MID-HUDSON- Sunday is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and officials are calling on area residents to wear blue, the color for human trafficking prevention, to show support.
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline that is supported by the Administration for Children and Families of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, 24.9 million victims are trapped in modern-day slavery, with one million children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation each year. Human trafficking – the exploitation of a person for labor, services, or commercial sex – is largely a hidden crime. One critical step in prevention is educating the public so that people are equipped to notice potential situations, and report them to local law enforcement.
January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, dedicated to raising awareness about different forms of human trafficking, ways to support trafficking survivors, and teaching communities how to recognize the signs and take safe action and Green Chimneys in Southeast will be hosting a special provider event where staff from the school’s service providers and youth professionals at its Arbor House youth shelter and transitional living program will conduct open conversation about trafficking in addition to sharing resources for victims and potentially vulnerable youth.
As the only nonprofit Putnam County provider of support services exclusively for youth, Green Chimneys Community-Based Services is contracted by the county to provide assessments and services for youth who are at risk for, or are currently, being trafficked. Through this program, Green Chimneys’ staff of social workers and youth counselors regularly reach out to schools and service providers, county-wide offering information directly to teachers, guidance counselors, and parents so that adults can make referrals or help youth to access these services themselves.
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