Tread On Trafficking update

I wrote once before about Tread on Trafficking. I'm more than halfway to my goals, both fitness and monetary, but it's going to take a big push to finish. I'm not used to asking for money from people so am using the tool I'm most comfortable to do it... below is the text I'm planning to email to a lot of people tonight to push the donations over the edge.

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I don't know why, but from a very young age I was always fascinated with and furious about misuse of power in relationships between men and women. As a high school student this meant volunteering in an office that helped victims of domestic violence. In College it meant training for a Sexual Assault Support hotline that served students on campus.

Some time after college I stopped thinking about these issues so much. Perhaps it was because I was myself now in a safe marriage and simply didn't see people around me as vulnerable as I did when my peers and I were younger. My concern shifted more towards helping the children in my classroom and on being a mother.

Some time ago I learned about an organization called Love146. (See http://love146.org/) When I read about them, all the fury and grief and passion I once had in regards to issues of sexual abuse exploded once again, but with a strength they'd never had before. This organization has the courage and tenacity to confront child sex trafficking.

Read that again:
Child sex trafficking.

When I first read those words I felt the instant tension to make a choice... do I weep or do I try not to think about this horrible idea? But the more I read their site, the more I was pulled in. First I was shocked at the reality of how bad and how widespread things are out their for such a vulnerable population all over the world, including the US.

Secondly, I was touched by the love and care with which this organization handles its job of rescuing children and giving them a new life, as well as preventing prostitution and other trafficking, by helping young children have access to education.

There is a husband-wife couple in Boston that supports Love146 and which began a program called Tread on Trafficking. The program is fun and inspiring and makes it much easier for people to confront this horrible topic through building awareness during a fundraiser. Volunteers like myself choose a personal goal (usually fitness) as well as a fundraising goal.

I wasn't sure the purpose of choosing a fitness goal. In a way it seemed arbitrary. But I chose anyway to do 500 aerobic minutes (walking or biking... and walking on Shabbat wouldn't count) while also raising $500 for Love146 by the end of June. Now, everyday even if I can only squeeze in a 10 minute sprint on our exercise bike, I'm reminded to spread awareness of this topic. Every time I look at my list on the fridge of how much I've done so far, I feel inspired that, bit by bit, people can make little differences in the world mean a lot.

To that end, I'm asking your help. As I write this email I've exercised over 300 minutes and have raised just under that number of dollars. I have $200 to go. If 10 friends each give $20 or if 20 friends each give 10 dollars, I'm set. If we overshoot the goal, even better. But if you could just help out a tiny bit it would mean a lot to me.

To donate to my personal page, please click here:
http://love146.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=474460&lis=0kntae474460=E47F2EDBD1DB4F2A81AA3CE0B76D2C6B

If we get lucky and, when you decide to donate, I've already exceeded the $500 goal, I hope you'll go to this link:
http://love146.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=474460&lis=0&kntae474460=E221BFCF355E4F37AC1977F54B3F0FC3&supId=0&team=4208575&cj=Y

That is the personal page of a group of girls at the Love146 round home. These are girls who have gained a new life thanks to Love146's intervention and they also wanted to be involved on Tread on Trafficking.

Thank you so much for taking to the time to read my appeal to you. I hope you'll donate and pass on the word to others too.