Tharros Place, a nonprofit providing residential services for girls ages 12 to 17 who are survivors of human trafficking, recently announced it had a successful National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, with more than 20 events held. Each year since 2010, the President has dedicated the month of January to raise awareness about human trafficking and to educate the public about how to identify and prevent this crime. 

“Because of the misrepresentations of and misunderstandings about human trafficking, it was important to us to present a series of events across a variety of venues to raise awareness about the realities of this issue,” said Julie Wade, Executive Director of Tharros Place. “We are so grateful to be part of this community that actively supported Tharros Place during January.”

During the month of January, Tharros Place achieved the following:

• 151 donors

• 6 in-kind donors

• 22 outreach events

• 953 people educated about human trafficking

• 4 partnerships with local restaurants and businesses (Java Burrito, Oak 36, Three Tree Coffee, Sobremesa, Savannah Bike Tours) 

• 3 outreach counties (Chatham, Effingham, Bryan)

• 4 proclamations (Chatham County, City of Savannah, City of Tybee, City of Pooler)

• 1 podcast (Three Tree Coffee)

Worldwide, human trafficking impacts more than 24.9 million people — adults and children — including in the United States. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, a total of 1,912 people were referred to U.S. attorneys for human trafficking offenses in 2022, a 26 percent increase from a decade earlier. Of the 1,070 defendants charged, 91 percent were male, 58 percent were white, 20 percent were black, 18 percent were Hispanic, 95 percent were U.S. citizens, and 71 percent had no prior convictions. 

With Savannah’s high poverty rate, international port, booming tourism industry, and the crossroads of Highway 95 and I-16, the county ranks 6th in the state (out of 159 counties) for the number of reported cases of minor victims of trafficking. The issue is of particular concern for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp, who created the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education (GRACE) Commission to eliminate human trafficking as a threat to people in every part of Georgia.