Broadway United Methodist Church, in collaboration with United Methodist Women and Phoenix Rising, is hosting a Human Trafficking Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the church at 1323 Melrose St. 

Onsite registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and is open to the public, with CE and CEU credits available for Kentucky and Tennessee Clergy pastors, licensed therapists and members of the Kentucky Bar Association, said Missy Cunningham, Phoenix Rising board president and Broadway church member. The price to attend the conference is $30 for general attendance, $25 for student attendees and $20 for human trafficking survivors. Child care will be available from newborns to children 14 years old for $5 per child with a maximum cost of $10 per family. The price of registration and child care includes lunch.

Cunningham said the purpose of the event is to bring awareness and to address an issue that people may think is strictly overseas. Interstate 65 is a big human trafficking highway, she said. 

“It’s a very heavy topic people don’t like to talk about and want to ignore it, but it happens in this town,” she said. “Broadway United Methodist women supports women, children and youth and this hits all three. We want to try to teach prevention to children also. We’re working on a program to educate at risk youth to teach them what to look out for in people that they meet and online safety.” 

The all-day event will include representatives from several human trafficking rescue centers, representatives from the Bowling Green Police Department and the attorney general’s office. There will also be a survivors’ panel speaking and taking questions and answers. Panel participants will include founder of The WellHouse, Tajuan McCarty; Survivor’s Ink founder Jennifer Kempton, EmpowerU Radio founder Kelley Alsobrook and members of Women of the Well.

“I think it will be very eye-opening for a lot of people,” Cunningham said. “Our church is really active in social issues and this is one that has touched a lot of us personally because we know of a lot of survivors in town. We are planning on this to be an annual event.”

— For more information, call Missy Cunningham at 270-779-9845 or email phoenixrisingky@gmail.com.

— Follow faith/general assignments reporter Simone C. Payne on Twitter @_SimonePayne or visit bgdailynews.com.