SHAVERTOWN – In advance of the United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, which is held annually on July 30, Saint Therese Parish in Luzerne County raised awareness about the millions of victims of human trafficking around the world.
After each Mass on the weekend of July 27-28, the parish held a ‘Red Sand Project Ceremony.’
As parishioners exited the church in silence, they were invited to pour red sand into the cracks of a “sidewalk” setup on the church plaza. By doing so, they remembered those in our society who fall between the cracks.
The project was put together by the Social Concerns Committee of the parish.
Globally, one in three victims of human trafficking is a child, and the majority of those trafficked children are girls.
The reasons for child trafficking are numerous. Some of the most prominent are: poverty, armed conflicts, dysfunctional families, lack of parental care, and unaccompanied minors fleeing their homes.