For the City Times

The Diversity Committee of Mid-State Technical College is hosting a special presentation on human trafficking and sexual exploitation on Monday, Jan. 30 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Lisa Sennholz, founder and director of Damascus Road, an organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking and sexual exploitation, will share valuable information on this important issue at Mid-State’s three campuses.

Human trafficking is the fastest growing and second largest criminal industry in the world today, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is also on the rise in Wisconsin, with more than half of the 72 counties in Wisconsin reporting documented cases of human trafficking, according to the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance.

According to Natasha Miller, Mid-State’s student life coordinator, Sennholz and other experts on the front lines point to being aware and informed as the first step to combating human trafficking.

“Human trafficking is a vile criminal business that steals the innocence of those exploited and inflicts immeasurable damage.” said Miller. “Mid-State is proud to leverage education and awareness to help keep our communities safe from traffickers and bring an end to this form of modern day slavery.”

Mid-State’s human trafficking presentation is in keeping with the Diversity Committee’s theme for the year, “Diversity of Safety.” The series is aimed at providing powerful and helpful information to the central Wisconsin communities served by Mid-State, to protect both the safety of the college’s students and the community. Other presentations this academic year have focused on suicide prevention and domestic abuse.