Michael Barajas, 36, has been arrested by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department for kidnapping and trafficking a 20-year-old woman.

DETROIT – January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, but one Detroit organization focuses on that issue all 12 months of the year. “‘No’ means nothing in the world of sex trafficking,” survivor Lauren Sowell said. “Like, your voice means nothing.”Sowell was only 14 when she was introduced to the underground world of sex trafficking. “Alternatives For Girls is a non-profit based in Southwest Detroit,” CEO Amy Good said. “I thank god for Alternatives For Girls,” Sowell said.

PONTIAC, Mich. – As many businesses struggle to weather the pandemic, nonprofits are also fighting to stay afloat. When a woman is saved from trafficking, they need to find a place to find themselves and be brought back to life. Hope Against Trafficking, a nonprofit based out of Pontiac, is one of those places. RELATED: Hope Against Trafficking creates safe space for victims in Southeast MichiganFighting and saving survivors of human trafficking is difficult work to begin with without a pandemic. Hope Against Trafficking is a nonprofit organization which benefits from tremendous volunteers and community involvement.