Our conversation with those connected through the Cal-Nevada Coalition Against Human Trafficking. Important links and bios below:
http://facebook.com/notraffickingumc
http://sharedhope.org
Linda Smith: Former Congresswoman and founder of Shared Hope International. SHI focuses on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC).
Brianna: Featured in Chosen, the 21 minute DVD that gives testimony of a 17 year old girl that was groomed and almost trafficked and a 14 year old girl that was fully trafficked. It demonstrates a common strategy of how it is done by exploiters - a process that is replicated over and over. Brianna has now graduated from Nursing School and is working to help save the lives of many girls and boys by her work in the video. If you would like for me to send you a copy of the video, please let me know.
Beth Edmonds: Volunteer Ambassador for Shared Hope. I am working to bring about awareness to as many people as I can by presenting Chosen and speaking about CSEC, to adults and children, and also hoping that we can shift the DEMAND for CSEC, which is another big piece of SHI's work. I am working with many church organizations to affect change, as the social action part of being the "feet" doing the work down here on earth for God.
Lisa VanderBoom: Founder of the California/Nevada UMC Human Trafficking Coalition, Lisa is a member of the UMC from Sebastapol, CA, and Lisa began the Bishop's call to take our faith out into the public square. She is a Mission Team Chair, on Staff Parish, Lay Rep to Conference and has answered God's call to bring her volunteer work on human trafficking into the church. Lisa calls us to remember our Methodist spiritual DNA as Abolitionists and social leaders and is grateful for Shared Hope International and the faith-based focus and support they provide on this devastating issue of child sexual slavery happening in our own country. Lisa chairs a grassroots team of Methodists and Shared Hope Ambassadors to help take our faith into the public square.
Brandon: We'll see if he's available, but for a short bio, Brandon is 18 years old, attending college, is a UMC member in Portland, OR. He is a Defender (Men) and Ambassador for SHI, he did his senior project on Human Trafficking, and had Brianna attend his high school for the day to present to his senior project. He has been working on Human Trafficking as a focus since he was 14 years old.
