Create a wave of change to stop human trafficking

Learn Something. Do Something.

This mission may be simple, but it can shape Iowa’s approach to combating human trafficking. As we observe Human Trafficking Awareness Month this January, it’s a powerful reminder that every community, every business, and every individual has a role to play — not just now, but all year long.

Right now, an estimated 50 million individuals are being exploited through human trafficking worldwide. It’s easy to think something like this doesn’t happen in Iowa, but the reality is that it does. In 2024, the Department of Public Safety received more than 100 tips on labor and sex trafficking. In addition to this, there were more than 200 calls to the Iowa Victim Service Call Center in 2024.

Recognizing that this crime is happening within our state is a critical first step toward eradicating all instances of human trafficking within Iowa's borders. It starts with raising awareness.

Awareness can begin with a single voice — a drop of water that, when joined by others, becomes a ripple, then a wave. Every conversation, flyer, educational event, or resource shared adds to our momentum. When Iowa businesses and individuals commit to learning something and speaking out, we create a current too strong to ignore. In Iowa, a wave is already forming. It starts with a simple but profound mission: Learn Something, Do Something.

That’s the mission of Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT), a program administered by the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office and Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate. Businesses, organizations, and governmental agencies across the state have stepped up to make their communities safer and more informed. By joining IBAT, they’ve made a concrete commitment: to raise awareness, educate employees, and be a part of the solution. Each member, each employee, adds to our ripple — helping us turn a small drop of water into a wave.

IBAT members in nearly all of Iowa’s 99 counties are taking time each year to Learn Something about human trafficking. From hosting training sessions to distributing educational materials, these businesses are helping their teams recognize the signs of human trafficking and understand how to respond effectively. This work is especially vital in industries with a higher likelihood of encountering trafficking — such as financial services, hospitality, and transportation — where front-line awareness can make a lifesaving difference. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by these industries, IBAT offers an extensive online resource library with resources developed by expert antitrafficking organizations, designed to support businesses in training and identifying and responding to human trafficking.

Many of IBAT’s members are taking it a step further and taking real, tangible action to Do Something to prevent this crime or support survivors. Whether it be sharing educational content on social media or in company newsletters, posting flyers in brick and mortar locations, providing safe spaces for at-risk individuals, including trafficking awareness in employee handbooks, or participating in community events and partnering with antitrafficking organizations — IBAT members are turning awareness into impact every day. Reinforcing the idea that every business, no matter its size or industry, can play a role in protecting and supporting victims and survivors.

As an IBAT member, Doll Distributing has integrated antitrafficking efforts into the core of its operations — making them a consistent part of strategic planning and communications. This intentional approach reflects how businesses can amplify IBAT’s mission to Learn Something and Do Something.

At Doll Distributing, a third-generation family-owned and operated beverage distributor based in Des Moines, the team has taken the Learn Something aspect of IBAT to heart through internal education programs. By regularly engaging staff through facts and surveys about human trafficking, and combining engagement and education, the entire team stays informed and carries their knowledge into their own communities.

Efforts to Do Something about human trafficking are also prioritized: the Human Trafficking Hotline number and IBAT logo are placed prominently on delivery trucks, turning fleets into mobile awareness campaigns across Iowa. During Human Trafficking Awareness Month, billboards are leveraged throughout the Des Moines area, especially in high-visibility locations, to raise awareness beyond employees and into the larger community.

Today, the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking hosts the annual Outstanding Anti-Trafficking Service Awards, presented by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. Doll Distributing was selected as one of five recipients thanks to their efforts surrounding IBAT and their commitment to educating their employees to identify and report signs of trafficking.

Human trafficking is happening here in Iowa — and we have the power to stop it. Every new IBAT member is one more drop of water, helping build a ripple effect that grows into a wave of awareness and prevention across our state. This Human Trafficking Awareness Month, we’re asking you to join the cause. Learn Something and Do Something about human trafficking — or take the next step and become an IBAT member at ibat.iowa.gov. Together, we can create a safer Iowa for all.

Paul D. Pate is Iowa’s secretary of state and Lauren Doll-Sheeder is third generation owner of Doll Distributing.