January has been proclaimed Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Human Trafficking affects millions internationally.
Graphic Courtesy of Truckers Against Trafficking facebook page
Safe Harbor works locally with those who have experienced sex trafficking — the most common form of human trafficking. Sex trafficking occurs locally, nationally and internationally.
The 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report, published by the U.S. Department of State (USDS), defines human trafficking as “the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion.”*
Safe Harbor has staff available to discuss human trafficking and its impact in central Virginia. Please contact Angela Verdery (angelav@safeharborshelter.com or (804) 249-9470 X 16) to schedule an interview.
About Safe Harbor
Safe Harbor empowers survivors of sexual and domestic violence to transform their lives, and promotes healthy relationships for all. The agency was born through the efforts of a St. Mary’s Hospital emergency room nurse who was devastated by the number of domestic abuse victims she treated. As a result, Safe Harbor opened in April 2000. It has grown from an emergency shelter to offering additional critical supportive services including a 24-hour confidential helpline (804-287-7877), community counseling programs for adults and children, community support groups in English and Spanish, court advocacy, hospital accompaniment and community education and outreach services. For more information, log on to www.safeharborshelter.com or www.facebook.com/SafeHarborRVA.
*U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report 2012; 362-64.