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June 19, 2017 by Susanna Bean

Catapulted to Success through Partnership

Every year Shared Hope works in partnership with domestic and international partners, giving them grants to fund their direct service work with survivors and offer them technical support. This year we are graduating 3 organizations from our grant program and want to share with you their journeys!

This week we are interviewing Stephanie Holt, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Mission 21! Watch for posts Wednesday and Friday featuring the rest of the Mission 21 story!

A note from Mission 21:

To our grant partners, Shared Hope International, you have invested and entrusted us to manage your gifts well, you have challenged us to always be better, to dream bigger and to do the most good. For that, we are forever grateful. Thank you.

Tell us a little about yourself and why you founded your organization.

In 2010, my husband Matt and I founded Mission 21 as a respond to a lack of services to youth in our state who were sexually exploited. It all started after we attended a human trafficking awareness class in Cedar Rapids, IA. During an 8 hour day of eye opening information and stories we left changed people. Coming home from that class, we wondered what we could possibly do to make any kind of difference. The least we could do was talk to our friends and family about what we had learned, and like many people, we thought that we could give financially to an existing program already doing good work. To our surprise there were no services for kids in our state under 16.

With the average age of entry into the sex trade being 12-13 years old this was unacceptable. We never thought that God’s plan was to use us to fill in that gap. I can’t say that I immediately jumped at the opportunity to say “yes” to God when he first called us to this work. But when I finally did say “yes”, I dove in deep and the fruit of that obedience and willingness is evident in the success of Mission 21 to this day.

Where were you/your organization when the grant began vs. where you are now?

Four years ago, 2013, was a pivotal moment for Mission 21. After three years of establishing ourselves in the city of Rochester, MN we had gained much momentum and a consistent presence within our community. It was this year that our formal partnership with Shared Hope International began. Shared Hope International invested $40,000 the first year of funding with Mission 21 in an idea – that specialized foster care for sexually exploited youth was something that was absolutely needed, not only in the state of Minnesota, but nationwide. Four years and $125,000 later, Mission 21 was catapulted to the forefront of a national change in the way states respond to youth in placement.

[easy-tweet tweet=”Mission 21 was catapulted to success, made possible through partnership with @SharedHope”]

Our pilot program with private and public foster care agencies contributed to a state wide Governor’s workgroup conversation charged with changing the way that social services responds for youth in care. Mission 21’s vision for specialized foster care went from a call to action, and many denying that any changes needed to happen, to a powerful voice at a table of policy and change makers. In 2017, foster care for sexually exploited youth will see a complete statewide change backed by our Governor’s office. All of it was made possible by this partnership.

Check back Wednesday and Friday for the rest of their story!

June 16, 2017 by Jo Lembo

Inspired to Give Back – Ambassador Spotlight

Karen Lambie felt driven to do something to “give back” to society after retiring from teaching. Her online research into children’s rights issues brought her across the sex trafficking of children. Like so many of the people in our audiences, she was shocked to discover its rampancy in the United States and in her own home state of Georgia. She knew she had to help stop this heinous crime, and her continued search led her to Shared Hope International. Joining the Ambassador of Hope Program, Karen found her calling.

She took her Ambassador role very seriously, especially after learning that the foster children she and her husband, Tom, had in their home were from the highest risk demographic. She wasted no time talking to the director of her Department of Family and Children’s Services which led to an introduction to the Adoptive and Foster Parents Association of Georgia (AFPAG) which rippled into speaking opportunities all over the state of Georgia, including three state conferences.

Karen’s husband, Tom, became an Ambassador because he wanted join her in educating the public and to do whatever he could to help prevent children from becoming victims. Sharing with their family and friends about what they are doing continually resulted in more invitations to host booths at a variety of events.

Karen’s main tactic is to make sure people have her business card and that they know there is no speaker fee. Karen shares hope by not only presenting the signs of trafficking, but by assuring people walk away with excellent tools to prevent trafficking.

Karen’s list of presentations is diverse, from university classes to speaking at a family reunion, and she even hosted a resource table at a “Responsible Dog Ownership” event!

Something fun that she likes to include in her presentation? “One activity that can lighten the mood after the heaviness of introducing the topic is to role play how traffickers may approach a child, young person, or even an adult in public by claiming they are a modeling or acting agent. Asking for a volunteer (male or female) from the audience, I ask them to pretend they are a 13-year-old and shopping in a mall.”

“Approaching the individual and gushing about how beautiful or handsome they are usually gets some laughter. I promise them I can get them into magazines and movies. Then I ask them to come with me to the parking lot where my camera equipment is or hand them a business card and tell them to give me a call. Even though their reactions are often very humorous, the very serious point is made.”

Karen keeps her goals simple: To stay tuned in listening for people that might be interested in having a speaker or where she can host a booth. “For as long as I am able, I will raise my voice against the scourge of child sex trafficking.”

[easy-tweet tweet=”“For as long as I am able, I will raise my voice against the scourge of child sex trafficking.” ” user=”SharedHope”]

Your voice counts, Karen, more than you’ll ever know because we can’t count how many kids are safer because you shared the signs of trafficking. Thank you for all you do!

We need more Ambassadors to educate their communities on preventing sex trafficking. Apply today!

June 6, 2017 by Guest

A Living Legacy

The story of one’s man impact on multiple generations

Burnett Family photo in 1957. (Their fifth child arrived in 1961)

Supper wasn’t a hurried affair when Malcolm Burnett was growing up in the small town of Camas, Washington. It was a family time—a time for the adults to talk and the children to listen and keep quiet. Suppertime conversations at the Burnett family table revolved around current affairs and the family’s history, and Malcolm was an avid listener.

Sitting around the table one evening in the 1930s, Malcolm’s paternal grandfather, Dr. Charles Flagg, shared a story that made a lasting impression on his junior-high-aged grandson. After serving in the Philippines as a US Army surgeon during the Spanish American War and the subsequent occupation, Dr. Flagg was sent back home to Fort Vancouver in Vancouver, WA. Owing to the servicemen’s patronage of the houses of prostitution in the area around Fort Vancouver, the job of examining, treating, and keeping medical records for prostituted women fell to the Army medical corps. Dr. Flagg treated many of the prostituted women during his time at Fort Vancouver, and observed troubling trends in their health.

Dr. Charles E.B. Flagg, US Army Surgeon and in charge of the medical facilities of Fort Vancouver

Malcolm, now his nineties, still remembers the shock he felt when Dr. Flagg said that the average life expectancy of the girls after they were prostituted was 7 years because of the diseases they would contract.

“Syphilis and gonorrhea were very common. In those days syphilis was treated with mercury, if my memory serves me right,” Malcolm mused sadly from the couch in his sitting room. “These things weren’t publicized in the papers, but the military knew what was going on.”

Dr. Flagg went on to tell the story of a middle class family whose daughter had disappeared. “Her brother went to a house of prostitution in Vancouver,” Malcolm recalled Dr. Flagg’s story, “I don’t know if he was going in search of his sister, or if he was a patron, but when the madam showed him to a room on the second floor, his sister opened the door! He and his sister tied the bedsheets together, escaped out the window, and made it safely back to their parents’ house.”

Dr. Flagg described prostitution as a “vicious heartless business,” and his stories made an indelible impression on Malcolm, who has held a firm, lifelong belief that “sexual exploitation through prostitution should not be winked at and kept hush-hush, but should be fought like any other crime.”

[easy-tweet tweet=”“Sexual exploitation through prostitution should not be winked at, but fought like any other crime.”” user=”SharedHope”]

“When you combine this history with the fact that I have four daughters, four granddaughters, and three great-granddaughters in my family, you can see why I support the work done by Linda Smith and Shared Hope International to eradicate this vicious, heartless business worldwide!” Malcom added, “Because I grew up with a strong feeling about people who make money on prostitution, we wanted to get behind her work.”

“When I worked for Boeing, I knew men who patronized prostitutes. It’s sickening how our culture accepts it.”

Malcom and “his boss” Zoe, a rescued Bull Terrier who keeps him active.

Malcom determined at a young age to make a difference and to save girls from that life. He stays involved today by sharing the message of awareness with his family, friends, and church community. He continues to support Shared Hope in any way he can. He is particularly grieved by the way our society views prostitution as normal.

A few years ago, Malcom and Linda met over lunch to discuss several bills then being considered by Washington State to strengthen laws to prosecute those who buy and sell children. He leaned across the table and said passionately, “I may be 92, but I’m not dead yet! What do you need me to do?”

Malcolm joined the forces of letter writing activists to convince state lawmakers it was the right thing to do, saying, “If everyone did something, we could get it done!” As a result of those efforts, Washington state is one of 7 states who currently hold an A grade in Shared Hope’s Protected Innocence Challenge.

Malcolm Burnett life is a powerful example of individual responsibility, active citizenship, and compassion. In passing these values on to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren–and in the difference he has made through his contributions in the lives of those served through Linda Smith and Shared Hope’s work–Malcolm has created a living legacy.

Note: Nick Lembo is the original interviewer and author of this piece. It was modified by Jennifer Lindsay for use on the Shared Hope Blog.

May 30, 2017 by Guest

The Ripple Effect

Chifonne, one of our Ambassadors of Hope shares her story!

When I first heard about sex trafficking, I was probably 12 years old. It was the very early days of Shared Hope, not long after Linda Smith had been to India, and she shared at a local event where my mom heard what Linda saw and experienced, and how she was working to help. My mom was incredibly moved by what she learned, and in turn, told a number of other people about it. I was, of course, one of those people. I was shocked and horrified that girls could be SOLD as if they were property.

I remember going to my best friend Lindsay’s house and telling her about it. She was also outraged, and we decided we had to do something to help these girls. We convinced our children’s pastor to let us make a presentation to our children’s church, as long as we promised not to use words like “sex”. I remember the two of us standing in front of all our friends that Sunday morning and telling them about kids our age or younger who were slaves, and how we could help free them. We took an offering that morning and raised $34, which we sent to Shared Hope.

This happened 17 years ago, but it was the start of something significant for both Lindsay and me. I’ve been an Ambassador for several years, and have also been part of other local teams and groups working to end Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking. My friend Lindsay went on to co-produce a documentary about sex trafficking in the US, Sex + Money: A National Search For Human Worth to which Linda Smith was a contributor, and which screened at college campuses across the nation. Both Lindsay and I have continued at times doing work abroad with girls and children at-risk.

[easy-tweet tweet=”You never know how people’s hearts are being stirred by your words.” user=”SharedHope”]

I say all of this not to toot our proverbial horns in any way, but as a reminder for all of us who work to raise awareness. You never know how people’s hearts are being stirred by your words, or what they may do in response to being informed. If you recall, neither my friend nor I had been at an actual “presentation.” Someone who had been – my mom – shared with me, and I shared with a friend, who in turn shared with a lot more friends. That ripple effect is happening ALL THE TIME. What you do has impact that reaches far wider than you may realize.

[easy-tweet tweet=”What you do has impact that reaches far wider than you may realize. ” user=”SharedHope”]

Chifonne, Washington State Ambassador

We need your help to take action and offer prevention education in your community! Become an Ambassador of Hope today!

[easy-tweet tweet=”Shared Hope needs your help, become an Ambassador of Hope today! ” user=”SharedHope”]

May 26, 2017 by Savanah Lawrence

Battling Sex Trafficking in South America: From Panic Mode to Planning Mode

“We have to shift from panicking mode to planning mode.” These wise words, by the Ambassador, Permanent Observer of Italy to the OAS, Marilina Armellin, were spoken at a trafficking event hosted by the Organization of American States (OAS) which Shared Hope attended this week. During the event we learned that most countries in South America are facing the panic of sex trafficking and struggling to find solutions to its many challenges. But many efforts are underway to help the region move from panicking to planning, and from planning to implementation. And at least one country is beginning such implementation

Panicking Over the Challenges

Marcella was born in Columbia. As a young, single mother, she was the perfect target for traffickers. She worked two jobs to care for her young child. But when the baby became sick, she lost her jobs and out of panicky desperation contacted a recruiter who offered to take her to Japan to dance and make a comfortable living. But the offer was a trap. When she arrived in Japan, her passport and money were taken and she was told she was the property of the Japanese mafia and must pay back her debt by prostituting herself. She suffered for 18 months, forced into prostitution and its associated abuse, before she was able to escape. Yet sadly, upon her return to her home country, law enforcement did not believe her. She was repeatedly questioned and asked whether she was truly trafficked or simply chose to prostitute herself. After receiving no help or support, still reeling from the effects of her trafficking experience, Marcela turned back to prostitution.

Sadly, Marcela’s story is not unique. With little education and no opportunity, coupled against the prevalence of sexual discrimination, women and girls are the most vulnerable demographic in South America. Moreover, most of the countries’ infrastructures cannot handle the volume of trafficking cases. The problem of sex trafficking is further exacerbated as these countries struggle to collect data, identify victims, and provide services for trafficked victims. In sheer panic over the issue of sex trafficking, these countries focus on punitive laws rather than victim-centered policies, and like Marcela’s case, many cases are ignored, and trafficked victims return to their exploitation.

Moving from Panic to Planning and Implementation

While panic fills the region, one country is beginning to plan and implement policies to overcome the battle against sex trafficking. Argentina has moved from panic mode to planning mode. Argentina has begun incorporating three key policies and is seeing positive results. These policies are:

Identification of sexual exploitation and victims
State-provided legal representation
Preventing victims from being considered criminals.

Argentina has used an abolitionist system since 1930, incorporating rescue programs with police raids to help identify and separate victims from perpetrators. This allows victims to recognize their own status as a victim. Furthermore, Argentina has begun providing legal representation for victims. This educates victims on their rights and the trafficking legal framework, and gives victims a chance to heal. Finally, in 2009 Argentina began incorporating an orientation for the prosecutor’s office, briefing prosecutors on the trafficking legal frame work and the severity of the crime. They also implemented a law prohibiting victims from being punished for crimes they may have committed as a result of their exploitation. In total, Argentina’s success is coming as they increase their efforts to identify victims and then protect those victims from further exploitation. By creating this victim-centered focus, Argentina is seeing positive results and moving away from panic mode into planning and implementation mode.