When Kylee Graves was talking with a senior-center audience about human trafficking recently, “there were several moments when attendees audibly gasped in response to statistics and real-life examples.”

As executive director of the Family Crisis Center (FCC), Graves shared information at the Ellinwood Heritage Senior Center where approximately 30 attendees learned about human-trafficking trends in Barton County and throughout Kansas.

To illustrate the audience’s interest in the topic, Graves noted that the presentation was scheduled to last 20 minutes. It ended up taking 90 minutes.

“Participants asked thoughtful and practical questions,” Graves reported. “Many were especially interested in labor trafficking in the agriculture industry, wondering how it occurs in farming communities and the warning signs to watch for.

“Other questions led to opportunities to discuss topics such as how they can report suspected human trafficking, local resources that are available and safe ways to respond to potential trafficking situations. This demonstrated the audience’s desire to understand the issue and be prepared to take action.”

Since many participants did not fully understand what human trafficking encompasses, the presentation began with some fundamentals. For example, the crime entails coercing or threatening someone to provide labor or commercial sexual acts, and traffickers often use violence and fake promises to trick their victims.

The focus then turned to how human trafficking is occurring in Kansas, with particular attention to Barton County. This included discussions about labor and sex trafficking, recruitment tactics and the barriers victims face when seeking help.

“We shared numerous real-world scenarios to help our audience recognize trafficking, understand its complexities and identify potential situations in their own communities,” Graves said. “Participants were visibly surprised at this information and we could hear them gasp.

“These reactions highlighted the importance of increasing awareness and education.”

While the FCC, 1924 Broadway in Great Bend, has conducted numerous trainings for first responders, the Ellinwood presentation opened the door to engage with a different segment of the community.

“Their level of interest reinforced the idea that we want to raise awareness beyond our traditional audiences,” Graves commented. “When people understand the realities, they are better equipped to recognize warning signs, respond appropriately, and help prevent exploitation and abuse.”

In addition to human-trafficking, other topics at the senior center included general information about the FCC’s Child Advocacy Center and Domestic and Sexual Violence Center.

Any group interested in more information and/or scheduling a presentation is encouraged to contact Graves or Aimee Peschka by calling 620-793-9941.

“We strongly urge civic clubs, businesses, churches and others to contact us,” Graves said. “We want to spread the word as far as we can.”

The FCC serves families in Barton, Barber, Comanche, Edwards, Kiowa, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Rush and Stafford counties. The 24-hour crisis hotline is 866-792-1885.