The Zonta Club hosted its annual Red Sand Project on July 30 to help raise awareness of human trafficking.
“It happens here, it happens everywhere,” said club president Debra Williams. Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery and can involve sex acts for profit and/or labor or services.
“We advocate strongly against human trafficking and domestic violence,” Williams said.
She said for the last 20 years, North Carolina has been in the top 10 states for human trafficking. In 2020, there were 260 cases of human trafficking reported in North Carolina. REACH of Macon County assisted 38 human trafficking victims in 2021-22, with 22 people served at its shelter.
“That is a problem that is not something you ignore,” said Gary Shields who led Saturday’s program at the gazebo on Main Street.
While the majority of human trafficking victims are girls and women, Williams pointed out that men and boys are trafficked too. Williams said traffickers are master manipulators and exercise great control over their victims. The victims often don’t see a way out of their situations because they may not have a place to go, they don’t have their own money or clothes.
Sheila Jenkins, executive director of No Wrong Door, also spoke during the program. She said many of the trafficking victims they see are people who traffic themselves; they don’t think they have any other alternative and are doing what they think they must do to get by.
She said their organization helps people deal with the trauma they have been through. “We’re a safe place. We don’t judge,” she said.
This year, Zonta teamed up with Rotary Club of Franklin and Rotary Club of Franklin Daybreak, the Franklin High School Interact Club and KidsPlace to present the Red Sand Project. Following the program at the gazebo, participants poured red sand in the cracks of the sidewalk around the courthouse to represent the people in our society who fall through the cracks.
Beverly Mason said Rotary Club members are taking up awareness of trafficking all over the world. “We are so proud to be part of this and joining up with Zonta.”
All the participating organizations recognize that it takes people working together to fight the problem and seek solutions. “We’re not going to succeed if we don’t have community support,” Jenkins said.
“It’s really heart-warming to know our community cares,” said Callie Roper, incoming president of the Interact Club. Roper said she had not realized until recently how much trafficking happens here in Macon County and that it happens to kids. “I think that’s sad.”
Roper said the club wants to be a conduit of information and to be supportive of all the people who are working to make sure trafficking is prevented.
Williams said it is important to get younger people involved. “You are the foundation of where we go from here,” she told the Interact Club members.
“When you get students involved, things happen,” said Shields, who served as Franklin High School principal for 21 years.
Shields closed the program by reminding people to remember the last six words of the Pledge of Allegiance: “with liberty and justice for all.”
“We should never stop caring for people,” he said.
Human trafficking
The North Carolina Bureau of Investigation has reported seeing an increase in the number of CyberTips made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reporting such crimes. In 2020, there were 9,308 CyberTips compared to 4,930 in 2019. In 2021, the SBI received 12,760 tips.
The top three sources for 2021 CyberTips involved Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. Many parents believe these applications are safe for their children or teens to use.
However, social media apps are often used by online predators to groom, seduce, blackmail and/or extort pictures, videos, online meetings an in-person face-to-face meetings with children/youth and teens.
Safety Tips for parents/guardians
•Frequently communicate with your kids about who they interact with online and talk with them about what is and what isn’t acceptable online behavior.
•Warn your kids about the dangers of sharing inappropriate photos and videos.
•Check your kids’ phones often to see what apps they have and how they’re using them.
Get help
REACH of Macon County provides services for victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assault. Call the 24-hour crisis/hotline at 828-369-5544. Visit reachofmaconcounty.org for more information about services provided.
Kids Place provides services for human trafficking victims ages 0-18. Call 828-524-3199 or visit kidsplacecac.org.
Know the sign
A person needing help may give a hand signal: With the fingers folded over and around the thumb. “Trapping” the thumb inside the fingers represents someone who is being trafficked, trapped, abused, hurt or confined against his or her will.