I’M A FOOL
I woke up yesterday morning to a shock. News of a merger between Love146 and Not For Sale lit up social media, including a new website, and I didn’t know anything about it — which is really awkward since I’m the President and Co-Founder of Love146.
TRUST YOUR GUT
We believe the best people to protect children from pimps and traffickers are children themselves. It’s what guides our steps towards providing prevention education in schools. It’s what motivates us to empower children with practical ways to prevent sexual exploitation in their lives and in the lives of their friends.
BEAMING WITH PRIDE
Amanda’s past of exploitation began at just eight years old. She was trafficked through various cities and sold on the streets and the internet. Rescued at 14, she moved from institution to institution, each time leaving and returning to work in the bar because they didn’t send her to school. Rescued again, she came into our care.
SHOES
A couple of years ago my wife and I were in Vietnam completing the adoption of our youngest daughter. We were there for three weeks. Our daughter was almost four at the time. Because of the losses she had experienced, she wasn’t taking any chances anymore of being abandoned or left behind.
LOVE146 + FAIR GIRLS
In my first year as a staff assistant working at the U.S. Department of Education, I attended a lot of meetings. Six years removed there are few that I remember, but one lingers in my mind. Looking across the table at the people who had gathered, I remember saying something to the effect of: “Wait, are you telling me there are potentially trafficked kids in our schools?”
INVISIBILITY IS NOT A SUPERPOWER
I’m continually learning about the power of words. Do words shape our thinking or does our thinking shape our words? Is it a little bit of both? You may interpret the following as me being picky or over-sensitive. I hope that I’m not. I’m just letting you in on some of my own struggle with words, their meaning and power.
WATCHES THAT CELEBRATE LOVE
We’re always really encouraged when people look at where they are and ask the question — “What can I do to give back?” You don’t have to quit school or change careers to start working for good in the world. Many times, those making the biggest impact are the ones who take where they already are and attempt to work it for good. Our friends at Modify Watches are just the latest example of a group of people doing just that.
RAISING REBELS
Since becoming a father, I’m actually determined to raise rebels. I want my children to rebel and this resolve only deepens with each passing year.
SIX NEW GIRLS ADDED TO OUR ROUND HOME
In the past few days, six new girls joined us at the Love146 Round Home. All the girls are between the ages of 7 and 12. They represent the youngest children we’ve ever cared for at the Round Home. Mixed emotions describe how we feel…
Where do Human Rights Begin?
I think it is safe to say that we all ache for the day where we not only celebrate a proclamation, but also celebrate a proclamation becoming a reality. Not just for some…but for all. Until then…we can begin at home.
“Why I’m Giving Profits Back”
Here at Love146, we are absolutely thrilled when someone wants to take their gifts, their influence and their time to support us in creative ways we couldn’t do (much less think of!) on our own. One such effort has been growing over the last few weeks and it’s such an encouragement to us in the office that I wanted it to be shared.
LETTERS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Nicole Von Oy has been with Love146 for a while, working as our Training & Outreach Coordinator and leading much of our prevention education efforts in the United States. If you don’t know Nicole, she’s a fairly super lady — talking boldly with children who may or may not want to hear what she has to say about sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
DREAMING: THE STORY OF LAUGH
At Love146, we love hearing dreams and ideas. I’m not sure anything inspires us more than seeing people being creative as they tackle injustice.
FORGIVING THEIR FATHER
The girls in the Love146 Round Home in the Philippines are in our care because of what happened in their lives before. Their families were impoverished, or starving, or dysfunctional, or broken, which led to the girls’ susceptibility to abuse and exploitation.
PUSH-UPS, WAKE-BOARDING & MORE!
Since May 1st, hundreds of Abolitionists have been running, jumping, dancing, swimming, biking and working out — all in the name of supporting Love146 for this year’s Tread on Trafficking. As we do every year, three treaders who have been supremely AWESOME have been nominated for the Tread on Trafficking AWESOME Award.
TREADING AS PHYSICAL THERAPY
Since May 1st, hundreds of Abolitionists have been running, jumping, dancing, swimming, biking and working out — all in the name of supporting Love146 for this year’s Tread on Trafficking. As we do every year, three treaders who have been supremely AWESOME have been nominated for the Tread on Trafficking AWESOME Award.
