On October 7, hundreds of community members crowded the Founders Lounge at Elmhurst College for a panel discussion on the vexing issue of human trafficking.

The discussion, Human Trafficking: Here and Now, was moderated by Elmhurst College Associate Professor Katrina Sifferd, chair of the College’s philosophy department. Panelists were Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart; Elyse Dobney ’07, volunteer manager and trafficking specialist for The Salvation Army’s STOP-IT: Initiative Against Human Trafficking program; immigration judge Jennie Giambastiani; and Dr. Dan Lustig, vice president of clinical services for the Haymarket Center.

As a follow-up to the discussion, panelists provided contact information for the following trafficking resources.

Cook County Sheriff’s Office Human Trafficking Response Team
Phone: (312) 718-4451 or (312) 718-4449

The Department of Homeland Security
Phone: (866) 347-2423
Web: www.dhs.gov/humantrafficking

The Salvation Army’s STOP-IT Initiative Against Human Trafficking
24-Hour Hotline: (877) 606-3158
Web: www.sa-stopit.org