January 14, 2019
by Sarah Carson–

Amanda was in a Detroit motel room when she found herself at a turning point.

The man she was with had begun to beat her.

“I was scared for my life, so I ran into the bathroom with my cell phone and locked the door,” she says.

On the counter she found the resource she needed to escape her situation and begin a new life.

“I saw a bar of soap with a red label and called the number on it. The police rescued me, and I got into a recovery program,” she says. “It saved my life.”

The bar of soap was one of nearly 1 million that women across the country—including members of Women of the ELCA synodical women’s organizations and congregational units—have wrapped with the number of the human trafficking hotline.

The bars of soap are just one tangible way Women of the ELCA participants are not only assisting trafficking survivors but also helping police, legislators and communities across the United States to recognize the signs of human trafficking and see those involved for what they are: victims of one of the most pervasive crimes in the world.


Do you want to learn more about how you, your congregation and your family and friends can fight this terrible crime? Visit welca.org/humantrafficking to learn more about what Women of the ELCA is doing to bring awareness to and prevent human trafficking and how you can get involved.
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