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Tharros Place holds events for National Human Trafficking Prevention Month
In 2023, nearly 500 minors in Georgia were identified as victims of human trafficking
Tharros Place

Special to the Herald

SAVANNAH - Tharros Place, a nonprofit that provides residential services for survivors of human trafficking, announces a number of events upcoming in January for National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a presidentially designated observance designed to educate the public about human trafficking and the role they can play in preventing and responding to human trafficking. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ theme for Human Trafficking Prevention Month 2024 is Activate Connections to Prevent Human Trafficking. 

“This is an opportunity to highlight the importance of collaborating across multiple sectors to build human trafficking prevention initiatives that work. Human trafficking cannot be prevented by any one individual, community, organization, or government,” says Julie Wade, Executive Director of Tharros Place. “To improve the lives of those we serve, we must activate connections throughout the systems that impact individual, family, community, and societal health and well-being. When we partner to prevent, we can enhance our efforts to keep everyone safe from human trafficking.”

 

Events include:

  • Friday, Jan. 5: Chatham County Commission Proclamation, 9:30 a.m., 124 Bull Street, Savannah, GA 31401
  • Tuesday, Jan. 16: Pooler City Hall Proclamation, 4 p.m., 100 US-80, Pooler, GA 31322
  • Wednesday, Jan. 17: Cheers for Charity Fundraiser at Sobremesa, 2312 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31401 (10% of sales go to Tharros Place)
  • Friday, Jan. 26: Cocktails for Courage, 5:30 p.m. at Cohen’s Retreat, 5715 Skidaway Rd., Savannah, GA 31406
  • Saturday, Jan. 27: Ninth Annual Traffick Jam, a conference bringing together experts in their respective fields to inform and educate professionals in law enforcement, mental health, social work, and education – as well as the general public – about the scourge of human trafficking.  9 a.m. at Savannah State University, 3219 College Street, Savannah, GA 31404
  • Wednesday, Jan. 31: Fundraiser at Chipotle on Victory from 4 - 8 p.m., 1801 E. Victory Drive, Savannah, GA 31404 (make sure to mention you are with Tharros Place)
  • The entire month of January: Savannah Bike Tours will donate a portion of proceeds to Tharros Place

Human trafficking includes both forced labor and sex trafficking and impacts more than 24.9 million people — adults and children — worldwide, including in the United States. 
In 2022, 494 Georgia minors with an average age of 14 were identified as victims of human trafficking and Chatham County ranked fourth in the state for the number of sex trafficking cases of minors. 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 corner of Georgia. 

Tharros Place, a Savannah nonprofit named after the Greek word for courage, opened its doors November 2023, and provides services for survivors of human trafficking. The residential facility is open 24/7 and staffed by trained and licensed professionals providing trauma-informed, client-centered care to girls ages 12 to 17. For more information about these events, please visit tharrosplace.com or call Kate Templeton at (912) 665-0236.