Sarnia social enterprise joining fight against human trafficking

A social enterprise business launched by a Sarnia church is turning beach glass into jewelry and raising awareness of the impact of human trafficking and the need for more services for survivors.

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The Greater Glass Co. opened an online Etsy store this month, selling jewelry made by members of a youth group at Sarnia Evangelical Missionary Church on Talfourd Street.

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Deve Persad, the venture’s executive director and lead church pastor, spoke Tuesday at the Rotary Club of Sarnia about the social enterprise and its work to help fill gaps in local efforts to combat human trafficking.

The social enterprise grew out of the church’s support for work by the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Center Sarnia-Lambton and the Coalition Against Human Trafficking Sarnia-Lambton, and in response to a 2019 local report identifying gaps in services, he said.

“Human trafficking happens in every community, across social levels and income levels in all demographics,” he said. “It’s not someone else’s problem. It’s not somewhere else’s problem. It’s here and it’s ours.”

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The newly launched Greater Glass Co. is working to raise awareness and in the long term, aims to help increase trauma care for survivors and establish a safe house in Sarnia, Persad said.

Public Safety Canada says 3,996 incidents of human trafficking, which typically involves sexual exploitation, were reported to police in Canada between 2012 and 2022. In 2022, 94 per cent of reported victims were women and girls, and 91 per cent were trafficked by someone they knew, according to the federal agency’s website.

“We live on one of the corridors,” human traffickers use, Persad said of Ontario’s 400-series highways.

“Just as domestic violence has risen incredibly through the pandemic, so has this issue,” he said.

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Most beach glass used for the jewelry comes from the shores of Lake Huron, Persad said.

The idea that “people can become something more than their brokenness” is the connection between the small pieces of beach glass and issue of human trafficking, he has said.

Persad said the effort aims to “multiply the efforts” already offered by agencies, such as the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Center Sarnia-Lambton, Coalition Against Human Trafficking Sarnia-Lambton and Victims Services, and multiply community voices speaking about the issue.

“When people listen, it gives us greater opportunity” to address the demand leading to human trafficking, and direct “those who are vulnerable” to help in the community, he said.

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An initial company information event at the church in November drew a large response, said Persad, who was to speak to two other groups this week on the issue.

Eventually, they’d like to see survivors involved in creating the jewelry being sold to help raise funds, he said. The venture has applied for non-profit status.

Eventually, they hope to establish a Sarnia safe house with at least five beds and services for survivors, Persad said.

“There’s good work being done for those exiting (human trafficking),” he said. “We want to improve that by providing more trauma care and a safe house, in the years to come.”

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