Antonio, Inc., spoke about the urgent need to combat child trafficking at a press conference hosted by Goya Foods at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Fernandez praised Goya Foods, the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States, for launching Goya Cares. Goya Cares is a global initiative dedicated to eliminating child trafficking both domestically and internationally. The company has pledged $2 million to combat child trafficking and will work with organizations that combat, rescue, reunite families, and rehabilitate victims.
“Goya Cares: It’s simple, to the point,” said Fernandez. “We need to care. It’s about love, it’s about compassion and self-dignity, and it’s about doing the right thing for [the children].”
In his remarks, Fernandez noted that one-third of Catholic Charities agencies in the United States care for unaccompanied minors and trafficked children, making a collaboration with Goya Foods all the more fitting.
At the press conference, Goya Foods announced its support of the upcoming movie release Sound of Freedom that brings attention to the matter of child trafficking through the heroic actions of a former government agent.
Other participants at the press conference included Bob Unanue, president and CEO of Goya Foods; Eduardo Verastegui, producer of Sound of Freedom; Dr. Ben Carson, founder of The American Cornerstone Institute; and Jennifer Hohman, board member of Hope Rising Texas.
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