Milwaukeeans encouraged to wear blue to raise awareness for human trafficking – TMJ4

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) is encouraging all Milwaukeeans to join the Blue Campaign in #WearBlueDay.

On Wednesday, Milwaukee citizens are being encouraged to wear blue to help raise awareness of human trafficking.

“Awareness is only the first step,” OVP Director Ashanti Hamilton stated in a news release. “National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is an opportunity to have a conversation, educate ourselves and others on indicators of human trafficking, and share resources on how to protect yourself. I encourage everyone to take part in this important conversation and wear blue on January 11.”

Related: Hoan Bridge to be lit blue for Human Trafficking Awareness Month

There are several ways you can get involved with #WearBlueDay:

• Include a lot of blue in your outfit
• Take a selfie or a group photo and share it on social media using the #WearBlueDay and #WBDMKE hashtags
• Take time to learn the indicators of human trafficking, educate yourself with resources, and share what you've learned with others
• Visit the City Hall Rotunda at 200 E. Wells Street to get your own blue ribbon to wear throughout the day. Resources and more information about human trafficking will be available in the City Hall Rotunda as well.

The Blue Campaign is a national public awareness campaign designed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to educate people on the indicators of human trafficking and how to respond to possible cases.

According to OVP, some common indicators of someone being human trafficked include:

• The person has bruises in multiple stages of healing
• The person is fearful, timid, or submissive in demeanor
• The person appears to be coached on what to say
• The person having a sudden or dramatic change in behavior
• The person being disconnected from family, friends, peers, or community organizations
• The person appears disoriented or confused, or shows signs of physical or mental abuse.

If you feel that you may have identified a victim of human trafficking, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH) at 1-888-373-7888, text ‘HELP' or ‘INFO' TO BeFree (233733), or refer to the resources on the DHS Identify a Victim webpage.

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