Beyond Awareness on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
Steven Phenix
Today, January 11th, is the 14th annual National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
January is the eleventh annual National Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month.
After 14 years of raising awareness, it’s time to start talking more about providing restorative care for the survivors. At The Refuge, we believe there is no rescue without restoration. Awareness without action is like crying "FIRE!" in a crowded movie theater -- and then everyone remains in their seats.
Click to watch Circle of Hope video!
If you’d like to go beyond simple awareness and take a deeper dive with front line care organizations like ours that are making a difference with comprehensive services for real trafficking survivors, please watch Circle of Hope, a short film about The Refuge Ranch at https://therefugeaustin.org/video.
If you would like to do more than wear blue again this year, please SHARE this video everywhere and let’s get people talking about providing restorative care for survivors.
TAKE ACTION: Activate your network, help change the national narrative
When we first broadcast Circle of Hope last fall, a national magazine and nightly network news show wanted to share our mission to millions of people. We were thrilled because outside of the residents, staff members and advocates directly involved in the survivors' care, very few people have been inside our gates since we opened. However, both media outlets wanted to interview a “victim.”
We explained that we never ask the children in our care to participate in any promotional photos, written testimonials or pixelated videos. They couldn’t consent to being trafficked and they can’t consent to be interviewed about it either. The power balance is off and way too many would agree to talk about what happened to them, even though re-living everything will be triggering. We won’t further exploit the exploited.
Telling this story of children who need long-term care has always been a challenge, especially more so now during a pandemic and massive social upheaval that affects everyone.
So, we are asking you to help by sharing our video and telling all your friends on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day that it’s time to go beyond simple awareness. Ask your friends to pause their evening Netflix binge for just thirty minutes to find out why trafficking survivors need more than awareness – they need restorative care and long-term therapy. If the video moves your friends to act, please direct them to our website, where we have opportunities to help survivors now, and as we grow and expand, many more in the months and years to come.
Please share this video: https://therefugeaustin.org/video
TAKE ACTION: Double your donation
Did you know that thousands of companies offer matching gift programs to encourage philanthropy among their employees? By simply filling out this easy form, you may be able to double, or even triple the impact of your gift.
If you gave to The Refuge in the last six months, many employers will match retroactively.
Does your employer participate in gift matching?