Let's not ignore the tragedy of human trafficking
If you would have asked me five years ago if I knew anyone who had been trafficked, I would have said no, but I soon learned human trafficking is happening all around us every day.
It’s a form of modern-day slavery that occurs around the globe, in every state and in Ohio. For example, more than 210 people were arrested during a 2021 statewide human trafficking sting in Portage, Lorain and Summit counties.
Several major hotel chains have been implicated in lawsuits related to human trafficking. And earlier this year, 10 men were busted in a North Olmsted sting, including a school superintendent. There are several more recent arrests documented in the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services May 2023 Human Trafficking Update.
Ohio, with its central location, major highways and diverse economy which creates conditions where human trafficking can flourish, ranks fifth in the nation for human trafficking cases. That’s 3.84 victims per 100,000 residents, equating to hundreds of cases each year, a statistic national and local government, law enforcement and nonprofits are working to change, including the organization I co-founded in 2018, Not For Sale: One Step At A Time.
I first learned about human trafficking when my church hosted a local Walk for Freedom affiliated with A21, a global organization. I was overwhelmed by the powerful testimony of a human trafficking survivor and learning the statistics. In my heart, I knew that more needed to be done on a local and state level, and I felt compelled to act.
Though Ohio is making progress in the fight against trafficking, my small but mighty team, which includes myself, Jami Luzecky, Heather Scott, our board and A La Mode Designs are doing our part to see to it that Ohio moves out of the top 10.
Though we do the fundraising, event planning, marketing and advocacy, there is strength in numbers, and we have the heart to see human trafficking eradicated!
We know we are making a difference through the wonderful collaborations we have established, by the responses from students in our local schools who are retaining what we teach, by students taking the lead to create their own awareness events to educate their peers, and by those willing to stand with us in this fight.
Since we moved our annual Freedom Walk from Main Street in North Canton to the Walsh University campus in 2019, where we now host speakers as part of a Community Freedom Summit, we have gained a community partner whose values aligns with ours.
Walsh has a reputation of creating servant leaders, and the students are driven by their convictions to be the voice of the voiceless and to stand up for human dignity. The Community Freedom Summit and Freedom Walk is a wonderful opportunity for students to do something about this issue, to raise awareness, to reflect and understand the gravity of the situation, and to learn about how people around the world and even right here in Ohio are not afforded the dignity and respect they deserve.
This year, the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival also joined forces with us to spread awareness. We were able to create awareness in our community by hanging posters in all of the portable toilets at the Balloon Classic as well as pass out packets to local hotels.
Our goal is, and has always been, to create awareness and provide resources to ensure our community is educated in the prevention and identification of this atrocity and to be prepared to help victims of human trafficking.
Do you know the signs to look out for?
Do you know how to help a victim of human trafficking?
Do you know how to protect vulnerable people, including our children?
The Community Freedom Summit and Freedom Walk at Walsh University on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 10 a.m., aims to educate, advocate and empower. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost will deliver a keynote on the human trafficking initiative he created to build awareness of the program and to empower Ohioans to act.
Also, Tamia and Tim Woods, with the Do It for James Foundation, are coming to share their personal testimony on behalf of their son who took his own life after being sextorted. In addition, several community partners will be in attendance passing out free educational resources.
The event will end with a powerful, one-mile Freedom Walk in silence to reflect on those who have been silenced through the tragedy of human trafficking. We believe there is hope to end this tragedy and free victims from their physical and emotional wounds.
If this issue speaks to your heart, please visit www.notforsaleohio.com or register to walk with us in silence at www.walsh.edu/freedomwalk.
Kathie Gray is president and co-founder of Not For Sale: One Step At A Time.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Kathie Gray: Not For Sale: One Step at a Time fights human trafficking
