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."
All proceeds from the ticketed event went toward the Sexual Assault Center, organizers said. Those dollars brought a little security for the local agency, whose support services, fueled largely by grant money, could have been crippled by the most recent government shutdown had its Jan. 25 conclusion been delayed another week or two.
"Without the federal funding that we get through the state of Georgia, we may not be able to operate, and what we do is very life-or-death for that woman or man who's affected by sexual violence or human trafficking," said Rachel Robinson, executive director of the Fort Oglethorpe-based prevention and healing center.
The center becoming inoperable would have meant a loss of services that help sex trafficking victims find a safe house, among other outreaches the agency provides for victims of sexual violence and their families throughout Catoosa, Walker and Dade counties.
Robinson extended her thanks to those who showed their support through the fundraiser, and said she hopes to plan another for April.
Moving forward, the center will also continue to develop partnerships with local corporations, she added, enabling the nonprofit to continue its work of helping victims of sexual violence in all its forms for years to come.
Email Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com.