On Friday, Jan. 27, Justice Network participated in the Human Trafficking Regional Summit at Mountaintop Church in Mt. Olive. Sponsored by CAN and NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking, the summit hosted over 160 attendees who learned about human trafficking and how to take action against it. In addition to keynote speakers, Keyla Munoz of the FBI and Mandy Leverett, Exec Director of NJCAHT and CAN (Church Abolition Network), there were four breakout sessions:

• It’s The Law
• Community & Professional Mobilization
• Healthcare & Service Providers
• Abolition in Schools

In between the sessions, there were representatives from various organizations including Justice Network, Love Links, NJCAHT, Dreamcatchers, Walter Hoving Home, and CAN. State Senator Oroho and Assemblywoman Munoz were honored for their co-sponsorship of the 2013 NJ Human Trafficking Bill and their current abolition bill.
In the Community and Professional Mobilization breakout, Susan Panzica of Justice Network and Mandy Leverett of CAN presented ways that people can raise awareness and take action to end trafficking in their community groups and various professions.
The closing Call To Action featured a variety of steps that people can take right from their own homes, jobs, places of worship, etc. including the #HTchallenge social media campaign.
The #HTchallenge 2017 concluded last night at the end of Super Bowl LI. The game itself was one of the most watched and one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever. In the days leading up to the game and throughout the game and especially at halftime, thousands of posts and tweets flooded the internet raising awareness about the #HTchallenge – also called #HalftimeChallenge. The challenge uses the Super Bowl as an opportunity to raise HT awareness by sharing images, tweets, and posts about human trafficking and providing talking points about the issue. (More info at www.htchallenge.net)
Although the Summit and the big game are over, the problem of human trafficking continues 365 days a year. We will continue to be vigilant in our quest to raise awareness about human trafficking and to provide opportunities for you to help in the fight against it.
Upcoming opportunities include:

• Justice Network meeting – this Saturday, Feb. 11 at 10 am
• Movie: I Am Jane Doe – showing in Cherry Hill and NYC Fe. 10 – Feb. 15
• Movie: Priceless – Fri., March 10 – showing at Cedar Hill church, 422 Cedar Hill Ave., Wyckoff NJ 7:00 pm
• California Pizza Kitchen – Fundraiser for NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking April 22
• Ongoing clothing donation ministry
  
  [some photos provided by Mandy Leverett]