See something. Say something

The young Vietnamese man sat in my office with an interpreter and two social workers from the Salvation Army. He told us the story of his work in a restaurant and of a man who talked him into leaving his job and going to Greenville. There he became part of a human trafficking ring that exploited young men and women into the sex business. Because of the work of the Salvation Army, he was able to break the chains and find freedom he had lost at the hands of his tormenters.

Sex traffickers try to attract people in low-paying jobs. Restaurant kitchens, nail salons, homeless persons, especially young people out on the street. Migrant workers are being trafficked and some of those you see on corners begging for money may be victims of trafficking. You have likely seen the Covenant House television ads. A young woman or man is on the street alone and looking for a hero to rescue them.

Teenagers leave homes for all kinds of reasons. Abusive and dysfunctional families are a common cause. Rejection and abuse drive many young people from unsafe homes into situations even less safe. Young people running from home are easy prey for traffickers.

Poverty is a root cause for many social problems. People are desperate for good jobs, an income that will support them, and safe housing.

Human trafficking is a problem in North Carolina. Statistics from 2024 say 300 cases of human trafficking involving 600 victims were reported. Many probably aren’t recorded and it is likely those numbers are considerably higher today.

North Carolina is ripe for an enterprise like human trafficking. We have Interstate Highways that crisscrosses the state. I-40. I-85. I-95. I-77. There are ports for boat traffic in Wilmington and Morehead. We have coastal and mountain resorts. North Carolina has several large military installations filled with young men and women and a plethora of colleges. All are fertile ground for traffickers to prey upon.

The North Carolina Legislature recognized that trafficking was a fast-growing crime issue and allocated $500,000 to address the issue. It appears none has been spent. Inadequate funding and poor management of state resources leave services high and dry; victims wonder if there is anyone coming to rescue them.

You can find help and information about human trafficking at the North Carolina Human Trafficking commission at HTCourts.org. Your local Salvation Army can provide a listening ear and help. And the trafficking hotline number in NC is 1-888-373-7888.

Trafficking is a scrouge often overlooked. The crime is done in darkness. Too frequently it is out of sight and out of mind. Traffickers like it that way.  

I helped present an evening teaching event in the parking lot at Edenton Street UMC in Raleigh. People strolled through tables with statistics and stories, picking up brochures and talking to those who facilitated the event. It surprised me how many people had been touched by human trafficking.

Poor and unhoused people are not the only ones approached by traffickers. A parishioner in the church told me the story of her daughter, who had a part time job in a convenience store and had been approached. By the hair of her chinny-chin-chin, she escaped by screaming for help.

Screaming and getting loud are handy and available tools for calling attention to something. Trafficking is not a place to go along to get along. The best thing is to get out as soon as you can.

Parents, know where your children are. Know who they are with. Pray a lot.

Evil is everywhere around us. Now is the time for vigilance.  

Paying attention will save lives. And if you see something, say something.

Lib Campbell is a retired Methodist pastor, retreat leader, columnist, and host of the blogsite Avirtualchurch.com. She can be contacted at libcam05@gmail.com.