January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. 31 days dedicated to raising awareness about this $150 billion-a-year global industry that has stolen the innocence of so many. Did you know that there are more people enslaved in the world today than at any time in human history? The U.S. Department of State estimates that there are 27.6 million victims worldwide at any given time, and the country study by Global Slavery Index estimates that there are 1,091,000 people living in conditions of modern slavery in the USA. This equates to 3.3 victims for every 1,000 people in our country.

Those statistics can be overwhelming. And if you’re like me, you might find yourself reading this right now thinking to yourself, “What am I supposed to do with that?” Well, let me start by telling you that you are not alone. I once felt that way, too. So, with that in mind, I’d like to tell you a story.

There are some days you never forget. For me, one of those days was July 20^th, 2014. The night of the premiere of our 1st documentary film, We the Pearls.

Here’s a little backstory: For two weeks in the summer of 2013, our organization, The NOMORE Foundation, had taken a team of 15 to Thailand. The purpose was to work with organizations there who were working with victims of human trafficking and film the harrowing stories of rescue and the indescribable beauty of restoration. Our heart was to give a voice to the survivors, to let their voices be heard. And our hope was that in telling these stories from a place thousands of miles away, we might open people’s eyes to the atrocities happening all around us. Especially those happening just a few miles from our front door.

The film was a labor of love, with countless hours invested by individuals across the US. From the musical score to the screenplay to filming and animation, so many people dedicated themselves to making it possible. It was an experience that would change each one of us forever, but what we envisioned became so much more.

The night of the premiere, the room was packed. Over 800 people had come out to see the film. There was anticipation in the air as the lights dimmed, and when the credits were finished, the response from the crowd was overwhelming. Organizations got up to share how people could be involved, and when attendees were released, every table was filled with people ready to act – to do something! To declare NOMORE!

I went from one conversation to another, but out of the corner of my eye, I could see her.

Pacing back and forth, over and over again, occasionally, she would look up in my direction. But the moment I would make eye contact, her eyes would dart away back to the ground as if they were boring a hole beneath her feet. After about 10 minutes, I knew that it would be up to me to approach her, so I crossed the room to introduce myself.

“Can I help you?” I said. She replied, but her answer was so quiet that I couldn’t make out the words. The crowd around us was noisy and bustling, so I leaned in a little closer to ask again, “Can I help you?” I reached out to touch her, to reassure her in some way, and could feel her body physically shaking, as if she knew she might break into pieces from the truth about to exit her lips. “That’s my story.”

Those three little words carried so much weight. They were a desperate cry for help from a lifetime of abuse and neglect and suffering… and I saw her. I heard her.

We would steal away to a quiet table where there were no prying eyes, no distractions, and for the next hour, she would unpack bits and pieces of her story, starting with her childhood. Bouncing in and out of foster care due to abuse and her mother’s addiction, her early years were filled with pain and neglect. The emptiness left her vulnerable to a man at a convenience store who would tell her she was pretty and ask her out. He would groom her, make her feel safe, buy her all the things that she never had, and then take advantage of her weakness and eventually brand her as his property. After years of being bought and sold, she would be beaten, thrown out of a car, and left for dead. That was supposed to be the end of her life, but her story wasn’t finished.

Up until the night of the premiere, she had never seen herself as anything more than a used, dirty prostitute. She had never felt worthy of a normal life, but that night would change the trajectory of her life forever. It would change mine, too.

I often wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t seen her that night. What if I had gotten caught up in a conversation and walked away? What if I had been so distracted by the hustle and bustle that I didn’t notice her? What would her life have been like? What might the world have missed out on?

You see today, almost 10 years later, her life is nothing short of a miracle.

Through the loving support of others, she has overcome so many obstacles to break free of the chains that once held her captive. She is an incredible mother to two beautiful daughters, and she spends her life loving and caring for many others as an advocate for victims of human trafficking. She works alongside law enforcement at the moment they intervene and as a lived experience expert she victims feel safe. She mentors youth who have been trafficked and those who are at risk. And she has stood before countless groups of people across the country, sharing her harrowing story, giving a face and voice to the thousands still in bondage.

How many incredible stories like hers would there be if more people were AWARE?

That question is what drives the work that I do. As the Executive Director of The NOMORE Foundation, I am compelled to help others to see. To see the thread that ties poverty, orphaned and at-risk children in the foster care system, and human trafficking to one another. These interdependent issues overlap, and the generational cycles they create will continue to repeat unless we step into care. Unless we choose to declare with our words and our actions, “NOMORE! Not on my watch will the vulnerable be exploited for selfish gain. We will bring light to the darkness. We will see them. We will do something!”

I am a firm believer that within each of us there is a desire to make a difference. I have never met a person who doesn’t want their life to have meaning and purpose. Not one. Think about it. From the time we are children, we have dreams of becoming a doctor, a fireman, a nurse, a policeman, a teacher… why? Because we want to help people. As we grow older and life gets more complicated, sometimes those desires take a backseat. It’s not because deep down we still don’t want to make a difference, but more often than not, it’s because we don’t know who to contact, what the needs are in our community, and how we can help. We just need to be connected.

If the story I just shared struck a chord with you and you want to do something to help reach, intervene, and restore victims of human trafficking, here are three things you can do right now:

1. Learn More: Sign up to take a FREE 45-minute online training and find out what human trafficking looks like, how to spot the signs, and ways you can help. To date we have trained over 100,000 people from churches, schools, and every sector of business. Click this link to learn more [https://www.declarenomore.com/training]

2. Give To Meet Needs: For the past ten years, we have sent out beautiful long-stem roses to women on the streets, in strip clubs, brothels, jails, addiction recovery centers, and advocacy groups – to reach women who are currently being trafficked and those who are at-risk with a message of love. These roses are delivered by vetted organizations who are committed to helping women find a way out. For $6, you can sponsor a rose that has the potential to change the trajectory of someone’s life. Click this link to Give-A-Rose today! [https://www.declarenomore.com/givearose]

3. Serve and Support Survivors: In your local community, there are incredible organizations that are helping victims of human trafficking find the hope and healing they need to begin a new life. Whether you are providing a meal, painting a wall, or planting flowers – there are opportunities for you to get personally involved. Click this link and email us your name, contact information, and the city that you live in, and we will help you take the right next step. [info@declarenomore.com]

One of my favorite quotes from Mother Theresa is when she said, “I don’t do great things. I do small things with great love.”

We all have the ability to make an impact, and at times, it may be difficult to know where to start. So, my encouragement to you is to start where you are. Start small. Start today. Don’t overcomplicate it. Do what you can with what you have, and see where it takes you. In all my years of experience, I have learned that no act of kindness is ever wasted. Your willingness to give your time and your resources to help others will change their lives and yours in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.

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