Wear blue Thursday to increase awareness of human trafficking

PITTSBURGH — Thursday is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and people are encouraged to wear blue – the international color for human trafficking - to bring awareness to the issue.

According to the U.S. Department of State, at any given time, there are approximately 28 million victims of human trafficking worldwide.

Many of these victims and predators can be found right here in our area.

“In western Pennsylvania specifically, we have seen sex and labor trafficking happening here. It happens to United States Citizens, it happens to immigrants who come here for a better life,” said Lauren Fair, Divisional Social Services Director for the Salvation Army of Western Pennsylvania.

The Salvation Army Light Project is dedicated to raising awareness and supporting survivors in the Pittsburgh region.

In 2023, Light helped 64 adults and one child; 53 of the victims were U.S. citizens and 12 were foreign nationals.

“There are a lot of ways we can prevent it. A lot of them are investing in a lot of our social services, so making sure people’s basic needs are met to reduce those vulnerabilities,” Fair said.”

That includes working with local partners, like migrant outreach, drop-in centers, and residential programs.

Experts say labor trafficking can start out as a typical employment relatinship, then turn into exploitation.

According to the Salvation Army, industries that have experienced labor trafficking include:

• Farming
• Construction
• Landscaping
• Food Service
• Hospitality

Experts say it is important to listen to survivor stories so we can learn from their experiences.

“Mentoring children who have history of abuse, history of removal from home, focusing on LGBTQ communities to make sure they’re not vulnerable,” Fair said.

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

You can learn more about efforts to increase awareness of human trafficking and how to appropriately respond to possible cases at www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign.

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