Breaking Chains and Fighting Human Trafficking Every Day
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, a time to shine a light on the hidden yet pervasive crime of modern slavery. More than 49.6 million people around the world are trapped in human trafficking, stripped of their freedom and dignity. During this awareness month, we at The Salvation Army want to emphasize that our fight against human trafficking isn’t confined to January—it’s a year-round mission to bring hope, freedom, and restoration to those affected.
For more than a century, The Salvation Army has been at the forefront of combating human trafficking. From rescuing victims to rehabilitating survivors, we remain committed to breaking the chains of exploitation. As we observe Human Trafficking Awareness Month, we invite you to join us in this ongoing battle, working together to restore the dignity and freedom of millions.
Here are 3 ways to be a part of the fight against human trafficking:
Learn more about Human Trafficking
Serve as a volunteer and advocate
Become a full-time minister or community leader
Learn more about Human Trafficking
What is Human Trafficking?
Human Trafficking is defined as the exploitation of people for profit through force, fraud, or coercion. You might be most familiar with human trafficking in the way of sexual slavery or sexual exploitation, but it can take dozens of different forms like forced labor, debt bondage, domestic servitude, forced marriage, supply chain, forced criminality, child sexual exploitation, child soldiers, or child labor. The list goes on and on. The world’s largest criminal market lives right under our noses, in our very own hometowns.
The Salvation Army’s Response to Human Trafficking
Though human trafficking is a vast and complex issue, organizations like The Salvation Army are working tirelessly to end it. Our mission is rooted in the belief that no person should be denied their freedom or dignity. The fight against human trafficking is about more than just stopping a criminal enterprise—it's about restoring hope and offering a future to those trapped in modern slavery.
The fight against human trafficking is about more than just stopping a criminal enterprise—it's about restoring hope and offering a future to those trapped in modern slavery.
When the Salvation Army was just beginning, our founders saw the darkness of the streets of London and sought out to save every soul on the streets of their city. Even then, there were men, women, and children sold into slavery of every kind. Over 150 years later, our mission to serve God and others hasn’t stopped.
Over 150 years later, our mission to serve God and others hasn’t stopped.
For example, Catherine’s Cottage is a safe haven designed to free victims from their life of bondage and help them as they reacclimate to life, whether that means finding them housing, employment, or providing trauma-informed counseling. The Salvation Army Emergency Trafficking Program also provides comprehensive care management, providing a wide variety of resources to survivors, from medical and dental care to legal aid.
We offer comprehensive case management programs in order to provide victims of human trafficking with holistic care. These programs are designed to care for victims, body and mind, and set them up for success as they work toward a fresh start. Through these programs, our visitors have access to:
Medical and dental care
Victim advocacy
Crisis intervention
Safety planning
Legal assistance
Interpreter services
Workforce development
Repatriation
Social service benefits
Substance abuse treatment
Childcare
Trauma-informed care
Peer support
Outreach and engagement with fellow survivors
While the issue of human trafficking is still a world-wide epidemic, our mission to raise awareness, protect former and current victims, and prevent the furthering of this business has never ceased. But the initiative doesn’t end with us…
Serve As a Volunteer and Advocate
Human trafficking, as well as poverty, famine, and hunger are epidemics that are just as strong here at home as they are across the world. By getting involved and accepting a life in full-time ministry, you make a promise to join the fight!
The Salvation Army has a presence in every county in the United States, dedicated to meeting local needs and concerns. Your local Salvation Army can always use local leaders, dedicated to caring for their neighbors and being involved in making these holistic programs possible. By becoming a member of a Salvation Army church, you can serve alongside Salvation Army Officers (ordained ministers) and make a tangible difference in your community.
Become a full-time minister or community leader
The fight against human trafficking requires dedicated leaders on the front lines. Salvation Army officers—those who have answered the call to full-time ministry—are central to this mission. They work with survivors daily, offering not only practical resources but also the spiritual and emotional support needed to heal. From corresponding with government officials to being out in the field and talking to the folks in their neighborhoods, those living a life of full-time ministry have hands in almost every step of the process. If you specifically feel called to full-time ministry, you can study to be an ordained minister at the Evangeline Booth College, where you will receive 2 years of theology studies, hands-on experience out in the field, and classes and seminars designed to ready you to provide support wherever you are sent to serve.
Regardless of whether or not you’ve felt God’s call to live a life of full-time ministry, there are still opportunities to get involved and be a force in the fight against human trafficking. Through the Salvation Army and other pathways, there are dozens of opportunities around the world and state-side that you can make a change, whether it’s volunteer work or advocating for change and raising awareness.
Why Serve with The Salvation Army?
Our founder, William Booth, famously said,
“While women weep, as they do know, I’ll fight. While little children go hungry, as they do now, I’ll fight. While men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight. While there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight. I’ll fight to the very end!”
It is our mission, in The Salvation Army, to be a beacon of light to those who live in darkness. As God’s Army, we stand strong in the fight against those who aim to strip others of their freedom and dignity until the battle has been won in Jesus’ name.
On a global scale, we have earned a reputation for being on the front lines of the fight of adversity, working with international organizations, world leaders, and participating on the world stage in an effort to raise awareness, not only on the topic of human trafficking, but hunger, poverty and homelessness. Even when the battle seems to slow in our hometowns, we are aware that darkness still exists somewhere else, so we seek out ways to get involved and aid our brothers and sisters in arms.
Join The Fight Today
Human trafficking is a global crisis, but you have the power to help end it. Whether you feel called to full-time ministry or want to volunteer or raise awareness, The Salvation Army offers numerous ways to get involved. This Human Trafficking Awareness Month, take the first step in answering the call to serve. Together, we can restore freedom, hope, and dignity to those who need it most.
