01/15/2020

Why I'm committed to ending human trafficking and how you can help

More than five years ago I heard Sister Sally, and her sister Martha, tell us in a Sunday School class about human trafficking leading me to a commitment to help her share what horrible things some human beings do to other human beings.

Even though I have spent the last five years trying to educate myself and look for ways to share the information with everybody I know that this is happening, I am still surprised at what I DO NOT know.  

As an example, I was surprised to learn that Delta Airlines has a program to teach all of their employees (more than 50,000 people) the signs of human trafficking and what to do if they suspect it. I don't know how many people take a Delta flight in a year, but to have 50,000+ people know about human trafficking victims and how to help them, sounds like a lot of people who are willing to help their fellow human beings.

Delta posted a PSA video on their news hub (news.delta.com/delta-reveals-enhanced-anti-human-trafficking-initiatives-rallies-employees-terry-crews-and-ceo-ed) that shows a young boy on a flight trying to talk to the person in a seat behind him about his "uncle" with whom he is flying. We learn he is not the boy's uncle and this in not a fun vacation flight for him.

It is chilling in one aspect -- how did the boy get into this situation and what will the listener do when he hears the story? But another aspect of it made me feel uplifted that it was even made. A for-profit company took the money, time and effort to make the video and shared it with us in order to help someone escape their trafficking circumstance.  

Delta worked with POLARIS, the people who maintain the National Human Trafficking Hotline (www.polarisproject.org), to make the video.   At the conclusion of the video we see the hotline number 1-888-3737-888 -- a phone number our group helped put up on three billboards in southeastern Ohio a couple summers ago -- and instructions to text "HELP" to 233733. It seems simple: call or text, but it is the way to help change the story...

Imagine if this information could be put into the hands of all the young people who have any connection with the Southern Ohio Synod. What kind of a difference would that make to our world? I'd like to see that happen. Maybe we could put ourselves "out of business" when it comes to helping those being trafficked.

It only takes one person to do something. One person CAN make a difference.

If you want to get involved in this work, please call me --

Karen Southward , member of enLIGHTen Committee, shining a light on human trafficking, at 614/864-1899 or email me at karenesouthward@gmail.com