Rotary Club of Putnam County to Host Human Trafficking Awareness Program – Shaw Local

The Rotary Club of Putnam County will host Human Trafficking – A Real and Present Danger at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, at LJ's Garden Cafe, 114 N. Chicago St., Magnolia.

Right here in central Illinois, and even here in the Illinois Valley, there are cases of trafficking of domestic workers, for-profit shops, sex workers, and others who are being deceived in relationships motivated by financial manipulation, forced dependence, physical threats and abuse. How to recognize danger? How can our young people avoid tempting offers that seem too good to be true, only to discover too late how fake they are?

These are areas of concern shared by many organizations, including Rotary Clubs, here and around the world. Putnam County Rotary will host Toni Lucas, a speaker who advocates on behalf of men, women and children who are victims of human trafficking. She will share her views on the massive and growing scale of human trafficking and what we can do to be more aware of it and to prevent or report cases within our local communities.

Lucas has worn many hats over her later years and several careers, including over 40 years as a legal secretary in the Illinois Valley, office manager in England and currently pastor of the United Methodist Church in 'Albany, Illinois. Among his community work and activism, Lucas organized the Rotary District Human Trafficking Task Force and is a member of the Global Online Rotary Club to End Human Trafficking. Her passion for justice led her to actively participate in her church's anti-racism task force and in civil rights pilgrimages to many communities in the southern states.

The human trafficking stories Lucas tells are true, not just statistics from a magazine. The event will be open to the public on a first-book basis. Dinner and program begins at 6:30 p.m. Dinner will cost $15 per person. To reserve a spot, text 815-866-1975 or email [email protected] by June 4.