January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to exploit someone and obtain labor or commercial sex acts. Elijah Rising has been fighting human trafficking in Houston since 2012. From small prayer gatherings, the movement has grown into a nonprofit organization that reaches human trafficking victims through prayer, direct outreach to exploited women, awareness campaigns and restorative care for survivors.
According to Elijah Rising, there are an estimated 313,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas, with some 79,000 of those being sex trafficked minors. Illegal sex services are offered in storefronts like illicit massage businesses and cantinas. There are also areas around Houston that are notorious for prostitution activity like the Bissonet Track. Elijah Rising offers van tours of areas suspected or known to be heavy areas of illicit activity in an effort to spread awareness.
Some victims of human trafficking are groomed or manipulated into prostitution through social media, through acquaintances at school or in their social circles, and some are even trafficked by family members. Elijah Rising has a team of volunteers who meet these individuals where they’re being trafficked and offers them support, and if they’re ready - a way out.
Victims who enter Elijah Rising’s Restorative Care program have access to housing, mental health counseling and addiction recovery, education, career readiness training and more. The goal is to help women heal from the trauma of being exploited and offer them a path to become independent and self-sufficient.
Awareness is key to preventing human trafficking. Elijah Rising compiled a parents’ guide to talking with your kids about sexual exploitation. You can see it here.
KPRC 2 and our Community partners at Energy Transfer and Houston Christian University showcase a different nonprofit organization each month offering Houstonians a helping hand. Elijah Rising is the KPRC 2 Community spotlight for January 2024.