It all began in 2012…
Sisters Mira Mosle, BVM, and Mary Lechtenberg, OSF, attended the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) National Organization, where presenters challenged congregations to focus on eradicating human trafficking.
For the first three years (2014-2017), the Coalition met at Mt. Carmel in Dubuque, IA, to determine a focus, mission statement, and engage civic, non-profits, and local churches in learning about human trafficking in Dubuque. Due to renovation projects in Mt. Carmel in 2019, meetings were moved to Mt. Loretto. Due to COVID-19, Coalition meetings were held online through Zoom and remain that way.
A group of anti-human trafficking members pose for a photo.
“Thank you for being here. I recognize you [Mary Jean Ferry, BVM, Coalition member] from five years ago. You were at a booth at this same fair. You were passionately telling me about human trafficking and I remember thinking how crazy you were because that stuff doesn’t happen here. I now have multiple daughters and live by a truck stop, so I know very much it is real. Because of you, I know it’s real.”
— Visitor at Dubuque County Tri-State CAHT Fair Booth, 2021
Download the following document for minute notes from the past seven years.
Tri-State Coalition Against Human Trafficking 