CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In the nation, Texas is ranked number two for most incidents of human trafficking.
New Life Refuge Ministries and CASA of the Coastal Bend are two of many local organizations that offer services to children involved in sex trafficking.
"That is our number-one priority, is to make them feel safe because once they feel safe is when the healing can take place," Executive Director of New Life Refuge Ministries Minta Moore said.
New Life Refuge estimates that 79,000 children are trafficked in Texas each year. Just in Corpus Christi, they say 2,900 children are estimated to be trafficked in one year.
"It doesn't get the attention I think it really deserves, to protect our children," New Life Ministries Education Coordinator Sharon Ray said. "We have to realize it's happening and now that we know it's happening we have to take action."
As an education coordinator, Ray always urges parents and schools to keep an eye out for abnormal changes because that could lead to a bigger problem.
"If there's a change in behavior there's something up," she said. "I tell teachers, if there's a change in a child's behavior, find out why."
Darra Walker is a CASA advocate advisor and she said she has worked with several teen victims through the organization. She says the community is not aware that trafficking is happening in the area.
"This is something I try to share with them, that though you don't see it all the time and it's not on the news every single day; I see it," Walker said. "I see it happening and I see it right here."
Moore said it's important for survivors to reach out to these resources so they can began their healing process.
"Stopping the trauma as soon as it happens, it's going to help expedite the healing," she said.
New Life Refuge Ministries offers several options from providing education to the community to a safe place for survivors of sex trafficking to heal at a therapeutic refuge home.
"There they get counseling, equine-therapy, group therapy as well as education — they're educated on campus," Moore said, "But they also have a lot of enrichment activities."
CASA offers a resource called Collaborated Family Engagement which provides mentorship or a new placement for children. Walker said this is important for victims.
"A lot of these children that become victims of trafficking lack connection and they don’t have a supportive community behind them," she said.
To report a trafficking situation call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.