Various faith based organizations connected and collaborated to help fight
human trafficking in their surrounding communities.

Trenton, NJ, March 7, 2017 – More than 280 members representing various faith based organizations, assembled on March 2^nd at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill, to learn about human trafficking in NJ. The summit was co-sponsored by The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Division of Criminal Justice’s Human Trafficking Task Force and The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.

The summit delivered a full day of experts providing information with an emphasis on the role of the faith-based community in helping to devise and implement a comprehensive and sustainable anti-trafficking strategy throughout their respective communities.

During the morning session, Assistant Attorney General, Tracy M. Thompson led a panel of experts representing the NJ Division of Criminal Justice, Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, the DreamCatcher Program and Shadyrest Bible Church, to address human trafficking in all its forms, understand what to look for in the community and how organizations can plan a response. Thompson emphasized that Human Trafficking is a form of Modern Day Slavery.  “It knows no boundaries of race or color, anyone can be a victim.”

In the afternoon session, The Right Reverend William H. (“Chip”) Stokes, the twelfth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, introduced the Keynote Speaker, Reverend Becca Stevens. Becca Stevens is the Chaplain at St. Augustine’s at Vanderbilt University and the founder of Thistle Farms, a community and social enterprise that stands with women recovering from trafficking, prostitution and addiction.

Bishop Stokes joined about 30 youth of the diocese and their adult mentors who each wore a t-shirt for 30 days with the printed text: Ask Me Why I am Wearing this shirt to raise awareness about Human Trafficking. “Human trafficking is a plague upon the whole planet. Neither the United States nor the State of New Jersey is exempt. Because this is the third largest organized crime in the world, and because it often victimizes people at a very young age, the Diocese of New Jersey is committed to not only raising consciousness about it, but to doing whatever we can to stop it.”

Becca Stevens brought it home with an emotional presentation which shed light on the anti-human trafficking movement. “When we affect one woman, we affect the whole world.”

This Interfaith Summit on Human Trafficking gave the attendees the opportunity to meet others across all faiths who are also passionate about this ministry and walk away with tools and resources to help fight human trafficking in the community.

The Human Trafficking Task Force is committed to combating the crime of Human Trafficking through education, collaboration and prosecution. To learn more, visit njhumantrafficking.gov. Report Human Trafficking by calling the Toll Free 24/7 Hotline: 855-END-NJ-HT

**********************************************************************************************************