January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. It makes me sick to think that we need a month for something that should NEVER happen. Did you know that 700,000-900,000 women and girls are being sex trafficked in the USA today? Sex trafficking in the United States illicitly generates more than $30 billion annually. If those statistics don’t make you sick, you need to check your heart.

Human Trafficking is a cause that I have supported for several years, here on the blog, by being part of Team Freedom which supports Hope for Justice, locally supporting Selah Freedom, and by financially supporting a few other national and international organizations. People are being trafficked right here in our own backyards and we must first raise awareness and then do what we can to raise support.

About TRAFFICKED: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare

Feature-length drama TRAFFICKED: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare is poised to release on DVD and digital HD on January 26, during Human Trafficking Awareness Month.  Directed by Joel Paul Reisig and written by Reisig, George Sunders, and Scott Voshel, TRAFFICKED is based on actual stories of American families who have had their lives uprooted after a child has been abducted and trafficked. The film will be distributed through Virgil Films.

Bob Elder, President of Collide Media Group, shares, ”Awareness is the first step towards putting an end to these atrocities in our world. Trafficked is a heart-pounding feature film reminding us of how urgent this topic is and why we need to act now.”

TRAFFICKED is the story of Allison Riley (Sophie Bolen – THE HORSE DANCER, RODEO GIRL), a beautiful young girl with a bright future and a dream of becoming a veterinarian.  On the eve of her 16th birthday, she sneaks out of her house to meet a handsome boy she met online, and disappears.  Her parents, Joanna (Kristy Swanson – BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF) and Case (Mark Boyd – WHIP IT, “12 Monkeys”), contact the police who assume that Allison is just out with a boyfriend. They reluctantly hire Private Investigator John Belton (Dean Cain – Lois and Clark, GOD’S NOT DEAD ) who has a reputation for making his own rules.  Belton quickly discovers that Allison had likely been trafficked by a handsome young man she met online, and that he’s on a race against time if the Riley’s hope to see their daughter again.

TRAFFICKED press release

My husband and I watched TRAFFICKED the other night. As all the movies we have watched about human trafficking have done, it touched us and angered us. We know that every second someone is missing is important and the fact that the police don’t consider a person “missing” until they have been gone for 48 hours is frustrating. You can travel far in 48 hours.

The story was intriguing, the acting was sometimes lacking in believability, and the production value was mediocre compered to other movies on this important topic. All of that aside, I still feel YOU need to see this movie. We need to wake up to what is happening around us. We need to be aware, which hopefully will move us to care, and then to get involved however we can.

Purchase TRAFFICKED after its release on Tuesday, January 26th and watch from the comfort of your own home!

Win a Digital Copy of TRAFFICKED: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare

This giveaway ends Saturday 2-6-21 at midnight. Giveaway is valid in USA only. All entries will be verified. Winner will be emailed and will have 24 hours to respond to the email to claim their prize. The winner will receive 1 code for a digital copy of TRAFFICKED: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Priceless Synopsis

PRICELESS is a powerful story of James Stevens who was, at one time, a good man with a great life — but that was then and this is now. After the tragic death of his wife and losing custody of his little girl, James is at the darkest crossroad of his life. Angry, desperate, and unable to hold down a steady job, he agrees to drive a box truck on a shady, one-time trip cross country for cash — no questions asked. But when he discovers what he is delivering is actually who, he is compelled to save two beautiful and frightened sisters who are unaware of the danger that awaits them. Can love, strength, and faith redefine his past and change the course of his future? This unlikely hero risks it all to save these women, confront the forces that oppose him and ultimately discover the life he was meant to live.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts on PRICELESS

The character of James Stevens, played by Joel Smallbone of For King and Country, is a flawed man in the darkest time of his life. He takes a job that seems simple enough, until he realizes that his cargo is human, two sisters to be exact. Throughout the movie he does what he can to make this horrible situation right for these girls and eventually others like them.

The movie is well acted. The story is painfully slow at times with no real story arc. The script focuses more on the plight of James than it does on the girls being sold as sex slaves. The very ending while hopeful, seems very improbable for an out of work, down-on-his-luck man. While I know the movie is a well-intentioned attempt to bring the darkness of human trafficking to light, the story falls flat and doesn’t grab the viewer and keep them interested.

PRICELESS is rater PG-13 for violence and mature themes.

PRICELESS DVD Giveaway

PRICELESS will be available digitally on January 31st and on DVD February 14, 2017. To learn more about PRICELESS visit Pricelessthemovie.com.

The post PRICELESS Movie Review appeared first on The Mom Maven.

In case you aren’t aware, according to UNICEFF 1.2 million children are trafficked each year. Human trafficking is the world’s fastest growing crime! Don’t think it just happens elsewhere, human trafficking has been reported in all 50 states. In a 2014 report, the Urban Institute estimated that the underground sex economy ranged from $39.9 million in Denver, Colorado, to $290 million in Atlanta, Georgia. It is everywhere, especially in major travel hubs. We all need to do our part to stop the atrocity.

About CAGED NO MORE

Inspired by real events, CAGED NO MORE is the story of Aggie Prejean, a grandmother on a desperate search to find her two granddaughters, Skye and Elle, who have been kidnapped by their sinister father. As the details behind the girls’ disappearance begin to unravel, it’s discovered he has taken them overseas to be sold into slavery to settle his drug debt. Aggie enlists the help of the girls’ uncle, a well-respected local philanthropist, and his son Wil, who is former Special Forces. A global hunt ensues, and the team will stop at nothing to see the girls safely returned home. CAGED NO MORE is a drama meant to engage and educate audiences on the realities of human trafficking.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

I have not been blown away by a movie since I saw War Room over a year ago. CAGED NO MORE had me on the edge of my couch for the entire movie. The script is well written and the movie is well cast. Loretta Devine is amazing as Aggie, we all need someone who loves us as much as she does for her family. Alan Powell does a wonderful job showing both the strong and caring sides of Wil.

I’m aware that human trafficking is a very difficult subject, but it is an important one. I hope you will buy the Caged No More (DVD) and share it with your teens, small groups and Sunday school classes. If you visit the CAGED NO MORE website there is a downloadable 4 week Bible study available for free. This movie is PG-13 and I agree with the rating, this movie is too intense, and the subject matter is too mature for kids younger than 13 to view.

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I was made aware of the human trafficking problems in the United States a few years ago when our local Christian Radio Station partnered with Natalie Grant and what was then Abolition International to raise money for the victims of this horrible crime. In 2013 I volunteered at the Team Freedom Pasta Party and cheered on the runners who participated in a half-marathon. In 2014, I again volunteered but I also raised my own support and ran in the 5k. This year I am not running, but I am planning to volunteer for this worthy cause.

In case you are having trouble wrapping your head around the fact that human trafficking is an issue here in the United States, here are some statistics from the film.

• 80% of sex trafficking victims are women and girls and up to 50% are minors. (U.S. State Department)
• 90% of prostituted women have been physically abused as children (Encyclopedia of Women and Gender)
• 70% of sex trafficking is linked to organized crime (Real Stories: Legal Efforts to Curb Sex Trafficking)
• 75% of prostituted women have attempted suicide (Prostitution: Factsheet on Human Rights Violations)
• 12-14 is the average age for girls trafficked into prostitution in the United States.
• Working nearly seven days a week, four women meeting a daily quota of $500 per night would earn their pimp an estimated $632,000 according to the research of the Polaris Project.
• The youngest child rescued to date by Hope for Justice was 1 year old.

12-14 is the average age for girls trafficked into prostitution in the United States.
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If those facts don’t break your heart, I doubt that you have one.

About In Plain Sight

Executive Produced and Narrated by Natalie Grant, In Plain Sight: Stories of Hope and Freedom features six modern-day abolitionists as they fight sex trafficking across America. Premieres are scheduled around the nation in during January 2015. Journeying to six US cities, the documentary opens the viewer’s eyes to what’s happening down the street “in plain sight”. Through engaging interviews with numerous victims of sex trafficking, the force, coercion, and deception of the children and women becomes apparent. In the midst of the darkness, stories of hope and freedom emerge as each survivor shares how she was impacted through the work of a sex trafficking aftercare home.

“Most Americans are completely oblivious to the fact that thousands of women and children are enslaved within their own communities,” said David Trotter, co-executive producer. “This isn’t limited to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York. We’re talking about cities across America – from Sacramento to Little Rock to Baltimore – where the unthinkable is happening.”

“The reality is that children are being ravaged day in and day out. If you have a heart beating on the inside of you, I don’t understand how this couldn’t be important to you,” said Natalie Grant, narrator and co-executive producer.

With a focus on educating the American public and motivating people to take action, the campaign centers around three resources to be released by Word Entertainment. The DVD, music album, and 31 Day Devotional & Group Study Guide are available in stores nationwide.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

In Plain Sight is a well made documentary focused on six female abolitionists who have answered the call to step out into a messy world and fight against sex trafficking here in the United States. I enjoyed hearing the vastly different stories of how God called these women to get involved in this fight and what their obedience has done to bless women and children who are victims to this crime. I was encouraged to hear from law enforcement and how their perspective has changed and how they are now seeing these women as victims-slaves instead of criminals. I was blessed to hear the personal stories of the survivors who shared what they have lived through and how God, with the help of these abolitionists, has transformed their lives and given them hope and a purpose to go on living.

I will continue doing what I can to help spread awareness and support agencies like Hope for Justice who are on the front lines every day. What will you do? Here are 31 ways You Can Take Action.

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Team Freedom is a group of 200 runners, each running at least one of the races during the Gasparilla Distance Classic Weekend. There is a 5k, an 8k, 15k and a half marathon during the weekend. Team Freedom has come together as part of an outreach through The Joy FM as a fundraiser for Abolition International.

Abolition International is an organization that fights sex trafficking and exploitation.. There are 21 million slaves in the world today. Sex trafficking is estimated to be a 35 BILLION dollar industry. Abolition International educates professionals and communities about the plight of human trafficking. They empower people to help end modern-day slavery and they invest in comprehensive care of those rescued from slavery.

We are running for those who aren’t free to run…yet. To be a part of Team Freedom, I need to raise at least $400 for Abolition International before January 31, 2014! This is where I need YOUR help. If my readers each gave something I could more than meet my goal and you can all run with me, in spirit. I will be making strips to hang off my race belt with the names of everyone who donates at least $20 to my fundraising efforts! To donate, just click on my TEAM FREEDOM link to give securely. Thank-you so much for your support. Please share this post with your friends and family so they can join my team too.

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“The holiday season provides the perfect opportunity to honor a loved one and give a gift that has real-life implications on a family in need,” said Traci Coker, World Vision Gift Catalog national director. “As little as $16 can feed a family in the US for a day or put a smile on the face of a young child by replacing their makeshift banana leaf ball for a real soccer ball.”

The catalog offers more than 250 gifts online and in the print version ranging in price from $16 to $39,000. These gifts can be purchased in the name of a family member, teacher, co-worker or child, including many affordable items under $50. Gifts available include, but are not limited to:

• Goats ($75): One of the most popular gift items because its milk provides protein for children and the surplus can be sold. More than 20,000 goats were purchased last year.
• Feed a family in the US for a day ($16): Here in the United States, 1 in 5 children lives in poverty. Gift givers can help restore hope to families that have been struck by disaster, homelessness or job loss.
• A child’s education ($32): Supplying school fees, textbooks, paper and pencils will help a child reach their full potential.
• Beehive ($150): Beekeeping is a sustainable, year-round way to generate income and is a great source of nutritious, medicinal honey and beeswax.
• Traditional water well ($13,700): A well can provide more than 2,800 gallons of fresh water every day – enough for up to 300 people – for years to come.

The best part about these gifts is that they are self-sustainable. For example, goats given to communities in Africa are purchased inAfrica. This allows transformational community development within the most poverty-stricken villages. The gifts can also sometimes double or even triple, as shown in the box below on the right (The World Vision Difference).

World Vision has also designed a way for donors to see these self-sustainable gifts in action in real time through “The True Spirit of Christmas Tour.” For the third consecutive year, World Vision staff will be traveling across the world this December to see the impact that goats, sheep and other gifts have on families and children. Donors can follow “The True Spirit of Christmas” on Facebook at www.facebook.com/truespiritofchristmas.

Since the Gift Catalog was introduced in 1996, its popularity as a gift-giving medium has grown with more than $32 million in purchases made last year. World Vision hopes to reach $34 million this year. After purchasing a Gift Catalog item, the person whose name the gift was given in receives a special card describing the gift and its impact. Donors can also receive free handmade gifts such as ornaments from Nairobi and jewelry fromThailandwith a cash contribution to the Maximum Impact Fund.

To order from World Vision’s Gift Catalog, visit www.worldvisiongifts.org.  To order by phone or to request a print catalog, call toll-free at (888) 511-6511.

One of the gifts in the catalog is a beautiful Artisan Multi-colored Necklace: Fight human trafficking through this semi-precious stone and glass bead necklace. This unique, colorful strand can be worn long or short, as a bracelet or even a belt. You can win this necklace for your very own!!

Disclosure: I received a necklace as a thank-you for writing this post. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Sarah Symons is the co-founder and Executive Director of The Emancipation Network, a social purpose non-profit business fighting human trafficking through the import and sale of handicraft products made by survivors and people at high risk for being sold into slavery, offering economic empowerment, and the hope of a future to survivors. Along with her husband John Berger, Symons started the organization with her own money and the contributions of a few concerned friends.

Prior to starting T.E.N., Symons worked both in the nonprofit and business worlds. From 1990-1994, she served as Program Director and Artist in Residence for Creative Arts Workshops, a program serving homeless kids in New York City. In this capacity, Symons provided direct services to youth, managed volunteers, planned and implemented large-scale art projects, and launched a teen program. From 1994 to the present, she has worked as a composer of TV music, and as a recording artist. She was also the founder and President of Endurance Music, a source music company and recording studio. Symons’ music is frequently heard on national network TV, and in regional radio advertising.

Symons found out about the issue of modern day slavery at a film festival, where one of her compositions was featured in a film.

This film showed people who were standing up against slavery, and putting their lives on the line to fight it – with limited resources, with emotional and physical scars from years of abuse.

“If they could do it, I felt that I had to find a way to support them. With all the resources we have in the US, surely there was something we could do to help break the chain of slavery. I met my husband John for lunch later that day, and couldn’t wait to tell him. “I just saw a film that is going to change my life!” I guess I should have said ‘our lives’ because as it turned out, fighting slavery has become a family business.” from madebysurvivors.com

John Berger is the co-founder and CEO of TEN. He brings 18 years of Wall Street business experience to the organization, having worked as an investment banker and V.P. of institutional equity sales at Prudential Securities, Schwab Investments, Smith Barney and BB&T. Berger specialized in capital markets and is an expert in evaluating companies by analyzing business strategy, management, financial structure, industry dynamics, technology and competitive position in a variety of industries.

From 1996 to 1998, he served as a Board Director and Treasurer at Creative Arts Workshops for Kids, a program serving homeless kids in New York City. At T.E.N., he specializes on marketing, sales, operations, logistics, and business development for NGO partners.

Facts on Human Trafficking

* Every 10 minutes, a woman or child is trafficked into the United States for forced labor. Source: CAST (Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking)
* In the case of trafficking for sexual exploitation, girls often have their virginity sold first, followed by multiple rapes often leading to HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Source: UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)

* The children are often “sold” by unsuspecting parents who believe their children are going to be looked after, learn a trade or be educated. Source: UNICEF

* Victims of trafficking are subject to gross human rights violations including rape, torture, beatings, starvation, dehumanization, and threats of murdering family members. Source: UNODC

* After adjusting for inflation, a slave sold in 1850, would now roughly cost $30,000 to $40,000. Today you can go to Haiti and buy a 9-year-old girl as a sex slave for $50. Source: Benjamin Skinner, “A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery.

* The total market value of illicit human trafficking at $32 billion-about $10 billion is derived from the initial “sale” of individuals, with the remainder representing the estimated profits from the activities or goods produced by the victims. Source: UNODC

* A recent CIA report estimated that between 45,000 to 50,000 women and children are brought to the United States every year under false pretenses and are forced to work as prostitutes, abused laborers or servants.

* Children are trafficked to work in sweatshops as bonded labor and men work illegally in the “three D-jobs” – dirty, difficult and dangerous.

I know I want to do what I can to get involved in helping to help the victims of human trafficking. One way we can all help is by shopping at the TEN store. They have may beautiful and affordable handmade items that would make thoughtful gifts. Today I am giving away one of my favorite items. I really wish I had one of these for my self. It is a beautiful, striped handmade paper journal. Handmade from renewable paper, this vivid 5″ x 7″ journal has a wooden cover and a button clasp. Made by Survivors in Nepal.
How to Enter: Visit the TEN Store, look around and leave me a comment telling me what item you would like to give as a gift any why.

Bonus Entries:Leave a seperate comment for each one you complete.

*5 bonus entries for making a purchase from the TEN Store

*5 bonus entries for making a donation to TEN via JustGive.org

*3 bonus entries for blogging about TEN and the plight of human trafficking

*Tweet this “@Mommaven is hosting a giveaway to raise awareness about the plight of Human Trafficking I entered you can too http://bit.ly/jpr5l”

This giveaway is open to US residents only and the winner will be chosen May 14th at 8:00pm. Good Luck!

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Slavery is not legal anywhere in the world today. No where is it ok to own another human being. Modern day slavery a.k.a. human trafficking, is the 2nd largest criminal industry worldwide. There are an estimated 27 million victims of slavery on earth today. Of that 27 million, 70% are female and 50% are minors.

Human trafficking happens all over the world, even here in the United States. An estimated 15,000-18,000 people are trafficked into the U.S. annually. In the U.S. these slaves are used as domestic and field workers  or sold into the sex trade.

Sex slavery is big business. Worldwide it generates an estimated $7 billion annually. Destitute families around the world sell their children for as little as $150. The traffickers can turn around and sell the children to a brothel for $1000.

There are many organizations worldwide doing what they can to educate parents and rescue victims. One such agency is The Emancipation Network or TEN. They help rescued survivors rebuild their lives by education, training in handicrafts to create sustainable income, and reintegrating them into society. TEN offers shelters, healthcare and legal aid to survivors. Most victims who were sold or abducted into slavery cannot return to their family’s. When they are ready to move out and start fresh, TEN offers rent support, medical care and continuing education.

TEN helps prevent trafficking by working in high risk communities to train adults and create sustainable income. Often as little as $100 a year in addition income will allow a family to not need to sell a child into slavery!

What can you do to help?

• You can purchase the beautiful handmade products at Made by Survivors.
• You can host a home party or community awareness event. http://madebysurvivors.com/HowYouCanHelp
• Donate to The Emancipation Network via Just Give

Today’s giveaway is for a beautiful Eco-Chic Wood Handled Tote Bag in Blue and White

Ultra-green product!  This unique wood-handled purse from our Eco-chic collection measures 15″ x 15″ and is made from reclaimed garbage – plastic shopping bags that were littering the landscape of Ahmedabad India.  The bags have been collected, washed and woven on a loom to create the ultimate bag and matching small case, laptop case, and camera case. The bag sells for $24 at Made by Survivors.

How to Enter

Mandatory entry: Visit The Emancipation Network and learn more about the plight of human trafficking. Then come back here and leave me a comment about something you learned about this international crisis.

Bonus entries: You may chose to complete any or all of these after completing the mandatory entry. Leave a comment for each one you complete.

• 5 entries for making a purchase from the Made by Survivors store.
• Fave this blog on Technorati-click on the button in my sidebar
• Subscribe to my RSS feed
• Tweet this on Twitter “@MomMaven is hosting a giveaway to support the survivors of Human Trafficking. I entered, you can too! http://tinyurl.com/dm8suz” leave the URL of the tweet in your comment-you may do this 1X a day.

This contest is open to US residents only and the winner will be chosen by Random.org on May 9th at 5pm.

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