Over the past few years, people have connected the idea of large sporting events being hotbeds for sex trafficking, but believing that sex trafficking only happens in Augusta during Masters season is a mistake.
“It’s always here. There’s human trafficking every day,” said Kimberly McDonald-Walden, who operates GLM2 Foundation, a long-term program for women and their children coming out of trafficking.
MORE: Police on Alert for Possible Sex Trafficking During Masters Week
This week, the message of ending human trafficking will be in highly-visible areas near the golf tournament. The foundation has two billboards on Washington Road– one at I-20 and the other at Alexander Drive- and a third billboard near the Grovetown exit of I-20. They display the National Human Trafficking Hotline phone number.
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The connection between large sporting events such as the Super Bowl or the Masters tournament is in its high numbers of patrons.
“The number one buyer of sex on the planet is the white American male,” said McDonald-Walden.
And the sex sellers go to the places that draw white American males. That could be a sporting event or it could be a technical convention in Las Vegas, she said.
Getting out of the sex trade and reintegrated into society isn’t an easy road. McDonald-Walden’s program is multi-layered and addresses the myriad problems that a woman will face once out of trafficking. In many cases, the woman will also have substance abuse issues to deal with.
“I deal with people who are on meth and heroin,” she said.
But before women can get into a program like hers, they have to get out of the trafficking situation.
Not only does she operate a long-term program, but McDonald-Walden works with an organization that rescues people from sex trafficking. Out of Darkness is a ministry of the Atlanta Dream Center.
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An additional resource in Georgia is the Georgia Coalition to Combat Human Trafficking. The hotline it operates can be reached at (866) 363-4842 (End-HTGA). The HTGA stands for human trafficking in Georgia, she said.
These organizations are not equipped to handle a dangerous situation, she said. They work with people to meet in a safe, open, pre-arranged place and take them to a safe house. If someone is in danger, 911 would be the number to dial.
A rescue is a “well-oiled machine,” she said.
Plans are in place and oftentimes, groups coordinate with other groups to pull someone out of trafficking.
MORE: GLM2 Speaks at Columbia County Exchange Club
McDonald-Walden encourages people to be aware. If they see something that doesn’t seem right, they can call too.
“If you see something, say something,” she said.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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