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