Humans for Justice is a local student-led nonprofit with a mission to fund secondary and post-secondary education costs for people who have survived human trafficking.
The nonprofit is partnering with several local restaurants Aug. 12-18, to raise money to continue supporting survivors. During the “Take a Bite, Support the Fight” effort, fundraisers will be held at each participating eatery. These include Johnny’s Pizza, Kababish Café and HappyCakes Cupcakery in Cary, Desy’s Grill & Bar in Morrisville, and the Peddler Steak House in Raleigh.
The group’s goal is to raise $5,000, which would cover the annual costs for one person to attend college.
Founder Emily Davis began the group in 2014 as a club at Cary High School after befriending a young woman who was a victim of trafficking. In 2016 the group was designated a nonprofit and has continued to be led by young people.
“Our board, our core leadership, everybody is college students,” said Davis, who attends Wake Technical Community College. “We’re very passionate about the cause, and about doing everything possible to see that people who have survived human trafficking become students as well.”
Human trafficking victims can be forced to work in the sex trades, in agriculture, in food service or in other businesses. In North Carolina, there were 221 cases reported in 2017, according to the Human Trafficking Hotline.
“A lot of the people we serve have never had the chance to finish high school,” she said.
The group has helped four people pass high school equivalency exams and get their GED certificates, and one person was able to attend nursing school.
“We have one person who we sent to a boarding school for high school, because this individual would have been homeless if we hadn’t provided them with a residential education,” said Davis. “This year we are assisting with their college education.”
Humans for Justice works primarily through the Wake County Salvation Army’s Project FIGHT, which stands for Freeing Individuals Gripped by Human Trafficking. The Salvation Army and its case managers are able to identify individuals who would benefit most from the education help.
For more information about the nonprofit and its fundraiser see humansforjustice.org.
