January is Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month. Each year, an estimated 17,000 men, women and children are trafficked across our borders and then forced into slavery. Many are fleeing terrible situations in their home countries, and refugees and unaccompanied children are especially vulnerable.
While you may feel there is little that you can do to help combat this human atrocity, there is actually much you can do, including keeping a watchful eye to help identify victims of human trafficking.
Through USCCB’s Become A Shepherd Toolkit, you can learn about human trafficking from a Catholic perspective, equipping yourself with the educational tools to raise awareness of human trafficking in parishes, schools, or other social networks. We encourage you to use SHEPHERD resources to organize workshops, discussion groups, and prayer sessions.
You can report tips on potential cases of human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP to BeFree (233733).
For more information visit usccb.org/stopslavery.