Jessica Bendzick/Winonan

There are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves in the world, and human trafficking generates profit in excess of $32 billion each year. The Winona State University club Justice Mission strives to put an end to these harsh statistics.

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where people profit from the control and exploitation of others. The Justice Mission, a Christian-based Winona State University student club, raises awareness about how huge of a problem human trafficking still is today.

On April 8 the club is hosting an event called Unleashing Freedom. This event will be held at 7 p.m. in Harriet Johnson Auditorium in Somsen. The goal of Unleashing Freedom is to educate the Winona community about the problem of human trafficking and show individuals how they can fight back.

Janelle Studnicka and Stephanie Lohn co-founded the club this fall. Studnicka said, “We hope that it opens the eyes of the Winona community to the fact that trafficking affects us locally.”

Lohn said the night will include a dance performance by Misty’s Dance Unlimited in La Crosse, a ballet routine by Winona State dance professor Carissa Zieske and a dance production that shows the statistics of human trafficking.

Art by local artist Mary Singer and other Winona State students will be auctioned off to raise money for an organization supporting survivors of human trafficking.

Studnicka said, “We want people to associate the word ‘trafficking’ not just with international victims but with domestic victims, fellow United States citizens. This problem is everywhere, and we need to start preventing it from happening.”

The club hopes to do this through educating people about what human trafficking is, training health and human services professionals to spot red flags of possible victims, encouraging state and federal legislation to help stop it, working on changing student’s attitudes toward people buying sex, and educating youth about this problem so they do not fall to predators.

Kalinda Peterson from Mission 21, a safe house in Rochester, will also be at Unleashing Freedom. There will be items from the shop Set Me Free on sale. Lohn said, Set Me Free sells items made by trafficked women. The proceeds go directly back to these victims, which helps them get back on their feet financially and find a healthy way of making money to better themselves and their families.

This event is open to the public. The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for students.