PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) – Preble Street is putting together a major initiative to fight human trafficking in Southern Maine — thanks to a $400,000 grant from the federal government.

The 2-year grant was announced at a news conference Monday morning.

Preble Street reports its informal survey of clients at the Preble Street Teen Center revealed that 15% of the women and girls had been recruited to have sex with strangers for money — and a quarter of them said they were offered drugs for sex with a stranger.