Community Comes Together for Texas Blue Sand Project
On Thursday, The United Family joined local organizations One Voice, Voice of Hope, Open Door, and the City of Lubbock to take part in the Texas Blue Sand Project and bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking on the South Plains. January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
This is sixth year that The United Family has joined these local organizations in promoting the Texas Blue Sand Project, an initiative developed by the Texas Attorney General’s Office to bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking by spreading blue sand in the cracks of sidewalks. The blue sand in the cracks of sidewalks represents how communities can prevent victims from falling through the cracks by raising awareness and education.
“Oftentimes, people across our community see human trafficking as a problem that only happens in other parts of the world, but in reality, it also happens right here in Lubbock and across the region,” said Angelos Lambis, director of fuel & convenience for The United Family. “Participating in the Texas Blue Sand Project is an example of something we can do to help. We are proud to continue our partnership with these organizations for the sixth year and come together with the community to spread blue sand.”
For the past week, guests have been able to pick up free packets of blue sand at all United Express locations across Lubbock. On Thursday, community members joined together to spread the blue sand in the cracks of sidewalks across Lubbock. Look for the hashtag #TXBlueSandProject on social media.
“We are so thankful to the United Family for their ongoing partnership as we continue to support survivors in the community,” said Matt Duenes, with Voice of Hope. “It’s always a meaningful experience to join with the community to participate in the Texas Blue Sand Project.”
One Voice, Voice of Hope, and Open Door are organizations in the Lubbock community that work together to provide help for survivors of human trafficking and sexual assault. While human trafficking can seem like a distant problem, it happens everywhere, including in West Texas. For links to the organizations’ websites or more information about United’s involvement, please visit United’s special Texas Blue Sand Project landing page.
In addition to participating in the Blue Sand Project, The United Family is joining the effort by continuing a trafficking hotline sticker campaign to help raise awareness while also providing a lifeline to victims. The stickers will be placed in the bathroom of every store and fuel station across The United Family’s area of operation. It will include both a hotline number for victims to call and a number to text.
