This is the 4th annual Giving Box campaign at the Pennsylvania Turnpike. You can see they have over 250 boxes there that they’re going to fill up and put into backpacks with essentials such as snacks, beverages, hair ties, toothpaste, soap. You can see volunteers here are filling up, picking up each individual item and putting it into *** box that will be given straight to *** victim survivor of human trafficking. And I feel it’s important here. Pennsylvania Turnpike, as it is all over the country, but there’s *** lot that is caught here in the Northeast. They even have *** map here as right as they’re going by to give people *** reminder as they fill up these boxes of the hotspots of human trafficking with information about human trafficking, as well as knowing the sign for help, an international sign for help to let people know to call 911, to call StAR 11. I’m very proud to be part of this initiative. This is something that’s Smart started 4 years ago with *** goal of 100 boxes. This year we are filling 250 boxes for survivors of human trafficking. This is something that is turnpike wide. This is the 4th annual campaign of doing this, and they hope to grow this further year after year, having 200 boxes last year, the 3rd 1, now 250 boxes here at the 4th 1. If you read, if you want to read more, you can head to our website WGAL.com.
Pennsylvania Turnpike volunteers pack care boxes for human trafficking survivors
Updated: 2:13 PM EDT Mar 19, 2026
Workers at the Pennsylvania Turnpike packed care boxes Thursday for survivors of human trafficking as part of the fourth annual Giving Box campaign, which organizers said grows each year. The campaign seeks to supply immediate necessities and support to people leaving trafficking situations.Fifteen volunteers assembled 250 boxes to put into backpacks inside the turnpike facility, placing shampoo, soap and oral hygiene products along with colored pencils, pens and journals. Organizers of the annual event say the items are things survivors requested in previous years, and say, “this is the box that started their healing journey.”Volunteers loaded vans outside and drove the filled backpacks to the Greater Harrisburg YWCA for distribution.”We’re serving over 100 individuals every year. And I think more people are understanding what trafficking is. You know, it is that force, fraud or coercion,” said Greater Harrisburg YWCA President and CEO, Mary Quinn.At the packaging line, signs with trafficking information, hotspots, and a universal handsign reminded volunteers of the campaign’s purpose and the need for awareness. Organizers urged the public to report any sign of trafficking.”We’ve even heard stories about how there have been people rescued, even on the turnpike. So we just want to be able to do our part to spread awareness, make sure everyone knows what to watch for, for the universal hand sign, for help, and to if you see something, call it in so we can try to help as many people as possible,” said Deborah Lehan, PA Turnpike Senior Systems Administrator. Volunteers gave a demonstration of the universal hand sign, where a person puts their thumb over their palm, and closes their hand over the thumb.The turnpike said counties in the Susquehanna Valley see higher numbers of trafficking instances, and the boxes are meant to help survivors restart their lives. Officials said anyone who observes the hand sign should report it at 9-1-1, or by calling *11 on the turnpike.
LOWER SWATARA TOWNSHIP, Pa. —
Workers at the Pennsylvania Turnpike packed care boxes Thursday for survivors of human trafficking as part of the fourth annual Giving Box campaign, which organizers said grows each year. The campaign seeks to supply immediate necessities and support to people leaving trafficking situations.
Fifteen volunteers assembled 250 boxes to put into backpacks inside the turnpike facility, placing shampoo, soap and oral hygiene products along with colored pencils, pens and journals. Organizers of the annual event say the items are things survivors requested in previous years, and say, “this is the box that started their healing journey.”
Volunteers loaded vans outside and drove the filled backpacks to the Greater Harrisburg YWCA for distribution.
“We’re serving over 100 individuals every year. And I think more people are understanding what trafficking is. You know, it is that force, fraud or coercion,” said Greater Harrisburg YWCA President and CEO, Mary Quinn.
At the packaging line, signs with trafficking information, hotspots, and a universal handsign reminded volunteers of the campaign’s purpose and the need for awareness. Organizers urged the public to report any sign of trafficking.
“We’ve even heard stories about how there have been people rescued, even on the turnpike. So we just want to be able to do our part to spread awareness, make sure everyone knows what to watch for, for the universal hand sign, for help, and to if you see something, call it in so we can try to help as many people as possible,” said Deborah Lehan, PA Turnpike Senior Systems Administrator.
Volunteers gave a demonstration of the universal hand sign, where a person puts their thumb over their palm, and closes their hand over the thumb.
The turnpike said counties in the Susquehanna Valley see higher numbers of trafficking instances, and the boxes are meant to help survivors restart their lives. Officials said anyone who observes the hand sign should report it at 9-1-1, or by calling *11 on the turnpike.