In 2017, community members from South Central Pennsylvania gathered for an anti-human trafficking awareness event and were compelled to address the issue of modern-day slavery in their communities. They learned that since 2007, thousands of victims of human trafficking had been identified in Pennsylvania, yet there was sparse education and awareness about this criminal industry, and few resources for survivors.

After the event, a group of ordinary people—students, parents, business leaders, pastors, teachers, and health care workers—came together and asked themselves: “what more can we do? How can we prevent human trafficking, address it alongside lawmakers and law enforcement, and serve survivors who often lack resources after being rescued?”

These questions led to the formation of Greenlight Operation. In 2018, we set out to raise awareness about human trafficking, make connections in the anti-human trafficking community, and raise funds to open a long-term restoration home for trafficking survivors.

We don’t just want to be known for what we are against, but what we are for: freedom, collaboration, and restoration. We fight against human trafficking, yes, but we also seek to promote a culture that values the dignity of human life and loves our neighbor more than ourselves.

Since our founding, we have led over 180 human trafficking seminars, and have consulted and collaborated with a variety of community groups and law enforcement agencies. In doing so, we have laid the necessary groundwork to open a sustainable and effective restoration home program.

While we continue gathering support and resources to launch a thriving restoration home program, we remain committed to addressing human trafficking in our communities through ordinary people doing extraordinary work.