Three local organizations brought Human Trafficking Awareness Month to a close last week with an event they hope will aid in their efforts to bring an end to modern slavery.
Hosted by the Sexual Assault Center, The Lytle Barn and Phantom Horse Brewing Co., the Jan. 24 fundraiser drew about 100 people to Pie Slingers Pizzeria, where they were able to sample “Blonde Abolitionist,” a specialty beer created by the local brewery specifically for the event, while learning about the ongoing crisis.
Last year, 157 human trafficking cases were reported in the state of Georgia, bringing the total number of local victims identified since 2007 to 3,978, though thousands more are likely, according to data compiled by the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
Atlanta, home of the world’s busiest airport, has been widely identified as the No. 1 city in the country for sex trafficking based on a 2014 report by Washington, D.C.’s Urban Institute. Still, event organizers said several people who attended the local fundraiser were unaware that I-75 is a prime route for many of those traffickers.
“Either direction they go, they can be on a plane in less than two hours,” said Lecia Guthrie, president of the Sexual Assault Center’s board. “When you think about somebody picking up your little brother or your little sister, two hours is not a long time.”