Free Lewisburg Screening and Panel Spotlight Human Trafficking in Pennsylvania

A screening and panel discussion at the Campus Theatre in Lewisburg drew local leaders and residents to focus attention on human trafficking in Pennsylvania and on prevention strategies for Union County communities. The nearly 38-minute documentary and the subsequent conversation framed trafficking as a local public health and safety issue, not a distant or anonymous crime.

The event was organized by Transitions of Pennsylvania in coordination with the Campus Theatre and was held at the Campus Theatre, 413 Market St. The screening of the film listed in sources as both “The Hidden Truths of Human Trafficking in Pennsylvania” and “The Hidden Truth of Human Trafficking in Pennsylvania,” produced by On the Pulse, was followed by a panel discussion and an audience question-and-answer session. The program coincided with January observances for National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Panelists brought perspectives from health care, law enforcement, nonprofit service providers, and student advocates. Mae-Ling Kranz, Transitions chief executive officer, participated alongside Dr. Allen L. Fasnacht, president of WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg; FBI Special Agent Daniel Ives; Zozan Küçükaydın, Anti-Human Trafficking Services Coordinator with the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect, a division of Respect Together; Amber Morningstar, CEO of the YWCA Northcentral PA; Heather Shnyder, a 23-year Transitions employee and Health Systems Training Specialist since 2022; and Lewisburg Area High School students Inaya Bajwa and Zaida Easton, who are involved with Teach Against Trafficking.

Kranz emphasized the local nature of the problem and the role of community awareness, saying, “Human trafficking doesn’t always look the way people expect, and it can happen in communities like ours,” and, “This event helps people understand what trafficking could look like and how easy it could go unnoticed, how it overlaps with other forms of violence, and what role all of us can play in prevention and support. Awareness is one of the most powerful tools we have.”

The gathering underscored how public health, hospital systems, schools, and law enforcement intersect in prevention and survivor support. WellSpan’s presence, the FBI representation, and YWCA involvement framed trafficking as overlapping with domestic violence, adolescent health risks, and community safety systems. Student voices at the panel highlighted prevention education and peer engagement as part of local response strategies.

The screening also sits alongside broader local outreach efforts. Fairfield Inn & Suites Lewisburg reported community education work at National Night Out through a “Community Safety Heroes” booth that distributed National Human Trafficking Hotline resources, trained staff to spot red flags, and engaged families in age-appropriate awareness activities. Transitions of Pennsylvania has also offered combined self-defense and trafficking-awareness workshops in the area, pairing instruction by Master Instructor Dan Greak with Transitions’ educational sessions for youth.

For Union County residents, the event illustrated practical next steps for community prevention: health providers, schools, hospitality businesses, and law enforcement can all play roles in recognizing signs and connecting people to services. Organizers framed this work as ongoing, with public screenings, trainings, and partnerships planned to keep awareness and resources available to people across the region.