​It’s strange to think of human trafficking occurring in our backyard. And it’s not comfortable to think of modern-day slavery existing in our home city or state. But it’s an unpleasant reality.

And according to police reports, the Portland metro area is a main hub for sex trafficking, ranked only second among U.S. cities with the greatest number of children in forced prostitution. Approximately five sex trafficking cases are reported to the police every week, and it is estimated many instances go unreported.​

To battle these statistics, the Junior League of Portland formed the Stop Human Trafficking Committee. It’s an organization dedicated to spreading awareness of human trafficking and advocate for survivors. Through education, resources and community collaboration the Stop Human Trafficking Committee works to identify missing elements in the fight against human trafficking and launch programs to enact system-wide change. They have initiatives such as their annual Delicates Drive, and have released a documentary, Waiting for the Light: Portland’s Sex Trafficking Crisis.

​This week of PRP we feature the Stop Human Trafficking Committee on our award-winning Community Voices series. Interviews with key members of the organization can be listened to below.​

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