TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The City of Terre Haute is bringing something special to the month of January.
Mayor Brandon Sakbun held a special presentation on Saturday at City Hall.
“I, Brandon Sakbun, Mayor of the City of Terre Haute, do hereby proclaim the month of January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.”
January 11th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, but the city, along with the Wabash Valley Coalition Against Trafficking, have extended it in this area.
The Vice President of the Coalition, April Holloway, says their goal is to educate the community.
“Our mission is to increase awareness throughout our communities, so everybody knows what human trafficking is”, Holloway said. “As a community, we need to unite, eliminate the myths, and bring out the facts, so we can help fight this in our community.”
The coalition believes there are many misconceptions about the crime.
“It doesn’t mean that you throw them in a vehicle and move them from place to place”, Holloway said. “Trafficking is any service that a victim is made to do through force, the threat of force, or coercion. They’re doing something that they don’t really want to do.”
The coalition is working to put signs and stickers in places that human trafficking most often occurs, and to make those aware of available resources.
“We want people to be aware of human trafficking and know the resources that are available for victims”, Holloway said. “The hotline numbers to call, who to call if you suspect human trafficking, and how important it is to know that hotline number.”
Holloway says educating the community is just the beginning.
“We’re going to the schools, we’re going to the businesses, we’re going to government offices”, Holloway said. “It starts at the bottom and works its way all the way up. Everybody must be aware of what’s happening.”
The long-term goal is to branch out into the surrounding counties, bringing the entire area awareness on the issue.
If you are interested in volunteering, you can visit the coalition’s website.
