The North Mar Church in Warren is partnering with Remember Nhu, a nonprofit organization dedicating to protecting children at risk of being lost to the sex trade.

The two groups will host an event Saturday, Sept. 23 at Kent State Trumbull County Branch in Warren, to increase awareness of child sex trafficking but encourage those interested in helping.

The event will begin at 8:00 a.m. and include a bike ride and a walk/run event.

The church says the partnership aims to shed light on the issue of child exploitation and generate support for the prevention homes that Remember Nhu builds internationally.

According to the 2023 Governor's Human Trafficking Task Force Report. released in May, the Ohio Department of Youth Services has recorded 74 identified minors that were trafficked in the state in 2022.

However, some agencies think these numbers could be higher.

For example, SACWIS, a human trafficking data base that the state uses has identified 385 minors that were trafficked in the state in 2022.

Remember Nhu was formed in 2004 to combat the rise of the child sex trade. Since its founding, the organization has established more than 115 homes across 15 countries, safeguarding more than 2,000 children from the horrors of the sex trade.