Last week, Gov. Rick Perry ceremonially signed two bills creating stiffer penalties for individuals who commit human trafficking in Texas. This is another great step forward in combatting modern day slavery here in our state.
Present at the signing was our good friend and partner from the Refuge of Light, Norma. She's the one in the black shirt just to the left of Gov. Perry. We are so proud of her relentless and compassionate drive to see children protected, rescued and restored!
If you'd like to read the full article, click here
Over the past several years we at For The Silent have been overwhelmed (in a good way) by the number of runners joining the For The Silent community and committing to run for those silenced by sex trafficking. Not only are our runners raising awareness, but they have raised over $23,000 to help bring restoration to children rescued from lives of slavery and exploitation!
Runners everywhere from Seattle to Dallas have helped fund on-the-ground projects like an aftercare vehicle for a shelter in Cambodia and the launch of a counseling program for exploited boys in SE Asia.
I believe this is just the beginning!
To help fuel this growing movement, we have launched run.forthesilent.org, a place for runners to get inspired, equipped, and activated; a place to connect the running community with the needs of exploited children.
Whether you’re a casual runner or a professional athlete, we invite you to attach your running to something that will outlast the finish line, to engage your most human resources – your very legs, your heart, your voice – for those who are in captivity.
Happy running!
There's a moment when someone is first learning about trafficking that it seems unbelievable. It feels too big to really exist. Then the questions: what do you mean by "trafficking"? What does it look like? What constitutes a victim? How many victims are there? How do they get caught into this life? How do they get out? And most importantly: what can any one person do?
There are no easy answers, but through lots of reading and education you can start to get a better perspective on the issue. We've compiled a list of books, films, and research materials that provide a wealth of information.
Please look at the list below, or download it as a PDF for printing, posting, or showing to others.
Books
- Just Courage by Gary Haugen
- Escaping the Devil's Bedroom by Dawn Herzog Jewell
- Sold by Patricia McCormick
- A Crime So Monstrous by Benjamin Skinner
- Renting Lacy: A Story of America's Prostituted Children by Linda Smith
- Woman, Child For Sale by Gilbert King
- Ending Slavery by Kevin Bales
Films
- Human Trafficking - Lifetime miniseries (2005)
- Very Young Girls - Documentary produced by GEMS (2009)
- Fields of Mudan - Short Film by Stevo Chang (2004)
- Frontline: Sex Slaves - PBS Frontline (2006)
- Amazing Grace - 20th Century Fox (2007)
Research
- The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking by Shared Hope Intl.
- Trafficking in Persons Report, 2010 by US Department of State
- Demand by Shared Hope Intl.
Hey East Texas,
On March 24th, 2011, For The Silent is co-sponsoring a free event in Tyler that aims to educate the public about human trafficking in our backyard and give practical ways to get involved. The event will be held at the Crosswalk Conference Center at Green Acres Baptist Church from 6:30-8:30PM. Mandy Griffith from the US Dept. of Justice will be speaking...She will be an amazing resource and wealth of knowledge.
The event is free but you must register here: http://www.formstack.com/forms/gcc-trafficking
We hope to see you there!
It's a sad fact that at large events like the World Cup, Olympics, or Super Bowl, the sex trade in the host city spikes. Girls and boys are trafficked in from surrounding areas to fill the increased demand for prostitution and commercial sex.
This year’s Super Bowl in Dallas is no exception. State and national politicians, Dallas law enforcement, and anti-trafficking non-profits have been preparing for the spike with increased training in spotting traffickers, johns, and victims. The Dallas Morning News has published several very worthwhile articles about the topic:
- Cornyn, Leppert discuss ways to combat Super Bowl sex trade
- Women taking up fight against sex trafficking ahead of Super Bowl
Please join us in praying for Dallas and for the young victims of this perverse demand, and consider signing this petition to encourage the Super Bowl Host Committee to join with anti-trafficking groups to prevent this pattern from continuing.
Know someone with a heart for trafficked and exploited children? Gift the gift of hope this holiday season. Donate to For the Silent in someone's name, and we'll send you one of these beautiful cards telling them about your gift and how it's bringing hope to the broken.
Go to our Donate page for more information.
Hey Everyone,
We apologize for our lack of communication, it has been quite a crazy year with so many exciting things happening! Here is a snippet...
-We completed the funding for the Boy's Project in Cambodia and the program is yielding amazing results.
-We've spoken to thousands of people in churches, schools, small groups etc.
-We launched our Living Room Tour which brings a personal touch to advocacy. (More info on that soon.)
-Over 100 people have signed up to Run For The Silent the past few months.
-We're creating a new and updated website to be introduced in January.
-And most importantly, we have been pioneering the development of an aftercare home in Texas for trafficked and exploited girls.
During all of this, the current website has been a bit neglected and we wanted to let you all know that we are still here.
-The For The Silent Team
Thanks to so many generous donations, we were able to complete the Aftercare Center Vehicle Project. We're excited to show you pictures of the van that your donations were able to buy for the aftercare center.
The girls now have safe, reliable transportation to and from the center. Thank you to everyone who donated towards this project!
We knew it was happening in our back yard. We just didn’t know how imbalanced it was.
There are 300,000 victims of child sexual exploitation in the United States, but only five specialized aftercare homes exist to meet their needs. Trafficking in the U.S. is growing much faster than our collective response to it.
This is a gross injustice.
After months of prayer, research, and planning, we’ve decided that For The Silent needs to address this imbalance at home. In 2010, we will refocus our efforts on children trafficked and exploited within the U.S.
Please check back in the coming weeks as we announce our new direction in response to this need.
A Collection of Squirrel Tales
Compassion Art CD/Book/Coffee