It is one of the crucial urgent issues dealing with Simcoe County and Muskoka, and now’s your probability to lace up and make a distinction.
This 12 months, Barrie will once more take part within the nationwide Journey for Refuge occasion, a motorbike or stroll occasion that helps varied native initiatives throughout the nation which can be targeted on selling the values of security and freedom.
For the primary time, Simcoe Muskoka Household Connexions would be the charity benefiting from the annual occasion, with funds going in direction of the group’s anti-human trafficking initiatives.
“It is a biking or strolling occasion so of us locally can select to come back and trip for a brief distance or stroll for a brief distance after which assist us increase {dollars} to assist us with our initiatives towards anti-human trafficking,” stated Jerome Ben Tolila, the supervisor of communications and neighborhood relations for Simcoe Muskoka Household Connexions.
In accordance with officers with the native help company, Simcoe County and Muskoka are ranked amongst the worst areas for human trafficking in Ontario, which is alleged to be on account of causes together with the proximity to Hwy. 400, having many rural communities and being a vacationer hotspot.
The co-chair of Simcoe Muskoka Household Connexions’ anti-human trafficking leads group says the company sees numerous each mother and father and youngsters impacted.
“It is a every day encounter that we’re getting calls from the neighborhood, whether or not it is faculties, hospitals, police with individuals, and particularly our children and the social media on-line which can be affected by human trafficking, {sex} trafficking to be particular,” stated Pamela Deshaies.
The company will use funds collected by means of this 12 months’s trip or stroll for initiatives, together with tattoo branding elimination, secure housing choices and transportation, amongst different wants.
The occasion is ready to happen on Oct. 5 at 4 p.m., beginning on the Barrie Neighborhood Sports activities Advanced on Nursery Rd. in Midhurst.
