12 Million children are kidnapped or sold into slavery each year. 200,000 children are smuggled into the United States of America each year. Human trafficking of children is the 2nd largest growing crime in the world according to the United Nations. In 2008, the Department of Justice released an alarming discovery: An estimated 300,000 children between the ages of 11 and 18 are lured into trafficking are American Citizens. (Embassy of Hope Center website)
A few months ago I had the privilege of attending an event hosted by three beautiful (inside and out) girls C, C, & C (seriously). The event's purpose was to open the eyes and hearts of fellow friends to sex trafficking, promote knowledge of local sex trafficking, what all trafficking entails, and ways to help. There were snacks and items for sale from Eternal Threads, guest speakers, and incredible testimony by two sex trafficked, abused victims. Embassy of Hope Center's Elizabeth Crooks was one of the speakers who divuldged TONS of good-to-know information (along with a few other guest speakers).
To make a long story short, the title of this post is the ad campaign that Embassy of Hope Center and Shared Hope International have come up with to bring a provocative message to our city. In a message they write, "A cry for help. Reports are made. Investigation begins. The result? A child is rescued from the crime of human trafficking in San Antonio. A trafficker is prosecuted. Justice advances...San Antonio children are lured into a pimp culture that wants ownership of their spirit, soul, and bodies. Manipulation is the game = capital gain. While drugs are sold once, a child is a precious commodity that is sold again and again."
The cost of the billboard is $4,000 per month per billboard. If 80 people donated $50, the board could get put up.
I encourage you, with everything in me, to host a gathering to sell eternal threads merchandise and get the word out about human trafficking in the USA and your community. It's just like hosting a Pampered Chef, Stella & Dot, or Scentsy party. It will be near-effortless, life changing, educational, eye-opening, and a huge blessing to so many victims.
If you would like to learn more about hosting a human trafficking awareness and Eternal Threads event, please contact me and I can help get it going! You don't have to sell anything, buy anything, give away anything, just open your home and invite your friends. If one person tells ten people, and each of those ten tell another ten, think of how quickly we can help promote, prevent, and eventually end trafficking in our local communities.
To donate to the ad campaign click here. To learn more about trafficking and what you can do, visit Embassy of Hope Center. To purchase items from Eternal Threads, shop online. To contact me, click here.
[Eternal Threads establishes sustainable methods of helping women and their families, who live in poverty to increase their income enabling them to educate their children, buy nutritious food and medicine and other basic necessities. Increased livelihood will also help mitigate the risk of trafficking and exploitation that women and children in extreme poverty face.]
[Embassy of Hope Center is a 501(c)3, faith based, non-profit organization that specializes in professional training on issues of human trafficking, prevention education for at risk youth, and survivor care. Their services include advocacy for survivors and family reintegration assistance for exploited men, women, and children who are victims of crime such as forced prostitution, pronography, stripping, and other types of human trafficking.]
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