Tag Archives: volunteer

I cried through the whole movie

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A movie poster for Sound of Freedom where a trafficked boy is reunited with his father.

I’m sure glad I thought to put tissues in my purse before we went to the movies Saturday. I love going to the movie theaters, which pre COVID, we did every weekend. There was a theater a quarter mile from our house and with temperatures well over 110 degrees, a cool, dark theater was the perfect place to hang out in the summertime.

Since COVID, we’ve seen three movies in theaters. Last summer we saw the new “Top Gun.” Last month, “About My Father,” and Saturday, “Sound of Freedom.”

I’m surprised at the weird reviews “Sound of Freedom” is getting from some news outlets like Rolling Stone and Washington Post.

‘Sound Of Freedom’ Is a Superhero Movie for Dads With Brainworms — headline from Rolling Stone

‘Sound of Freedom’ is a box office hit whose star embraces QAnon — headline from Washington Post

The reviews I’ve read like those above, after watching the movie, are so far off base. They state that it’s a right-wing, Q-Anon, religious movie that’s paranoid about child sex trafficking and exaggerates the issue.

First of all, the movie is based on a true story of a former government agent who makes it his mission to rescue trafficked children. He quits his job where he was arresting pedos watching porn online to rescue children. Throughout the movie, you see the horrific truth about child sex trafficking, which is the second largest criminal activity in the world — hence the reason for my tears.

There’s nothing right-wing or “Q” about this movie — unless being against child trafficking is considered “right wing” (sarcasm alert). It makes me wonder if the journalists bothered to see the movie, or did any research about child sex trafficking? The movie brings to light a terrible tragedy that is happening around the world including in the United States.

As I’ve written before, I learned a lot about human trafficking through a charity I joined. It turns out Phoenix is one of the biggest hubs in the nation. Prior to my experience with The Dream Center, I had no clue about human trafficking and that it’s so prevalent.

The Dream Center of Phoenix is a four-year resident facility for victims of human trafficking. They provide a safe home, medical care, optometrists, food, clothing, a garden, mental health treatment and if wanted — a place to worship. Our group provides fundraising and donations of whatever they need from toiletries to clothing for the Dream Center.

Here’s a post I wrote about human trafficking facts from my education through The Dream Center. Two of the facts on that post include that 1% of sex trafficked children are rescued and the number one prospect for child sex trafficking are young boys.

Sound of Freedom is a difficult movie, but a compelling story with great acting. In my opinion, it’s important to get the message out about human trafficking so it can be stopped. The reviews are a reminder to not believe everything you read in the media!

How familiar are you with the crisis of human trafficking around the world and in our country?

On a lighter note, what good movies have you seen lately?

More good news

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Sunrise
Sunrise in our backyard.

When I went to lunch last week with a ladies group I recently joined, I sat at table with three of my neighbors. One is a board member for the group and the other two are my friends and new members also.

This group is fundraising for The Phoenix Dream Center, which is a facility to rescue and help victims of human trafficking. I wrote about that HERE.

The board member/neighbor at our table said “You’re the one with a background in PR.”

I thought to myself, “Did I really need to share that on my membership application?”

She slipped a spreadsheet and a press release across the table to me. “Can you help me get out our press release?” It was for an upcoming fundraiser.

“Sure,” I said.

“I just need you to fill in the blanks on the spreadsheet. I haven’t been able to find the contact information for some publications.”

The next morning I googled the publications with missing contact info. I was able to find some of them and I either filled out online forms or sent emails to them with the press release.

Within 30 minutes I got a response from a magazine publisher who has high end magazines for high end neighborhoods.

“I’m sold. I love The Dream Center. Can you take a call in two hours?” his email said.

I quickly texted the board member/neighbor to ask if she’d take the call. I’ve been to two meetings in two months and don’t know much about this group — like how long it’s been around, how many members there are, if they have a budget to buy ads, etc.

“I’ll be at the dentist,” she texted.

“Okay. I can do it,” I replied.

Later I got a phone call from the president of the group who said she’d take the call. Whew!

Fast forward and the president called me back to say they had an excellent call and then had a meeting the next day. They are getting free advertising from now on each month! They are getting a VIP listing and perhaps a feature article.

I’m so thrilled I helped open the door. I’m also relieved I didn’t have to take the initial phone call. I was smiling the rest of the day.

What has made you smile recently?

Horrifying facts about February in Phoenix

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Sonoran sunset
Sunset in the Sonoran Desert.

What’s going on in Phoenix this February?

Yesterday I went to a luncheon to learn about and raise money for victims of human trafficking.

The stats are truly horrifying. The presentation was by The Dream Center, a facility that rescues and rehabilitates young women and men who have been trafficked.

The speakers were Shauna Sexton, Human Trafficking Programs Director, and JoAnna Shipe, Corporate Initiatives Director. They gave us a powerful and gut wrenching presentation.

Did you know?

• That in Phoenix there is the Super Bowl and a major golf tournament going on in February? That five percent of the men attending will be buying sex? That equals more than 30,000 men looking for trafficked girls and boys.

• The number one prospects are boys from eight to 12 years old. 

• Human trafficking is the number two enterprise worldwide.

• In 2020, there was a 98% increase in online attempts by human traffickers. Why? Because of the COVID shutdowns, kids spent more time on their computers at home. Computers were no longer placed in the kitchen, but in their bedrooms. That was because parents were working from home and kids taking online classes.

• There was a 40% increase in human trafficking after COVID.

• Most kids are groomed into human trafficking over a six-month to two-year period. Often it’s online, on social media, by someone who is a friend of a friend.

• Traffickers hire good looking guys to befriend quiet, shy or vulnerable girls. They are usually 19 to 20 years old but look 14 or 15. 

• Less than 1% of trafficked kids are rescued.

• Girls and boys are trafficked an average of 10 to 12 times per day.

• The Dream Center in Phoenix has a 92% success rate of rehabilitating these kids and they transition into school or careers. They have 5,400 survivors since its inception in 2002. It’s the largest facility serving this community in the nation and the second largest in the world.

From the Dream Center website:

Our nonprofit (City Help Inc of Phoenix dba Phoenix Dream Center) was founded in 2002 as a Christ Centered Outreach Ministry.

We’re on a mission to stop human trafficking, end childhood hunger and educate tomorrows leaders. We do this through residential life recovery programs and community engagement outreach services. 

https://phoenixdreamcenter.org/story/

I wrote a story after my first meeting with this organization HERE.

Do these stats change how you view human trafficking? What organizations in your area provide services for human trafficking?

I found a mission

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Find a need and fill it. Find a hurt and heal it…

The Phoenix Dream Center

Screen shot from the Phoenix Dream Center.

Although I’m not the most social person, I said yes to attend a women’s group nearby with two of my neighbors. I’m saying yes to things like this to get to know more people in my community.

This women’s group selected one charity that fits their mission of helping women and children in need. The nonprofit they are helping is called The Phoenix Dream Center.

“We’re on a mission to stop human trafficking, end childhood hunger and educate tomorrows leaders.” –Brian D. Steele, Executive Director, The Phoenix Dream Center

Stephanie Lang, MSW, Development Manager of the Phoenix Dream Center, gave an eye opening presentation about human trafficking. To be honest, it wasn’t a subject that I’ve thought much about. The Dream Center takes people off the streets who are being human trafficked. They have a four-year residential treatment center to help heal and get these people back on their feet — whether it’s back in school or in a career.

Some of the scary facts I learned:

Phoenix is a human trafficking hub. That’s because of the freeway system. Phoenix is an easy place to access from California, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, etc.

The average age of women who are trafficked is 13. For boys, it’s age 11.

They have 67 beds and said there is a need for hundreds more.

The people being trafficked are not illegals crossing the border. 90% of them are Arizona residents from all walks of life.

Human traffickers prey on vulnerable people who want to be loved.

Unlike someone trafficking drugs or guns — who have to find a new supply each time to make money — the human trafficker can sell their human being up to 16 or more times per day.

Yes, I’m joining this woman’s group. I believe in their mission.

In addition to raising funds for the Phoenix Dream Center, we will take a tour of the facility in January. They are also working ways to volunteer in person there.

Have you found a mission that you can get behind and support through volunteering or fundraising? What is it?

Be worthy

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US Flag
This is the flag a the entrance to our neighborhood. It was donated by one of the residents.

Memorial Weekend I heard the phrase “Be worthy” repeated several times. It was in response to those who have sacrificed for our freedom. That hit a note with me. Am I worthy?

When my son was in eighth grade, his class traveled to Washington D.C. I was lucky to get one of the chaperone spots. I had never been to D.C. and felt so much emotion visiting the War Memorials and the Arlington Cemetery. If you’ve been there, you’ll understand. If you haven’t been there, you should plan a trip.

I wondered. Am I worthy? I try to be a kind person. I help my neighbors and volunteer in the community. I have for decades. I try to be a parent and wife who is supportive and understanding. I have my shortcomings. But have I done anything worthy of someone sacrificing their life for my freedom?

What do you think the phrase “Be worthy” means? How do you try to be worthy?

What a week!

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I hit the halfway point of my writing challenge at the start of the week.

Actually, not much happened out of the ordinary. But compared to most of my weeks during the past year and a half COVID days, a lot did happen.

Here’s a quick rundown:

I hit my goals for NaNoWriMo this week.

I managed to fit in posting blogs and reading other bloggers worked around my novel writing.

I played lots of ping pong and I sense some improvement.

I went to the Podiatrist and found an In-N-Out only 30 minutes from our house.

I had my first meeting as the official newsletter editor for our HOA. I met three new people who will be working with me to get the newsletter written and produced.

I took Olive the cat to the vet for shots. I had to find a new vet, since she hasn’t been to one in Arizona. I am not a person who regularly takes the cat to the vet. First of all, Olive hates it. She cries incessantly in the car and then she shudders and shakes. She doesn’t need to go to the vet if she’s not sick. But I called the place we boarded her in August to make a reservation for a trip planned in December. They told me one of her shots had expired. We both survived the trip to the vet, barely.

I talked to several of my old friends on long phone conversations after reading the article I posted on the importance of friendships. You can read that HERE if you missed it.

I went to my first NFL game in person.

Today I’m headed to our farmer’s market to get treats for Thanksgiving-week guests and my dad.

cat on a patch of grass in the house
Olive cat on her patch of grass next to pots of cat grass.

Happy Friday!

Have you noticed your weeks getting busier? Is it because we’re leaving COVID behind us? What makes your weeks busier? Or did I just have a one-off week?

To be or not to be….

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The Newsletter Editor

flagpole in HOA
Flagpole at the entrance to our neighborhood.

Our community has a newsletter. In each issue it features an article about the latest homeowner’s association meeting, updates on city utility news like trash days are changing or when bulk pick up is scheduled. There’s always a recipe, an article about wildlife or plants and a welcome to new neighbors. It’s interesting and done by a husband and wife. ‘

For the past six months they’ve asked for a volunteer to take over the newsletter. The couple in charge have done it for more than ten years, since its inception. They are done. This current newsletter stated that if nobody volunteers — then the newsletter is over.

I thought, do I want to do this? Should I do this? I’m not a newbie to newsletters. My first job in PR, I wrote at least seven newsletters a month for various clients including a city, a realtor, a hotel and three or four for a medical center (staff, physicians, research, and a couple medical specialties.) After that job, I worked for a developer and I was in charge of newsletters for several country club developments for the members. That was before “desk top publishing.” I had to type my copy, drive it to a typesetter. I would work on a layout with a pencil on paper! I took numerous trips by car to the printer with corrections to the typesetting and real live photographs. Once I had a “blueline” I was relieved.

In my free time, I did the newsletter for the Desert Advertising Club. I was a board member and volunteered my time. While raising kids, I volunteered to do newsletters for their swim team and a charitable organization I was in.

I know I can do this newsletter, it’s in my “wheel house,” but do I want to?

I thought yes and no. The pros are it’s quarterly. Not monthly. And — this is the biggie — I moved less than a year ago and I don’t know anyone except for the realtor up the street who sold us our house and an occasional hello to next door neighbor Brad. The newsletter might help me be less isolated and more engaged in my new surroundings.

Our neighborhood has five clubs, book club, coffee club, wine club, etc. But they haven’t met because of COVID. They were supposed to start up this month, but they are holding off until 2022.

The downsides — do I want to do the newsletter? Do I want to have a deadline? Do I want to be more active in the community or do I like my quiet life more?

I texted the kids, talked it over with hubby. They all think I should do it. My kids especially think I should because they know I’m happy when I’m working in my field — even if I whine about it.

I decided to sleep on it. Two days later, I decided YES. I called the number in the newsletter of the current husband and wife editors. I got the “disconnected and no longer in service” message.

I checked the neighborhood directory and noticed there was a typo on the phone number. I dialed the correct number and once again — “disconnected and no longer in service.”

I looked up their cell phone and it went straight to voice mail. I left a message and emailed them.

That was Friday. It’s Sunday and I haven’t received a call back or an email.

So to be or not to be — Newsletter Editor? We’ll wait and see.

What are your thoughts about volunteering? Do you think it benefits the people volunteering as well as those who receive service? What do you think of people volunteering because of their own agenda or motives? Can you think of any examples?