The Ladies Ministry of Lanett Church of the Nazarene met at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9 in the Tea Room of the church.

President Dot Brumbeloe gave the blessing for the food and the women enjoyed a covered dish meal and a time of fellowship. 

Diane Roberts introduced the guest speakers: Allison Richards, Parish Nurse and Alison Yarbrough, Lanier Nursing Home Administrator. They presented a human trafficking program with information from the Circle of Care organization. 

The United Nations defines human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for an improper purpose including forced labor or sexual exploitation.

The speakers said the I-20 corridor and now the I-85 corridor are hot spots for human trafficking. This includes Chambers County, Auburn, Opelika, Valley, Lanett and West Point along I-85.  People are trafficked for cheap or free labor, sex, and to sell drugs.  Boys and girls alike are being exploited with the most common ages being 12 through 17. 

The group learned that Alabama has a new CDL license requirement which requires truckers to be informed regarding indicators of human trafficking.  There is an organization called “Truckers for Trafficking” that has a 1-800 number for trafficking victims to call.

The group also learned there is another Alabama law called the “Safe Harbor Act” which protects victims who are trafficked. Parents can protect their children by closely monitoring all of their online activity and being aware of surroundings and other people when in public places. 

Alison cited Romans 14:4, “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?” and added that it is not someone’s place to judge those who have been exploited but to love them and to provide them a safe place.

Dot Brumbeloe called the business meeting to order and a yard sale was planned for Saturday, Aug. 17.

The meeting was adjourned with a closing prayer by Laura Osborne.

Those present were Linda Beckum, Terena Burke, Sylvia Belcher, Dot Brumbeloe, Kim Cook, Denise Dollar, Rosa Hammock, Andrea and Angela Maddux, Kendall Maranville, Laura Osborne, Shirley Owens, Kathleen Pelton, Dianne Roberts, Faye Rogers, Mary Smallwood, Barbara Stone, Susan Tankersley, Shirley Welch and special guests Allison Richards and Alison Yarbrough.