A program today hopes to bring attention to the effect human trafficking has in the state.
Grounds of Grace director Dana Pfeiffer will discuss trends — including one involving Jacksonville, Springfield, Decatur and other cities with colleges.
“People are going to universities and they’re recruiting students over the summer. They think they’re doing magazine sales but it’s actually labor trafficking. It’s a big deal,” Pfeiffer said. “They recruit young people to do door-to-door sales and in that process they have them fill out information for the magazines. They end up getting their Social Security number, their credit card number — that’s where the identity theft comes in.”
Pfeiffer will also talk about the more commonly known sex and family trafficking issues in the state, some of the victims of which are treated at Grounds of Grace in Springfield.
Jacksonville Public Library assistant library director Hillary Peppers said she believes the program is important to keep people informed about the real impact of human trafficking.
“I think this is for absolutely everyone. Every age group and community member. It’s a problem that is local and if you don’t know what the signs of it are, you might just walk right by someone who needs help,” Peppers said. “There might be something going on right in your neighborhood that you can’t spot. If you don’t know what to look for then you’re not going to see it.”
The presentation will take place today at 7 p.m. today at the library.
