Awareness

Every victimized and vulnerable person deserves to be surrounded by an alert community, trained professionals, strong laws and policies, and shelter and service options. We strive to inspire a nation of informed activists to combat societal norms, misconceptions, and ignorance through the following trafficking awareness initiatives:

Chosen DVD & Training Package

Chosen, a documentary by Shared Hope International, tells the shocking true story of two ‘All-American’ teenage girls tricked into trafficking. Eighteen-year-old Brianna was an honor-roll student, cheerleader and worked at a local café. Thirteen-year-old Lacy was an active member of her youth group, and a volunteer in her community.

Chosen is a comprehensive video resource package that reveals the warning signs and sometimes fatal consequences of sex trafficking to middle and high school students. The 20-minute video is designed to equip preteens and teens to protect themselves and others from being trapped in the horrific and violent sex industry.

The package contains:

1. Chosen film 
2. Discussion questions specifically for men, women, and youth
3. PowerPoint presentations to use before showing the film to introduce the issue of trafficking and the film and after the film to encourage discussion and comprehension
4. Trafficking terminology guide  to help viewers understand the language used by traffickers
5. Suggested resources for additional learning and action opportunities
6. Leader’s guide to assist leaders with presentation preparation including helpful tips and suggestions
7. Action ideas to help viewers turn their knowledge into action

Chosen can be used as an engaging and educational awareness tool at school assemblies, youth groups, civic action groups, and other clubs and teams. Order Now.

Do You Know Lacy? National Billboard Campaign

This campaign is part of a comprehensive trafficking awareness strategy called Do You Know Lacy? and is based on Linda Smith’s book, Renting Lacy. The billboard alerts the public to the shocking fact that men are renting children for sex, right in the community.  Our short, informative video  exposes the issue of child sex trafficking in every community.
Advocates around the nation have already brought Shared Hope International’s Do You Know Lacy? billboard campaign to Texas, Arizona, California, Montana, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington.

Bring the billboard to your community in three easy steps:

1. Contact Shared Hope International with the location and billboard company that owns the billboard you select.
2. We’ll work with your selected billboard company to manage everything from ad placement to art and design.
3. Rally your community to raise funds to purchase ad space on the billboard you select.

For more information on this campaign, please contact Elizabeth@sharedhope.org or 703-351-8062.

Pathbreaker Award

The Pathbreaker Award is a prestigious award to honor individuals who made an outstanding contribution to the movement against commercial sexual exploitation. In 2000, the U.S. Department of State enlisted Shared Hope to hold Pathbreaking Strategies conferences in six countries to energize the national conversation about the issue of trafficking and share innovative approaches to combat the problem. During this process, we created the Pathbreaker Award to recognize the pioneering efforts of individuals throughout the world. These leaders broke the trend of inaction and initiated proactive responses to prevent sex trafficking. Previous recipients include Sgt. John Chapman of the Vancouver Police Department (2010); Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna (2011), Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (2011), Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (2011) Ernie Allen (2012), Amy O’Neill Richard (2012), Drew Oosterbaan (2012) and Deborah Richardson (2012).

Kids Are Not For Sale Campaign

Kids Are Not For Sale campaigns engage community members with interactive trafficking awareness events. By coordinating the passion and network of grassroots activists with the power and authority of policy and opinion leaders, the Kids Are Not For Sale campaign transforms an uninformed, unresponsive community into an alert community prepared to identify and serve victims. This campaign has strengthened the network of protection in Oregon, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. through training, campus and community events including movie screenings, panel discussions, marches, rallies, press conferences, fundraisers, public advertising and coalition building.

The Defenders “Take The Pledge” Campaign

The Defenders’ “Take the Pledge” Campaign, launched on Father’s Day 2006, is a national men’s awareness and action campaign. The campaign aims to mobilize an army of 100,000 Defenders to protect and defend exploited women and children. Defenders are men of all ages who take a pledge and take action to fight against the commercial sex industry.

Thousands of men across the nation have already banded together to help prevent and stop prostitution, pornography, and exploitation in all its forms. Join the ranks of committed men on purpose. Become a Defender today.

Click here to Take the Pledge.

Learn more about the Defenders campaign.