*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 …
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 …
Can a Dress Change the World?
By guest writer: Annie Evelsizer It was mid-December and the bitter winds swept along the city street, empty of everything but snowdrifts in the early morning hours. She sipped a hot cup of coffee, warming her hands as she began getting ready for work. Normally on a day such as this, she would pull on her flannel lined trousers, possibly …
Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Addressing Misconceptions
20,000 calls a day are placed to domestic violence hotlines. While you may know that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, do you know what you can do to help your local programs that serve domestic violence survivors? This month, we had the privilege of talking with several domestic violence programs to learn about their greatest needs, obstacles that …
Is My Student At-Risk?
Human trafficking is everywhere, including schools. The very idea seems unimaginable. And yet, whether a school is in an urban, suburban, or rural community, students may be at risk of human trafficking and exploitation. Any minor who is recruited for the purpose of commercial sex is a victim of human trafficking. Federal law does not require force, fraud, or coercion. …
Do You Know What Human Trafficking Looks Like?
When people first learn about human trafficking, they learn the legal definitions of labor trafficking, sex trafficking, and sometimes organ trafficking. While this is important and foundational, knowing how human trafficking manifests is equally as important. Sex trafficking and labor trafficking can happen to men, women, and children, regardless of age. But knowing the definition is just the beginning – …
Eyes In The Air and On The Ground
Human trafficking is a crime that often involves travel. This may be by car, train, bus, or taxi, but it can also occur by air travel. Travel may be between countries, though it is often within a victim’s own country, between states, or between cities within a state. Air travel can be used in recruitment tactics, such as when a …
5 Risks For Youth Online
In this day and age, almost every child is online – a lot. From social media and apps to videos and homework, kids use the Internet nearly every single day, many times a day. While the Internet has positive purposes, it can also place children at more risk than we may realize. So how can we keep children and youth …
What Do You Know About Foster Care and What You Can Do?
May is National Foster Care Month, with an annual presidential proclamation dating back to President Reagan in 1988. Currently, there are over 440,000 children and youth in foster care. This month is a time to recognize everyone that helps families and youth with permanent homes and connections, including foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, child welfare professionals, and community members …