Joy Smith's daughter taking over as new president of foundation

After a trying year of battling cancer, the new CEO of the Joy Smith Foundation is ready to take the reigns.

Janet Campbell is the new CEO and President of the Joy Smith Foundation, taking over the role of her mother, Joy Smith.

"This has been a lifelong work of hers. The transition allows her to have more time to focus on survivors and programming, while I can help grow the organization and support her," says Campbell.

Helping end and fight human trafficking has been a family affair for all the Smiths.

Joy Smith with her daughter, Janet Campbell.

"It's been a part of our family for such a long time. I certainly have been involved before the foundation even started. My kids were born into this and they've not known a time when this issue wasn't front and centre."

The foundation believes that education is the greatest weapon against human trafficking. People are often unaware that 93 per cent of trafficking victims in Canada were born in the country.

"It happens in every community right across our country and someone is being trafficked within a kilometre of where you live. So it's not some distant abstract issue that we're facing."

A common misconception is that Christian families are immune to the dangers of traffickers.

"One of the things we've seen over the past five years is the number of cases that come from the Christian community. We've created The Christian Response to Human Trafficking, which is a Bible study. There are testimonies in that from a victim, trafficker, and a john, all of which came from Christian homes."

Personally, Campbell is stepping into this new role after a tough year.

"In May of last year, I was diagnosed with cancer. Through the last year, I have undergone major surgery and spent considerable time in the hospital following that and many months of treatment."

Campbell contributes her peace throughout her time battling cancer because of her faith.

"I know that God is with me. I know that He is working to strengthen me and that He works miracles every day in our lives."

She recalls a moment of tangibly feeling God near after she came home from a round of chemo.

"The treatments were making me quite ill and I was weak. I remember getting home, my kids were taking university online, so my son greeted me. Things had gone a little black as I went into the kitchen, I put my hand out to stabilize myself. As my vision was coming back, I felt like my son coming up behind me, his hands on my back, and as I turned around, there was nobody there. In that moment, I realized God was with me, reassuring me."

On top of announcing Campbell as the new CEO and President, the foundation is opening up a new centre in the fall.

"A big part of our focus currently is preparing to launch the National Human Trafficking Education Centre. It will be groundbreaking in terms of providing information as instructor-led and self-guided, for people to be able to educate and access information on the issue."

There has not yet been an official launch date, however, it will be in the fall of 2021.

"I believe God has work for me to do so I will be faithful to that," says Campbell.