Project FIGHT: Addressing Human Trafficking in North Carolina
Around the globe, the U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report estimates 27 million people are exploited for labor, services, and commercial sex. Through force, fraud, and coercion, traffickers prey on the vulnerable. North Carolina ranks among the top 10 states in the U.S. for human trafficking. To address this issue, The Salvation Army of Wake County launched its Project FIGHT (Freeing Individuals Gripped by Human Trafficking) case management program.
“My hope for The Salvation Army Project FIGHT program is that we can spread awareness and let people know that we are here to help,” said Amber Moss, Project FIGHT program manager. “I want people to understand that human trafficking isn’t like what is portrayed in the movie Taken. It’s not always someone getting shoved into a van and driven down the road. It could be anyone in a vulnerable place that is taken advantage of.”
January marks Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time to reflect on the millions of people affected by modern-day slavery. The goal is to raise awareness about the issue and educate the public about the role they can play in responding to and preventing human trafficking.
For Moss this fight is personal. She sees parallels between domestic violence and human trafficking abuse.
“I am a domestic violence survivor. I wasn’t transported anywhere but he profited off me spiritually and emotionally. No, I wasn’t selling my body, but I still felt like my soul was trafficked. I didn’t feel like myself.”
She also understands the sense of control that abusers exert over their victims, isolating them from friends and family and slowly breaking them down. Often the victim has a trauma bound, commonly known as Stockholm Syndrome, making it difficult for them to escape their abuse.
“For some victims they feel like they have no choice," said Moss. “Maybe they have no where to stay or they are feeding an addiction. There is also a fear of retaliation if they try to leave.”
Moss says victims are often made to feel inadequate and lack a support system to help pull them out. She wants the FIGHT program to be that support and provide victims with the comprehensive crisis intervention resources they need.
“We want to instill hope. We want to give victims their control back. What do they want their next steps to be? We will walk with you to meet those goals. Our case managers are here to support them so they can restabilize instead of going back to an unhealthy situation.”
Moss says part of the program's success will hinge on The Army's established network of community partners.
"We can't do what we need to do efficiently and successfully without our partners. It is going to take a village to address this issue and I’m hopeful to serve as many as we can. I think the most rewarding part of doing this work is going to be helping victims get to the other side. Seeing them come in, meeting them where they are, and then seeing their progress. I look forward to realizing that success.”
The Project FIGHT team's dedicated hotline is 919-390-6731 or victims can email NSCProjectFIGHT@uss.salvationarmy.org.