Penn Highlands Healthcare Patient Registrar Volunteers in the Community
Rebecca Petrone, is a Patient Registrar for Physical Therapy/Speech at Penn Highlands Connellsville. She heard many stories about people and their children almost being abducted at local shopping malls and other high traffic areas in the region. Three years ago, after learning that a man was caught trafficking three children at a hotel in Connellsville, she began to research human trafficking and found the statistics astounding. She found that the United States is the number one consumer of sex trafficking; it is more than a $192 billion industry. The average age of a child being trafficked is between 12 to 15.
“As a Christian and mother of two, it is hard to stand by when you see this war on our children,” Rebecca explained. “It has been stated that less than 1% of trafficking victims are found. It was time to stand up and say enough is enough and be the voice for the voice less.”
Rebecca spearheads a taskforce called GSS Anti-Human Trafficking that operates out of the City Church of Connellsville. The taskforce is affiliated with One Voice International an anti-human trafficking organization. The taskforce, which now has 12 members, took shape after One Voice International was invited to hold a Human Trafficking Awareness Conference at the church in the winter of 2024. One Voice International is an organization that uses a multi-pronged strategy to combat human trafficking. Members pray 15 minutes a day for the ending of human trafficking around the world. Their goal is to have prayer covered 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
“Since education and awareness are key to defeating human trafficking, One Voice International is developing an educational curriculum for K-12. They also help cities set up anti-human trafficking taskforces and work with local police departments and first responders to provide education. We are also helping different countries and states develop real laws with severe penalties,” explained Rebecca.
She also outlined how the GSS Anti Human Trafficking Taskforce is working with other organizations. For example, their taskforce worked in coalition with Under His Wings Human Trafficking Awareness Group to organize a Human Trafficking Awareness Walk and 10-minute discussion that took place on October 25, 2025 in the Yough River Park in Connellsville, PA. The event included a two-mile walk on the Yough River Trail and provided resources on how to identify human trafficking, when and how to report it and how to stay safe when online. At the walk, the Taskforce also collaborated with Farmhouse Ministry Outreach, from Smithton, PA, and Holy Hotdogs to help provide food, clothes, shoes and coats to those in need in the community.
Rebecca added, “In addition to the walk, we setup tables at Rotary Clubs, fairs and festivals throughout the summer to help educate the community on human trafficking awareness. We also set up an awareness table at Penn Highlands Connellsville in January for Human Trafficking Awareness Month to provide information and resources to the community. We will be engaging with more and more people and churches in the movement until we see an end to human trafficking!”
For more information, visit www.onevoiceinternational.com.