With just our wallets, many of us have the ability to take a stand against trafficking. Whether buying a gift for a friend, or an everyday product, we can spend our dollars on companies dedicated to ethically sourcing their products.

For many of us, the COVID-19 crisis has upset the usual routine of our daily lives. While normal life seems to be at a standstill, human trafficking is not. We need to recognize how COVID-19 has fueled trafficking and put marginalized populations at even greater risk than before.

Wide eyed, mouth gaping, I listened as church missionaries recalled the horrors of human trafficking in South Asia – but I hadn’t realized how this dark market reached my own local community.