This article caught my attention recently: Iowa mom warns of sex trafficking.

The situation of this child – and others like her – is heartbreaking. And the mother’s patience and unconditional love is remarkable. Yet, it is only the beginning of what needs to be done to counteract the damages of this insidious world of trafficking.

Too often we want to bury our heads in the sand convincing ourselves that trafficking is happening somewhere else. But as this article makes clear, sex trafficking is happening “way more than people imagine.”

I was proud to see that the Rev. Brian McVey, rector of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davenport, is taking such an active role in bringing awareness to this important issue and working for solutions. And I’m proud of the many other ways Episcopal Churches across the country are involved in bringing an end to sex trafficking.

If you haven’t already, I invite you to find out what is happening in your local communities around human trafficking of children and teens. Consider organizing a campaign to help bring awareness to this issue in your faith community. A few resources are:

• End Slavery Now: a charitable organization organized to help fight modern slavery and human trafficking with the best resources available.
• HumanTrafficking.org: facts and resources on human trafficking in the United States.
• Not For Sale: a nonprofit organizing fighting human trafficking both in the United States and abroad.

Do you know other organizations or resources? Post them below.