On the heels of a $675,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, Karen Moore, executive director of Sanctum House, is thankful. “Now we can begin helping the most vulnerable,” said the former president of Ladywood High School and graduate of Mercy High School. Moore joined the Sanctum House team, along with founder and president Edee Franklin, earlier this year. They are the driving force in the mission of Sanctum House — an organization that champions the rights of the most vulnerable women.

Human trafficking has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, and exists in all 50 states. It has been estimated that as many as 22,000 people are trafficked into the United States annually. The International Labor Organization estimates nearly 21 million people across the globe are trafficked for both labor and sexual exploitation.

As a response to this, there are local initiatives in place. Vista Maria is one of them. A long-standing provider of therapeutic services for female victims of human trafficking, Vista Maria has a continuum of services for females between the ages of 11 and 24, including supportive housing, academic, and life skills programs (to learn more, visit www.vistamaria.org). The creation of Sanctum House extends vital services to those women who have reached the age of 18.

Sanctum House is an organization that will utilize a multi-disciplinary team to provide comprehensive services for trafficked women, in a loving environment. These services will include counseling, life skills training, education and case management. The program will also employ a holistic approach for rehabilitation by providing services to address the physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of recovery.

Sanctum House is truly responding to the call of our Holy Father, who reminds us that combating human trafficking is a “moral imperative.” Nor is this problem one-dimensional. It requires cooperation from all facets of our community: law enforcement, government, churches, medical, therapy providers and the individual.

The team at Sanctum House includes many from our community — Christina Alvaro, a graduate of Shrine and board member of Sanctum House, is working with Moore on educational programs for high school students. Sr. Charlotte Young, RSM, is also very engaged as an advisory board member, with active support from the Sisters of Mercy.

Human trafficking is a crime that might seem distant to many of us. “Not in my back yard,” we might be tempted to claim. Yet, open eyes and involved hearts are prerequisites for ending this heinous crime against humanity.

In the words of Edee Franklin, founder of Sanctum House, “As more people become knowledgeable of this injustice to human beings, the national discussion is encouraging people to report incidents of human trafficking that would have not reported before.”

We are many parts but all one body. Let’s work together to assist Sanctum House any way we can.  If you would like more information, visit www.sanctumhouse.org or contact Karen Moore at [email protected].

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Paul Stuligross is director of campus ministry at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Preparatory and is a former police officer.