North Star Initiative invites you to join the fight against human trafficking. Welcome to the Battle will be held on Friday, April 14, at Grace Community Church, 212 Peach Bottom Road, Willow Street. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the event will run until 8:30 p.m.

"Welcome to the Battle is an awareness and education event for our community," explained North Star executive director Melinda Clark. "It's for anybody who wants to know more about what human trafficking is, how it's affecting our community, and how we are working to end it."

The annual event will feature a panel of speakers as well as information booths from community organizations. Michelle Gehman, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn, will represent the hospitality industry, discussing ways to raise awareness of potential trafficking taking place in hotels and provide assistance to people who are being trafficked. North Star program director Paula Montijo will discuss the organization's efforts to provide restoration and support to survivors of trafficking. Brad Ortenzi and Andrea McHenry of ZOE International will talk about what survivors need in order to experience whole restoration. Andrea Meredith from She's Somebody's Daughter will speak about resources available to women who have experienced sexual exploitation.

Clark noted that other agencies will be on hand at the event to distribute information and provide resources to the community. "Our goal is to collaborate with community partners to network, maximize our resources, expand awareness of trafficking, abolish trafficking and work together to provide resources for survivors to experience restoration and live lives of their own choice," she stated. "People in the community want to get involved to help, and this event is an opportunity to help people understand what has been done already and what work we still need to do."

Founded in 2010, North Star works with women who have been trafficked to provide physical, psychological and spiritual care. The organization recently opened The Survivor Center, where classroom and program space is located as well as a gym and other resources for residents of North Star's restoration home.

Clark encourages anyone with an interest in the topic to attend Welcome to the Battle. "This is a cause that should matter to our entire community," she said. "We tend to think of slavery in terms of something that happed 150 years ago, something we've abolished, but we don't realize that modern-day slavery still exists in the form of human trafficking. We need to know this so we can be honest about what is happening in our community and our commonwealth."

She hopes the event will also inspire people to join the fight. "Come learn about this and see how you can get involved and you can make a difference," she remarked. "There are so many opportunities to help. We want to welcome anyone to the battle who wants to come. There is a space for everyone in the community to get involved."

For more information about Welcome to the Battle and to purchase tickets, visit https://northstarinitiative.org and click on "Events."