Every September, as fall is ushered in, it signals a change from long summer days to the start of routines, school, and all things sports. Yet this year, many schools and parents find themselves starting the school year with virtual or hybrid learning, without a consistent routine, and many sports and activities on hold, leaving many school staff and educators …
Why You Are Uniquely Positioned To Help End Human Trafficking
When you first hear of human trafficking, perhaps you feel overwhelmed. With numbers and statistics in the millions, it is hard to imagine what you can do. Perhaps you learned about it happening overseas, and you think you can only support from afar or take a trip there. Or maybe, when you really think about it, it appears so dark …
Your Response This World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
Each July 30th, the United Nations internationally commemorates the day as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons to raise awareness of the horrible reality that is impacting millions of lives around the world and in communities all throughout the United States. How is this happening? Human trafficking is the sale of human beings for the purposes of sexual exploitation, …
Internet Safety | The Unknown Dangers
In 2019, the CyberTipline received over 16.9 million reports of online exploitation of children. It’s hard to comprehend these figures. Yet with new games, apps, and websites readily available in a single click, many youth face dangers downloading, uploading, sharing, and connecting on the Internet. These apps and games may appear harmless on the surface, but do you know the …
Aging Out of Foster Care | A Daunting Challenge
Guest post by Annie Evelsizer For many youth on their 18th birthday of their senior year of high school, there is a desire to host a party to celebrate their first small step towards adulthood. There are worries over what should be worn, what snacks to serve, if anyone was left anyone out, and if there would be enough time …
How Can You Say “Yes”?
*This post is by guest blogger Annie Evelsizer. This story is inspired by true events and real people. As a respite care provider in the foster care system, she agreed to care for a bubbly and busy 11-month-old boy over a long weekend so his foster parents could take a family vacation. With three elementary aged biological children of …
Resource Roundup
The times may be uncertain, but we can be certain that there are still needs, and everyone is uniquely positioned to make a difference. “The work of today is the history of tomorrow, and we are its makers” – Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts of the USA Check out these resources to learn how you can be activated …
Ways You Can Engage to Meet Needs During the Pandemic
In uncertain and disconcerting times that impact our world, we can be mindful of those who are in great need and how compounding vulnerabilities impact the most vulnerable in our communities. We are encouraged to remember that while we all step back to participate in social distancing, we can step forward in our commitment to proactively help our neighbors and …
How Do I Get Started?
Throughout Human Trafficking Awareness month in January, you likely saw social media posts, news articles, billboards, and more that highlighted the reality of this crime, both here in the U.S. and abroad. This information may have been new to you, or you may have heard about it before, but you are now asking yourself, “How do I become involved in …
From At-Risk to Advocate: Equipping and Empowering Students
As we continue our Back-to-School series, there cannot be enough emphasis on equipping and empowering students. From At-Risk to Advocate When we engage with communities, we often hear from parents, family members, teachers, or school staff about their concerns for the vulnerabilities students face. Whether through social media, the Internet, or socially, teens can be at-risk and not even know …