Just the BEGINNING of a YEAR to RAISE AWARENESS

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month.


God has been tugging at my heart to FIGHT AGAINST SEX TRAFFICKING in Milwaukee and around the world since the summer of 2010. In May/June of that year, I participated in Love146's Tread on Trafficking, which was a fitness event to raise funds to combat child sex trafficking. In a month and a half, I exercised 86 miles and raised over $1,000 for Love146's prevention and aftercare programs.

Since then I have begun a monthly prayer group focusing on sex trafficking in Milwaukee, Thailand, and around the world. In November, I attended a 7-hour Human Trafficking Training that gave me plenty of resources not only for combatting this issue, but also for counseling trafficked victims.

As I have been thinking about 2012, I know God is continuing to ask me to fight the injustices in this world. As I learned about National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month, I couldn't help but get excited about the opportunity to start out my year fighting these evils called modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

My goal EACH MONTH of 2012 is to raise awareness about modern-day slavery and/or human trafficking.

IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY, I will be tracking the miles that I exercise to raise money for an organization called BASICS in Milwaukee. Mike Moses of BASICS has developed a Human Trafficking Awareness Program that EDUCATES high school students and church groups about this issue. Mike has also just begun an AFTERCARE mentoring program for rescued victims of trafficking. The Milwaukee aftercare program is one that supports the victims in many ways: learning how to trust again, developing life skills such as cooking, time management, or resume writing, re-entering high school or preparing for a GED, obtaining a driver's license, etc.

I am praying that my family and friends will be moved to financially support the fight against this incredible injustice by sponsoring me through this fitness challenge.

I consider it a blessing to be a part of God’s work in this world. My prayer for this blog is that each person that reads it may gain a little bit more knowledge about modern-day slavery and human trafficking, and in their own way will find a way to combat it.

For more information about modern-day slavery and trafficking, click here --> http://love146.org/slavery

Other websites:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/
Not For Sale, http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/about/slavery/
Call & Response, http://www.callandresponse.com/
International Justice Mission, http://www.ijm.org/

FACT: 6 girls are rescued per month in the city of Milwaukee alone. Those being rescued are the small minority of those being trafficked.