Addressing Human Trafficking

January has been designated as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. There are more than 21 million people who have been affected by human trafficking worldwide. Each year, an estimated 17,500 men, women, teenagers, and children are trafficked across U.S. borders and forced into this form of modern-day slavery.

To shine a light on how this often hidden issue affects our own community, the Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative Social Justice Committee is hosting a panel discussion on Human Trafficking. The panel discussion will provide an opportunity to learn how people become victims of sex and labor trafficking, to learn how to identify human trafficking situations in our local community, and to learn how we may take action to combat human trafficking. Panelists will include a sex trafficking survivor, those who provide support to victims of human trafficking, and those who are involved with human trafficking law enforcement efforts at the state and federal levels, including Mass State Police, the Mass Attorney General's Office, and the Department of Homeland Security. The panel discussion will take place on January 11th at 7:00 PM at St. Mary’s Church Hall, 25 North Road in Chelmsford.