A Dubuque County man is traversing Iowa in an effort to raise awareness about human trafficking and passed through Jefferson yesterday (Monday) on his way to Milwaukee, Wis. Kevin Schwendinger, a parishioner at St. Raphael Cathedral in Dubuque, used to ride to raise awareness for their sister parishes in El Salvador, but he has now shifted his focus to human trafficking and the people it affects.
Schwendinger started his ride Sunday in Omaha, Neb. and has already traveled through Elk Horn, Panora, West Des Moines, and Jefferson before spending Monday night in Webster City. He is not soliciting for donations, but rather, hoping to shine a light on how traffickers identify their victims.
He is carrying about 25 pounds of educational materials with him on his route and says many people are surprised when they see with their own eyes how common human trafficking has become.
From Webster City, Schwendinger will make stops in Iowa Falls, Cedar Falls, Manchester and Dubuque on his 500-plus mile trip to Milwaukee, Wis. He encourages everybody to be aware of resources like the Statewide Iowa Crisis Line at 800-770-1650 or the Department of Human Services Child Abuse Hotline at 800-362-2178.
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National Human Trafficking Hotline
888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to BeFree (233733)
Statewide Iowa Crisis Line
800-770-1650 or text “iowahelp” to 20121
DHS Child Abuse Hotline
800-362-2178