Two proclamations were made at Elkins City Hall to raise awareness for issues which reach nationwide. January 11, has been proclaimed as Human Trafficking Awareness and Stalking Awareness Day.
Sarah Fincham of Randolph County Women’s Aid in Crisis (WAIC) said rural communities, like Elkins, are dealing with more human trafficking instances due to the link to the opioid crisis.
“So here, what we are seeing is a lot of, because of the substance abuse crisis we’re having, a lot of family members are exploiting their children for sex to get pills or money to feed their addiction. So, I think we just have a lot of education to do around what human trafficking looks like in our area,” said Fincham.
Representatives from Women’s Aid in Crisis and the Randolph-Tucker Child Advocacy Center are fighting these issues together in hopes of educating the public, especially the youth, on the dangers and signs of abuse.
If you know someone or are someone who needs help, call the WAIC 24 hour hotline at (304) 636-8433.
