COLUMBIA, S.C. — Tonight sex trafficking victims have a new safe a new place for support in Columbia.
And it's needed.
According to SLED data, last year over 350 sex trafficking cases were opened in South Carolina, that included nearly 500 potential victims, most of them minors.
Now one building is hoping to change the landscape.
After 10 years of serving the Midlands, Lighthouse for Life now has a new space to serve men, women and children who have been sex trafficked or sexually exploited, and according to organizers, it's the only space of its kind in the Midlands.
"The Harbor" is dedicated to our most vulnerable - sex trafficking victims.
"They may be still in the life and don’t know that they can get out or don’t know what resources to use to get out. So they can come in here three days a week," Heather Pagan, victim and survivor support director said.
It's a place victims can now come for a hot meal, shower, or change into clean clothes. A place they can take a moment, pause, and figure out their next steps. A place Pagan didn't have, but wants others to have.
"I too am a person with lived experience and this is a place. This same road that I used to walk on many many times in this area as a person that has been exploited and trafficked," Pagan said.
Lisa Kejr is the president of Lighthouse for Life. She says this property was donated to them two years ago.
"We found a stiletto shoe outside one of the windows, it was a broken window and became evident that there was a lot of activity happening here. Drugs, sex, who knows what. This part of town, there's just a need. What better place to bring the solution than to where the need is at," Kejr said.
According to SLED data, last year agents opened 43 sex trafficking cases in Richland County, 34 in Greenville County, and 21 in Charleston County.
"What we want folks to know as well is that it's not just traffickers taking their victims and their "product" across state lines, it's all up and down this street, on St. Andrews Road, or in the community behind us," Paul Cumbers, operations director said.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline data from last year shows that most often, trafficking is prompted by an employer or intimate partner.
Pagan wants current victims to know that The Harbor is ready for them.
"We're here for you. We're here to help you. We want to help give you and find you resources that you need. You're not alone. We know that this is a real thing that happens right here and we want to help get you somewhere safe," Pagan said.
The Harbor is located at 1038 St. Andrews Road. It will be open and accepting drop-ins from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
If someone is in need of long term support, there's an application process for that and expanded hours.
Lighthouse for Life says they are also working on opening up a safe house for minors before this year is over.