We had the good fortune of connecting with Opal Singleton-Hendershot and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Opal, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“I Believe in You!” When my previous husband was passing away he left me a typed page in a plastic holder. It said “To the most beautiful, most intelligent, hardest working woman in the world, love Del”. During my years as a widow, I cherished those words and it gave me strength at the hardest time of my life, when I thought I could not go on. I came to realize that what he was leaving me was the ongoing gift that he believed in me. What a treasure. As I have spent the last 12 years helping kids and parents who become victims of sex trafficking or blackmail from sending an erotic image online, I realized that what most kids need is to hear “I believe in YOU!”. (Many adults need to hear it too.) They are seeking love, affection, inclusion, acceptance and someone who believes in them. Too often they seek it from strangers online and end up being exploited. I use this knowledge to educate tens of thousands of young people and parents that the way not to be a victim of exploitation is to know who you are, what you stand for and recognize the empowerment that comes when you believe in yourself. I have since remarried to a wonderful gentlemen that was also married for many years and lost his spouse. Together we travel throughout the US and California, training law enforcement, educators, first responders, social workers, civic and faith based groups about how to keep kids safe from predators.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Million Kids is a 501c3 non profit who serves as the Training and Outreach Coordinator for the Riverside County Anti Human Trafficking Coordinator for the Riverside County Sheriff Department. We have educated well over 500,000 leaders about trafficking, online exploitation and child sex crimes. We teach three courses through USC for law enforcement. For the past ten years we have educated tens of thousands of students and staff in public schools about how predators, pimps and pedophiles work and how to keep our kids safe. We developed Million Kids Missing Kids to help parents deal with the stress of having a child disappear or run away. We often sit with parents who have kids that are being blackmailed after sending an erotic photo or their child has been caught up in sex trafficking and has disappeared. We are known for our intense research on technology and how it is used to exploit a young person. We use that research to educate law enforcement, code enforcement, fire departments, civic groups, and school personnel so they can investigate crimes and support families who have been victims of exploitation.

The research and creation of presentations is quite intense, so I offset that with doing glass art – fusing and slumping and glass enamel on copper. At times I create larger acrylic contemporary paintings. I love gardening and I especially enjoy spending a quiet evening dining with friends. Some time I have been known to cook – but not often.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh, let me count the ways. I love the Huntington Library in San Gabriel and then dinner at Smittys in Pasadena. Locally I would take them to Victoria Country Club to golf or have dinner with friends. We love a little Mom Pop place in Riverside called Mamma Mias. For something very special we like Dal Raes in Pico Rivera. For a much more casual evening we love our friends that operate King Neptune Restaurant in Huntington Beach. For one night, I would cook as I love to put on dinner parties. For a truly kick back day, my favorite is the wildlife refuge at Bolsa Chica down by Sunset beach.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dont think of it as success, rather it is a journey. A journey that so many amazing people made happen. First and foremost my husband who understands that even though I am retired, this is my passion and he supports me in every way. The same with my first husband who passed away. He encouraged me to continue to raise the funding for a movie to educate kids about sextortion, even though he would not live to see it. Giving University came along side of Million Kids and raised the funding for the film, Sextortion: The Hidden Pandemic. I appreciate Xulon Press for helping me publish two books. The managers of KTIE AM 590 radio , believed in me even though I had never had a radio show and they have partnered with me for “Exploited: Crimes and Technology” which has been on the air in the Inland Empire for over six years. Deena Murray from RCDL Enterprises assists me in packaging my research and message. I spend hours researching and writing presentations on very difficult subjects like child pornography, social media exploitation, sex trafficking, money laundering etc and Deena is a master at putting the information together so it is enticing and interesting to learn. Kris Klise from Klise Media uses his amazing skills to get the information all over social media so we can educate millions of people about child exploitation. I want to thank Pastor Kerry Decker for believing in me. He originally started the 501c3 and signed it over to me. I appreciate Pastors Richard Huls (Escondido) and Pastors Ralph & Le Ann Fry who believed in me when I had very little foundation or support. My cousin Geri is the love of my life and she encourages me every day of my life. And finally, I am so very blessed to have amazing friends who have stuck by me through thick and thin, Kathy and Frank Singleton, Jacque and Morely Wigle, Wil and Deb. Tom and Denise. They encourage me to have balance in my life and make me think I am the finest glass artist on earth. I know better but it makes me giggle to think I could be.

Website: www.millionkids.org

Instagram: Instagram.com/_millionkids_

Linkedin: Linktr.ee/millionkids

Facebook: Faceboo.com/iemillionkids

Yelp: MillionKids.org

Youtube: MillionKids-You Tube

Other: Our film is at Sextortionfilm.com

Image Credits
The sextortionfilm.com is owned by Stephen Peek, Auroris Media Executive Producer

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.