A one man journey to educate individuals about human trafficking recently came to an end.

Dubuque County resident Kevin Schwendinger recently completed his 650-mile trek from Omaha, Nebraska to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Stops along his route included Panora and Jefferson. Schwendinger says he became passionate about this topic and wanted to intentionally make a trip along one of the main human trafficking routes through the Midwest to spread awareness about the $20-$40 billion per year illegal industry.

He walked with the Iowa Attorney General’s Office Crime Victim Assistance Division and passed out over 400 brochures of information as he made it to his end point in Wisconsin. Schwendinger also gave presentations in various locations and offers this advice for those who are interested in finding out more information on human trafficking.

“I really encourage people to do the search, find out what’s going on in Des Moines. How can I support an organization that this trafficking industry because it’s the second largest illegal industry in the United States currently. It’s out there. It’s just making yourself available to it and caring enough to do that.”

Schwendinger wants to come back to the different locations along his initial route next year to do more formal presentations on this issue. For those wanting more information, contact the Iowa Attorney General’s Office Crime Victim Assistance Division at 515-281-5044 or 1-800-373-5044.