AUSTIN, Texas - An art installation in Downtown Austin aims at making a difference while creating awareness. A local organization posted 79,000 sticky notes at West Elm on 5th and Lamar.

The notes represent the 79,000 underage victims of sex trafficking in Texas.

Researchers at the University of Texas found 79,000 minors are currently being trafficked in the United State. That figure stunned experts at The Refuge, the organization that is currently building transitional housing for trafficking survivors.

"That's the size of the city of Temple, the size of the city of New Braunfels, and if Temple disappeared overnight, we would call out the National Guard. But the National Guard is not being called out for this and the large part is because these girls are being picked off one by one," said Steven Phenix, The Refuge organization.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited children, one in six runaways will be trafficked.

"It's a lonely, vulnerable little girl that has run away from four or five different foster homes, four or five forms of abuse and on that seventh or eighth time. No one is really looking for her," said Phenix.

Toni McKinley survived sex trafficking not once, not twice but three times. The third time, her trafficker was a retired police officer - someone who was supposed to help her. Now, she counsels young girls through The Refuge.

"The healing process is so long and I'm still going through stuff that I have to keep myself in check to be here for these girls and be present with them," said McKinley.

For McKinley, posting so many names for the world to see highlights the problem right under most of our noses.

"They drive by these places and are walking around and shopping, where all these girls are that are being trafficked that have been in my office, that I've been counseling and it surprises them because they do live in a good neighborhood,” said McKinley.

For now, we have 79,000 reminders of the children gone missing.

The installation will stay up at West Elm until Sunday, when residents can stop by from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. to take a name and donate to the organization. To find out more, visit: https://therefugeaustin.org.