Candlelight vigil brings awareness to human trafficking in Genesee County – mlive.com

FLINT, MI — January was Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a presidentially designated observance designed to educate the public about the issue.

But the work to stop human trafficking never ends.

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, to honor the end of the month, GHOST (Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team) and the Genesee County Human Trafficking Taskforce, in conjunction with the United Way, hosted a “Light Up the Night” candlelight vigil at the Genesee County Sherriff's Office.

The event brought awareness to human trafficking and its impact on victims in the county.

Many advocates for human trafficking stood behind Genesee County Sherriff Chris Swanson as he spoke during the vigil.

“We're here to claim victory,” Swanson told the crowd. “You don't need to come to Chris Swanson. You don't need to come to GHOST. You can go to a teacher or somebody in the ministry. You have a right to have your voice heard.”

Since 2016, GHOST has been instrumental in rescuing and recovering victims and survivors of human trafficking.

Among the organizations represented Tuesday were Voices for Children Child Advocacy Center and Tipton Ministries.

“Tipton Ministries is missionaries to the sex industry,” co-founder Christina Tipton said. “My husband (Doug Tipton) and I first started it when we realized that the community was lacking some initial response resources for victims of human trafficking.”

There were 295 identified cases of human trafficking in Michigan in 2021, and 429 victims were involved in these cases, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

“The education piece is the first thing and the awareness, but the enforcement is just as critical,” Swanson said. “And then the aftercare. And one organization can't do all four of them well. We can do them, but we have to use what we do well and allow others to pick up the pieces.”

The community is encouraged to call The National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. The hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in more than 200 languages.