Shining a Light on Human Trafficking

Many people think that human trafficking is an issue that only exists in poor or developing countries. The reality is that human trafficking is a growing problem that exists everywhere, including our own community. Each year, an estimated 17,000 vulnerable women, men, and children are lured into forced labor or commercial sex exploitation in the U.S. Human trafficking is second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable form of transnational crime. While much is being done to address the issue, much more needs to be done to eradicate 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 raising awareness on human trafficking through a speaker and education series. The next event in the series is a presentation that will focus on sex trafficking. The presentation will be given by Joan Barry, a board member for the Boston organization My Life My Choice, a group working to eliminate the violence and victimization of sex trafficking. She will discuss the sex trafficking of American born and bred children within our borders, clear up the many myths and misconceptions surrounding this topic, and bring you into the ‘invisible’ world of sex traffickers, pimps and those who purchase sex. This in-depth and comprehensive journey will be an eye opener to the tragedy of this insidious crime that is occurring in our own community. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, February 6th at 7:00 PM at St. John the Evangelist Church Hall, 115 Middlesex Street in North Chelmsford. The presentation is free and open to the community. Please invite friends, neighbors, coworkers, and teens of high school age or older.