The Sixth Day of Freedom

6th Day of Freedom: Write a blog or letter to the editor regarding the issue of human trafficking. Education is the key to fighting human trafficking!

      There are few things more powerful in this day and age than the power of the human voice. Over the past few years, blogs have grown to an incredible level of popularity and thousands of blogs have gained a loyal following. Video blogs, written blogs, both have the power to education millions of people about the horrors of human trafficking. Imagine if so many people were blogging about trafficking that the phrase “human trafficking” started trending on the internet. The only way to end trafficking is to educate the masses about it.
     The human collective is an incredible force. People who live in the United States have have an unimaginable power to speak out in comparison to many places in the rest of the world. Instead of using their right to free speech to bad mouth celebrities, I’d like to see that power be put to good use. Can you imagine what would happen if the majority of the United States population banned together and decided enough is enough? We have the right to hold our government accountable to do more to end slavery in the United States and perhaps that will carry on to the rest of the world. The only way we can hope this will happen is if people know that it’s happening. Americans spend an incredible amount of time on the internet, much of that time on social networking sites, reading/ writing blogs and interacting with others on the internet. What better place to bring to light trafficking’s existence? It doesn’t take a very long time, these posts take me about 20 minutes to write. Nowadays there are so many anti-trafficking organizations with their own blogs, it can be as simple as posting a link to one of those blogs and telling your readers to take a look. Perhaps though, you’re not part of the “blogosphere” and would rather contribute in another way. Newspapers frequently accept “Letters to the Editor” and will even publish well written, well researched articles that are submitted by the general public. Simply sending a newspaper an email saying that you are interested in seeing an article written about trafficking can be enough to get the paper involved and you will now be reaching the readership by just giving the paper a suggestion.
     We can’t expect people to spell if we don’t know the alphabet, just like we can’t expect people to care about ending trafficking if they don’t know it exists.

By: Danae Zimmer

The Fifth Day of Freedom

5th Day of Freedom: Get involved! Volunteer with a local anti-trafficking organization. Many of these organizations are in need of assistance with administrative needs, planning events and helping raise awareness on the issue of Human Trafficking.

One of the biggest problems the world faces, particularly in the United States, is that anytime we hear about anything the least bit unsettling or uncomfortable, we are more than willing to turn a blind eye. People often times find themselves following the old saying, “ignorance is bliss”. However, ignorance certainly isn’t  always bliss, especially for those people being ignored. It’s easy to pretend that trafficking doesn’t exist if it’s not something you’re exposed to everyday. Unfortunately, just pretending it doesn’t exist doesn’t make it disappear. The only way trafficking can be eradicated is if we face it head on! Volunteering is so important. Non- profits are in constant need of funding and even just an extra set of hands. As I’ve said before, you’ll be hard pressed to find a non-profit organization that turns away your offered help; they will find something for you to do. You just have to keep an open mind. Volunteers can’t expect to be working with trafficking survivors on their first day there, but maybe they need you to make calls or copies. Men and women who work in non- profit organizations are almost always under tremendous pressure. There are a million things to do and never enough time in the day. Sometimes the best way is to help those who dedicate their lives everyday to helping survivors get their lives back. Check out local organizations fighting to end human trafficking once and for all:

Amigo’s Center – Bonita Springs, FL
Argentina RATT
Bonita Assistance Program – Bonita Springs
Broward Human Trafficking Coalition
Cafe of Life – Bonita Springs
Caffa – Miami, FL
Catholic Charities Of Central Florida – Orlando, FL
Catholic Charities Of St. Petersburg – St. Pete, FL
Central America Regional Coalition Against Human Trafficking (Co-Founders)
Child Rescue Network
Childrens Advocacy Center – Ft. Myers, FL
Christian Care Counseling Center
Clay Behavioral Center – Middleburg, FL
Coptic Orthodox Charities
Courtney’s House
Eden Fellowship Church – Pensacola, FL
Familia Mora Arriaga
Families First – Jacksonville, FL
Family Resource, Inc. – Pinellas Park, FL
Florida Abolitionist
Florida Commission on Human Relations
Florida League of United Latin American Citizens
Florida Migrant Interstate Program
Florida Salvation Army
Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights
Floridian Hotel, Inc. – Homestead, FL
Free International
Global Child Rescue
Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services – Clearwater, Fl
Harbor House – Orlando, Fl
Jacksonville Community Task Force – Jacksonville
Justice at the Gate – Orlando, FL
Klaas Kids
Kristi House
Marco Island Knights of Columbus
Maryknoll
Miami Movement Against Human Trafficking – Miami, Fl
Not For Sale Campaign – Los Angeles, CA
One Way Out in Ft Myers
Organization of the Americas (OAS)
Orlando Rescue and Restore Coalition
Orlando Youth for Human Rights
Project Help – Naples, FL
Ricky Martin Foundation
San Diego Bilateral Safety Corridor
South Brevard Women’s Center – Melbourne, FL
Southwest Florida Women’s Digest
Stand Up for Kids
Stop Child Trafficking of Tampa Bay
SW Florida Episcopal Diocese
SW FLorida Historical Museum, Ft. Myers
Tampa Bay Youth For Human Rights – Tampa
Tampa Human Rights Walk-a-thon
Tampa/Clearwater Rescue & Restore Coalition
Tiny Stars
Women’s Center Of Jacksonville – Jacksonville, FL
World Relief

Get involved with a local anti-trafficking organization and see how you can join the fight to end modern day slavery!

By: Danae Zimmer