Donated Hygiene Items Bring Hope to Sex Traffic Victims in Metro Detroit

I'm a proud Detroit native. I learned a lot of tough life lessons growing up on the streets of Detroit....one of them being how to read people. I pride myself on my sense of perception. It often amazes me how someone can be blindsided by the same trouble that I can see coming from a mile away. However, recently, my sense of perception has been challenged and I want to pass that challenge on. You see, sometimes what we believe we see is really what we want to see and not necessarily what is truly there. Foe example, in Detroit, when you see a certain type of girl on Michigan Avenue at 2 a.m., you make assumptions about why she's there and what she's doing. Short skirt, exposed breast, semi-grungy, stiletto heels.... it's clear she's working the block right? Maybe....but according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, in the city of Detroit, it's more likely that the block is working her.

Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery where men, women and children are forced into prostitution, domestic servitude and other labor for little or no pay.  It is the second-largest and fastest-growing criminal industry in the world and Michigan is the No. 2 in the country for human trafficking. Victims of human trafficking are controlled by force, fraud or coercion, for the purpose of sex or labor exploitation.  Statistics show that children are especially at risk being that 40% of human trafficking cases involve the sexual exploitation of a child. In the short span of a moment, an individual's life can be changed forever as they are exploited and trafficked from state to state like cattle.

It's distressing to think that such darkness exists in the city that I came from. However, recently, I learned about an organization in Detroit that is a beacon of light for victims of human trafficking called All Worthy of Love, which is a justice focused non-profit that reaches out to men and women enslaved by street-prostitution.  They work to prevent sex-trafficking through awareness, promote awareness through various speaking engagements at local churches, schools, and small groups to educate the community of modern day slavery, and rescuing victims of trafficking through weekly outreach. All Worthy of Love develops partnerships with local organizations that offer safe housing and restorative care to help victims. The individuals that work on their outreach teams are fearless. A team of 4 go out to the same neighborhood every week. They reach out to men and women working on the street and visit several crack houses to pray with prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers, and gang members.

I was inspired to come up with a way that I could help this cause. I was informed that hygiene items are an outreach tool that's used to help victims so I spearheaded a prison fundraiser to collect hygiene items to donate to All Worthy of Love. I am pleased to say that I was able to achieve my set goal of collecting a couple hundred items to create care packages for 35-40 victims that includes shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, soap, and lip chap. It's my sincere desire that these items would symbolize hope to the victims...a light at the end of a dark tunnel.....a way of letting them know that somebody sees them and somebody cares. I know what it feels like to be in prison and to feel forgotten. I also know what it feels like to receive the gift of hope. It changes everything.

If you know of someone who is being trafficked please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline Number (888-373-7888).

Until Next Time....Live Your Life on Purpose,
Robert

Gus Harrison Correctional Facilty Inmates give over $3000 to Homeless Kids and Domestic Violence Surviors

A wise person once said, “If you don’t like the direction your life is going…change it.” It’s impossible to grow as an individual without embracing change. Complacency is an intellectual prison where too many people are happily serving life sentences. Over the last 15 years of my life, I have had to embrace both changes that I initiated and changes that were impressed upon me. Each change presented me with an opportunity. I could resist change and stunt my growth or I could utilize the change to help transition me further along in my journey for freedom. One of the things that I became mindful of over the years, was always looking for an opportunity to give back whenever possible. Recently, as a warden forum representative at the Gus Harrison Correctional Facility, I was given an opportunity to participate in a community initiative that provided $3,000.00 to a local community in need. Giving back to the Lenawee County community has become an annual effort by inmates at the Gus Harrison Correctional Facility.

On August 29, 2016, the Warden’s Forum and Prisoner Benefit Fund at Gus Harrison made two donations to two great causes. The money that was given was raised by inmates like myself.  It actually comes from the fund that collects money through inmate food purchases that are made outside of everyday meal times.

The first donation that we made was $3,000 to the Catherine Cobb Domestic Violence Shelter in Adrian. This shelter operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide a place where survivors of domestic violence can go by themselves or with their children and find physical safety in a home-like setting.

The second donation that we made was to the Lenawee Intermediate School District in the form of $3,000 worth of school supplies. The supplies is specifically designated to help homeless students. Surprisingly enough, there are at least 700 of in the county. One of the challenges that keeps these kids from attending school is having the proper supplies.

Both of the organizations that we gave to assist individuals who are at a pivotal point in their lives. We’ve all been at a crossroad in our life.  A place where change was insistent and scary. Some of us had a friend, relative, or kind stranger to make the transition a bit easier. And others of us earned our degree of survival at the school of hard knocks. My utmost desire is that the earnest effort that myself and the other inmates at the Gus Harrison Correctional Facility have made to be a blessing to someone facing changes in their life will have a positive impact on the intended individuals and a ripple effect on both this local community and the audience reading this post.

To read the entire story visit

http://www.lenconnect.com/news/20160830/gus-harrison-prisoners-donate-3000-to-two-groups

                      (Copyright: Photo taken by Lonnie Huhman of lenconnect.com)

Until next time….later….

Robert