Grace and Hope Community Church is sponsoring a community event featuring Real Life Giving, a New Hampshire anti-trafficking organization. The presentation will cover identification factors, recruitment tactics, prevention, and advocacy. An overview of regional concerns and a question-and-answer segment will be included.

The event will take place on Saturday, October 17, from 6 to 8 PM at Grace and Hope Community Church (the Masonic Hall) at 38 Cilleyville Road in Potter Place. For more information, contact Reverend Karen Heavey at 768-3720 or RevKJHeavey@nullgmail.com.

Today in New Hampshire, the sex trafficking of minors is a reality that has been identified and documented by law enforcement and social service providers. Teens are being targeted at local malls, schools, recreational areas, and through social media. Hotels, strip clubs, truck stops, resort areas, and special events, as well as the streets of our cities and towns, can be prime locations for exploitation.

So often, human trafficking is still thought of primarily as an international issue when in reality, the majority of sex trafficking victims in the United States are citizens. “It’s very real, and it’s happening in your backyard to girls from all backgrounds, whether middle class or lower class. I’m a white girl from America and it happened to me.” This is the message of a survivor from Massachusetts who was trafficked at the age of 19 while attending community college.

Real Life Giving is a nonprofit dedicated to equipping and empowering women and girls in New Hampshire and New England. Their mission is to communicate value, prevent exploitation, and raise awareness in regard to sex trafficking through training, education, and prevention initiatives. To learn more, please visit RealLifeGiving.org or e-mail Info@nullRealLifeGiving.org.