During January, three leading convenience retailing media publications, Convenience Store Decisions, Convenience Store News and CSP Magazine, teamed up with NACS to help combat human trafficking during Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Together, the groups shared information and articles with their subscribers to help raise awareness of how communities can combat human trafficking.

Facts & Figures

of January
National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

49%
of consumers are more likely to support companies that participate in community projects or donate to charitable causes

With more than 153,000 stores across the United States, the convenience store industry works with groups active in serving as neighborhood watch groups, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign, the National Safe Place Network and In Our Backyard’s Convenience Stores Against Trafficking (CSAT) program.

“U.S. convenience stores serve 165 million customers a day in every community, and most of these businesses are open 24/7. Our industry is well equipped to share important messages in stores so that employees and customers can collectively create the equivalent of a neighborhood watch program in their communities,” said NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives Jeff Lenard.

NACS, the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores and several convenience store chains participated in CSAT’s Linking Freedom event in Atlanta on January 26. Hundreds of volunteers helped distribute “Freedom Stickers” that provided a toll-free number for victims to call, information on human trafficking and outreach books with information about local missing children. The 10^th annual event is held the week before the Super Bowl in the host city; last year more than a dozen missing children were rescued as a result of the awareness campaign. Participants focused on how convenience stores can be the eyes and ears in communities in helping lead to positive change.

In addition to the January event, NACS and 87 convenience store chains and other industry-related groups are utilizing In Our Backyard’s CSAT program, which has trained more than 13,000 convenience stores on how to respond appropriately and safely to incidents of human trafficking.

“Our partners have been shining examples of our ‘We’re not just convenient; we care!’ tagline,” said In Our Backyard Program Director Juliana Williams. “Most importantly, lives are being saved because victims are calling the National Human Trafficking Hotline from convenience store restrooms, and employees are calling to share tips about suspected traffickers and victims who may need help.”

CSAT provides awareness, education and life-saving materials at thousands of locations across the country. In addition to employee training on recognizing and safely reporting the signs of human trafficking, CSAT also provides Freedom Stickers, which contain the National Human Trafficking Hotline number, to be posted in restroom stalls—often the only place a victim of human trafficking is alone and safe enough to reach out for help. Learn more about the program here.

Lives are being saved because victims are calling the National Human Trafficking Hotline from convenience store restrooms.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Blue Campaign also is working with the convenience retailing industry. In 2017, NACS worked with DHS to provide convenience retailers with access to free NACS-branded DHS Blue Campaign training and awareness materials for download—including posters, handouts and other materials. To learn more, visit here.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is recognized each year on January 11. To raise awareness of human trafficking, the Blue Campaign asked people to take photos of themselves, friends, family and colleagues on that day wearing blue and share them on social media along with #WearBlueDay.

“Representing one-third of all retail stores in the United States, convenience stores don’t just sell products and services that people enjoy; they make a difference in their communities and help address important national initiative groups at a local level,” said Lenard.

High’s and Carroll Fuel hosted an annual food drive to benefit the Maryland Food Bank during the 2018 holiday season. From Thanksgiving to year’s end, High's collected nearly 4,000 pounds of food from customers and employees, more than double the 2017 donation.

Casey’s General Stores raised more than $845,000 for Hope For The Warriors, a national nonprofit dedicated to restoring a sense of self, family and hope for veterans, service members and military families. The check presentation took place at the Siloam Springs, Arkansas, Casey’s store, which collected the most donations. In seven years of supporting Hope For The Warriors, Casey’s General Stores locations have raised more than $4 million.

CEFCO convenience stores donated $10,110 to Habitat for Humanity as part of the retailer’s 12 Days of Coupons and 12 Days of Giving Campaign, an annual promotion that began in 2015. For 12 days during the month of December, CEFCO offers one-cent mobile coupons to its customers, and the company matches 25 cents for every coupon redeemed during this time.

VERC Enterprises presented Hedge Elementary School with a check for $500, a grant made possible through the ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Program. Funded by the ExxonMobil Corp., the ExxonMobil Educational Alliance program is designed to provide local retailers an opportunity to invest in the future of their communities through educational grants to neighborhood schools.

The GATE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of GATE Petroleum Company, presented St. Augustine Youth Services, which supports services to at-risk boys and young men, with a check for $120,000. This donation was supported by proceeds from the foundation’s 23rd annual charity golf tournament.