Red Sand Project sheds light on human trafficking

The Red Sand Project is an art initiative that uses sidewalk cracks as installations to raise awareness of human trafficking.

Human trafficking can take place anywhere and to anyone, and that’s why Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services (SPHS) and the Washington County STOP Team joined forces Wednesday for a nationwide initiative called the Red Sand Project.

To coincide with World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the organizations hosted two booths for the Red Sand Project — a global push to use art— pouring red sand into sidewalk cracks — as awareness for human trafficking victims.

The sand represents victims of human trafficking who have fallen through the cracks of society.

SPHS and the STOP Team placed two booths in Washington County, one at the SPHS plaza in Charleroi and another in Washington, Pa., to encourage people to participate in the Red Sand Project.

In Charleroi, Anne Mc-Corkle, prevention coordinator for SPHS’s Sexual Trauma Treatment and Recovery Services, and Rebecca Salsbury, the clinical director of the Washington County Department of Human Services Help Center, set up in front of the SPHS offices.

Their booth had several pamphlets and informational fliers about human trafficking, but it also had rows of cups filled with red sand.

Each participant was given a small cup of red sand, which was poured into the cracks of the sidewalk and parking lot. According to McCorkle, the sand is meant to remain in place until washed away naturally by rain, wind, etc. as a visible reminder of the impact of victimization Salsbury is part of the Washington County STOP team, which is the human trafficking awareness group for the county, and helped put the event together. She emphasized that human trafficking can take multiple forms, including sex trafficking, forced labor, or domestic servitude.

“It doesn’t matter about age, it doesn’t matter about gender, socioeconomic status, there’s sexual trafficking, there’s work trafficking,” Salsbury said, “There’s so many different things that it’s so easy to fall into.

“Especially with social media now, especially our young people. My heart’s kind of with the young people, and I know that in particular, those teens, those preteens, if we don’t do something, get the word out there to make parents aware, make students aware, then they easily can fall victim as well.”

According to the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, over the past five years, 1,235 human-trafficking offenses were filed on 366 cases.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline received over 600 calls from Pennsylvania last year. The Commercial Sexual Exploitation Institute says at least 51 defendants were charged in criminal cases related to sex trafficking in 2024.

McCorkle and Salsbury emphasized that there are various resources for people who believe they might be in a trafficking situation.

“I think the important thing to know is that there are resources out there, and there are ways, if you are trapped in that lifestyle, to get help,” Salsbury said. “We are trying to make sure that there’s information. I know STTARS (Sexual Trauma Treatment and Recovery Services) does a great job making sure there’s information at truck stops, hotels, and restroom doors. Different places are doing different things.”

STTARS specifically provides counseling for survivors of sexual violence, and they’re grant-funded to provide all their services for free. They have offices in Washington and Greene counties. To contact the Washington office, call 724-229-5007.

Joanna Dragan, supervisor of sexual assault services at the STTARS program, who was helping at the Washington booth, reiterated what McCorkle and Salsbury stated about who human trafficking can affect.

“Human trafficking does happen in our area, it can happen to anyone of any age, and if somebody finds themselves solicited or in an abusive situation that there are resources available for them,” Dragan said.

To report suspected human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-3737888, and if it’s believed to be an emergency, call 911. STTARS also has a tollfree hotline available 24/7 for sexual violence survivors that can be reached at 888-480-7283.

McCorkle and Salsbury said some giveaways that might indicate someone is a human trafficking victim include if they aren’t speaking for themselves, and the person they’re with answers for them and doesn’t let them talk. Mc-Corkle added that another sign could be their unwillingness to share personal information, like their names, especially at a hospital.

More information regarding human trafficking can be found on the Department of Homeland Security website at https://www. dhs.gov/blue-campaign/ report-human-trafficking.