What we can do, who is already doing it, and where the church stands.
Most important first. Each card says when, who could lead it, and has the button to start.
1 to 3 PM, usually 9830 Patuxent Woods Dr. Introduce the group, ask what the January event needs, and ask the training-and-outreach subcommittee where volunteers fit. The highest-leverage hour on the calendar.
Maryland requires every lodging employee to be trained and every property to certify yearly, yet 82 of 765 did in 2025 and nobody publishes a county breakdown. Request the Department of Labor's certification list under the Public Information Act, map every hotel and motel on the Route 1, I-95 and BWI corridor, hand the gap list to the county council, then offer non-compliant properties the free approved trainings through the county's Allied Business Program. Nobody else is doing this.
The Office of Human Trafficking Prevention presents to faith groups on request. This is the pilot's first scaling step: it moves the topic from ten people to the congregation without us having to be the experts.
"Recognizing Human Trafficking," taught by HopeWorks' community health team for 8 to 30 people at your location. Held in January it trains the pilot and recruits the next cohort in one evening. Meet the staff first at their candlelight vigil on Thursday, Oct 22, 7 to 8 PM, 9770 Patuxent Woods Dr, Columbia.
Free, on Zoom or in person. Araminta is the regional model for turning a congregation into trained, background-checked volunteers. Use their presentation form, not the general inbox.
We are each taking the one-hour OnWatch training by Oct 29 anyway. Registering as a group earns "OnWatch Advocate" status when 90 percent complete, a concrete church-wide ask with a finish line.
Araminta's "Serve On Purpose" guide: a gift-card drive of 10 to 25 cards (rideshare, grocery, gas), "Love Bags" hygiene kits with handwritten notes, and a journal drive, dropped off by appointment. Also pantry items and holiday cards for HopeWorks and wish-list items for Catherine's Cottage. Confirm each list first.
Mosaic already runs a Saturday flag-football group with teenagers placed in Catonsville after abuse or neglect, exactly the population traffickers recruit. HopeWorks or Araminta could deliver prevention education there. The most natural first project the church already has access to.
Impact Weekend is billed as the best way for the congregation to meet local organizations and start year-round partnerships. The last one was late February 2026. Propose Araminta or HopeWorks for a table and a short stage slot.
Convenes Jan 13; bills must be introduced by Feb 8 (Senate) and Feb 12 (House); Crossover Day Mar 22; adjourns Apr 12. Likely re-files: the mandated-reporter bill that passed the House 133–0 and died in a Senate committee, and the grades 6–8 curriculum bill in its fifth year. Nobody has filed penalties for the hotel-training law; that is an open lane. Start with Delegate Pam Guzzone of District 13, who chairs the delegation and sponsored this year's law against illicit-massage advertising. The delegation's hearing on local bills is Dec 21 at 7 PM.
The schools have nothing posted. Howard County Police's community outreach division presents on sextortion and internet safety on request, and the county's Family Institute offers "Internet Safety 101 for Parents." Sextortion is the fastest-growing online threat to teenage boys.
The county trafficking council reserves two seats for the faith community; applications go through the county boards page. Separately, Howard County created an Interfaith Advisory Commission in April 2026 that meets quarterly starting this fall and is accepting inaugural members.
Monday, Oct 26, 2 to 5 PM at Grace Community Church, Ballston Quarter, Arlington. $45, and it includes the Faith in Action book, the most church-ready kit on the market. The nearest in-person faith training this fall.
Free on demand with a free host kit. This year's theme is online child sexual exploitation, which pairs naturally with a parent night.
Oct 17, Nov 7, Dec 5, Jan 9. Psalm 10:17–18, 12:5, 82:3–4; Proverbs 24:11–12; Isaiah 58:6. Send a courtesy note to the Elkridge Community Alliance, stay on public property, and do not approach motels. Mosaic's overseer David Ross already coordinates Route 1 prayer; loop him in.
January 11 is the national awareness day; a two-minute announcement with the hotline number is enough. February 8 is the international day of prayer against trafficking; the Catholic sisters' toolkit is free and ecumenical, and it is a natural night to invite neighboring congregations.
FAAST's church toolkit includes a free Advent guide, a Lent guide, two Bible studies and a children's curriculum. Advent begins November 29.
Federal grant lapses in 2025 left referral lists stale. A living directory of housing, legal and record-relief, immigration, and language access (Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese) would feed the county council's new data-collection tool.
A one-page "we checked this" process for viral claims (zip ties, Super Bowl, "300,000 kids"). Polaris says misinformation drowns real callers; a church that models restraint is itself a prevention tool.
Applications open December 1 for spring 2027. 18+, background check, orientation, six-month minimum. Group projects need five people and three weeks' notice; new group volunteers do not work directly with clients.
Awaken training first, then a fingerprint background check. Mentors commit one year, two outings a month, weekly contact. Survivor advocate and prayer-team roles also exist.
Howard County's state-designated responder. On-site roles (helpline, pantry, front desk) need a background check and self-paced training. They also teach a "Human Trafficking 101" for churches on evenings and weekends.
Free online training, 16+, one reference letter; ambassadors present to churches, schools and civic groups. Shared Hope's DC office is on 16th Street.
Foster care and running away are the pipeline into trafficking, and the county trains foster parents on it. Requires a home study and clearances.
Mentoring, tutoring, interpretation, court accompaniment for survivors in Prince George's and Montgomery; a faith-group training can be requested.
Community grants close Nov 2; mini grants up to $5,000 for nonprofits under five years old. Ask Dee Athey whether a church-sponsored project qualifies.
$250 to $5,000; faith-based groups explicitly eligible. Current cycle closes Nov 30; the next opens about Feb 1.
$250 seed kits for member-led projects, any time, two weeks' notice. Ask whether anyone in the congregation is a Thrivent member.
Usually open in November or December and close in January; require a 501(c)(3) human-services nonprofit, so the church or HopeWorks would be the applicant. Join the notification list now.
Up to $2,000, due May 16, names trafficking explicitly; ecumenical groups qualify through a Methodist partner such as Bethany or Glen Mar.
Dressember runs all of December through IJM and is a visible whole-church fundraiser. If the pilot wants to fund a local partner instead, pair it with a parallel ask for Araminta or HopeWorks.
Start with the five calls. Every card ends with the door that is open to a church group.
county Office of Human Trafficking Prevention, the gateway to everyone else. Ask for a presentation before Thanksgiving, introductions to the council's faith-seat members and HoCo AGAST, and how to be useful Nov 19.
Ask them to present, register six to ten of us for Awaken, and connect us with church partnerships and the prayer team.
Jaleesa Thomas and Nina Christian. Ask for Catherine's Cottage's top three needs this quarter and whether they take church teams. Extension 50110.
Ask to join as a $100 affiliate, which Maryland churches are members, and whether a caregiver training could be hosted here.
Ask how a church group plugs into the Compassion Brigade and what churches should not do. Reach her through Ashton Petta, or on Facebook.
Subject: New Howard County church group, request for a conversation
Hello [name]. I'm [name], coordinating a new small group at Mosaic Christian Church in Elkridge focused on human trafficking. We're [number] adults in Clarksville, Columbia and Elkridge who want to learn before we act, and to serve alongside organizations already doing the work rather than start something parallel. Would you have twenty minutes in the next few weeks to tell us how churches most usefully support [organization]: training, prayer, tangible needs, or advocacy? We're also glad to [host a presentation / register for your training / join as an affiliate]. Thank you for the work you're already doing.
Open to us: Free presentations to faith groups. Ashton Petta, manager, is the gateway to everyone below.
County lead on sex and labor trafficking; staffs the council; multilingual fliers; Allied Business Program for hotels and shops.
Open to us: Public meetings every other month, 1 to 3 PM; next Nov 19. Faith-seat applications through the county boards page.
Police, State's Attorney, social services, schools, HopeWorks, a survivor leader, HoCo AGAST, two faith seats. Vice chair Fr. Travis K. Smith.
Open to us: Public hearing on 2027 local bills Dec 21, 7 PM. Written testimony through a free MyMGA account.
Delegate Pam Guzzone (District 13) chairs it and sponsored this year's illicit-massage advertising law; Delegate Terri Hill co-sponsored several trafficking bills; Delegate Jessica Feldmark sits on the committee that hears the school-curriculum bill.
Open to us: Request a presentation for a parent night; ask about the next academy cohort.
Presentations on trafficking, sextortion and internet safety, case by case; a free 12-week Citizens Police Academy includes a trafficking module.
Open to us: Inaugural-member applications are open. A faith voice on trafficking belongs here.
New quarterly commission under the Office of Human Rights and Equity.
Open to us: Join a committee; attend Lobby Day; a recorded January 2026 session explains how local task forces work.
The statewide coalition; legislative committee runs an annual Lobby Day in Annapolis; resource library with recorded trainings.
Open to us: Supply drives, event volunteers, on-site roles, and a "Human Trafficking 101" for churches. Hiring a Howard County outreach coordinator.
Drop-in, street outreach, shelter, free trauma therapy, legal advocacy; regional navigator for anyone under 24 suspected of being trafficked (Julie Harrison).
Open to us: Free "Recognizing Human Trafficking" workshop for 8 to 30 at your location; pantry and gift-card drives now; volunteer applications open Dec 1.
Sexual and intimate-partner violence center that also serves trafficking survivors; monthly trafficking peer-support group; counseling.
Open to us: Wish-list drives; a speaker; ask what they need this quarter. It is a secure house; do not ask to visit.
Maryland's only emergency shelter exclusively for adult trafficking survivors, since 2017. Program manager Jaleesa Thomas; a Salvation Army family-services office sits in Ellicott City (Sue Hunt).
Open to us: Library drop-ins (Elkridge Branch, second Wednesdays 10 to 1); day-center shifts; drives.
Crisis center and homeless services; already on Mosaic's referral list; one of four partners the county names for volunteering.
Open to us: Referral partner for labor-trafficking cases; victim-services line.
Federally funded case management and legal help for immigrant trafficking victims.
Open to us: Request a faith-group training; donation-drive toolkit; long-term volunteer roles.
Case management, legal, mental health, economic empowerment; research; wrote Prince George's contractor anti-trafficking ordinance.
Open to us: Free "Awaken" talk, then training, then fingerprinted volunteer roles. A drives guide written for church small groups. Zoom prayer team Mondays and Wednesdays at noon.
Prevents child sex trafficking; mentoring and clinical care; the region's model for turning congregations into trained volunteers. Volunteer manager Pascale Lebrun-Gay.
Open to us: $100-a-year church affiliate; Freedom Sunday any Sunday; host a caregiver training locally.
Publishes Hands That Heal, the standard faith-based caregiver curriculum, plus a free church toolkit. Members include the Salvation Army and World Relief; no Maryland church yet.
Open to us: Request a speaker with four weeks' notice; use the free prayer and study resources.
Speaker's bureau, free parish study modules, Bakhita day toolkit. Advocacy director Marilyn Zigmund Luke is based in Maryland; program director Christine Commerce books speakers.
Open to us: OnWatch group status at 90 percent completion; Ambassador and response-line volunteer roles; the study's lesson guides are behind a free login.
OnWatch training, national safe-house certification, emergency response line; co-leads Frederick County's task force.
Open to us: Speaker or training request by email.
Named contact for trained speakers on trauma-informed care: Arielle Curry, program coordinator.
Open to us: Church contact Stefani Johnson; speakers for sermons and workshops.
Global; Freedom Sunday kit; local prayer-gathering toolkit; Dressember; the best off-the-shelf church curriculum, God of Justice.
Open to us: Ambassador training is free; the $75 kit is the most church-ready single purchase.
State report cards (Maryland got an A overall, a C on protecting survivors from arrest); Faith in Action kit; Ambassadors of Hope.
Open to us: "Start a Team" if the pilot wants a national framework without fees.
Starts church teams at no cost with a five-session onboarding cohort; free Freedom Sunday kit.
Open to us: The quickest free training for the whole congregation.
Free 35-minute course "How to Fight Human Trafficking," a 30-day prayer guide, a backpack-ministry guide; church speaker and materials request form.
Open to us: Director of community engagement Linda Blackiston; online courses for anyone moving toward survivor care.
Trains faith-based ministries nationally; EquipU online courses, free to $35; a program for ministry founders.
Open to us: Ask how a church group plugs in and what they have learned churches should not do. Reach them through Ashton Petta or Facebook.
Holds a seat on the county council; runs a "Compassion Brigade" that attends trafficking sentencings.
Open to us: Ask who leads it; a Methodist partner also unlocks the Peace with Justice grant.
Lists "rehabilitating living space for victims of human trafficking" among its missions.
Open to us: The nearest denominational justice desk, ten minutes from Clarksville.
Justice ministries coordinator Courtney Morris; trafficking is a named Peace with Justice priority; grants up to $2,000 due May 16.
Open to us: A local retreat venue for the group; ask for the justice coordinator.
Name trafficking a justice priority; members of the Alliance to End Human Trafficking. Their retreat center welcomes church groups.
Open to us: Meet their missions people at the sale.
Hosts HopeWorks' Jewels for Hope sale on Nov 7; partners with Grassroots, My Sister's Place and Bridges to Housing Stability.
Open to us: An Elkridge neighbor on the corridor; reach Fr. Smith through the county office.
Fr. Travis K. Smith, vice chair of the county council, was rector here; the parish now has an interim rector.
Open to us: Ask the parish office who handles social ministry.
Hosted an Araminta presentation in 2017 through the Catholic Medical Association guild.
Open to us: Legislative alerts; posters for church restrooms.
Testified for this year's navigator-reporting bill; virtual advocacy day each February; parish toolkit with hotline posters in several languages.
An outreach arm with a director and a budget, a Route 1 prayer practice owned by an elder, and a weekly presence with at-risk teens. None of it is labeled anti-trafficking. All of it is.