Today, we spent the morning volunteering at Mosaic House, a community home for victims of human trafficking operated by Mosaic Family Services. Many of you may not know what human trafficking is. Basically, the trafficking of people is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Annually, about 600,000 to 800,000 people -- mostly women and children -- are trafficked across national borders which does not count millions trafficked within their own countries.
Examples of recent cases of human trafficking in the U.S. include adolescent Mexican girls trafficked to the U.S. for forced prostitution, Indian men trafficked for forced labor, and African women and children trafficked for domestic servitude, among others. People are snared into trafficking by many means. In some cases, physical force is used. In other cases, false promises are made regarding job opportunities or marriages in foreign countries to entrap victims.
Today we got to help out some of these people, 18 women and 16 children to be exact. The childrens' shiny, now happy faces, greeted us at the gate, yes the facility is gated as some of these people are in hiding. The staff was warm and friendly and seemed genuinely glad to see us. Armed with paint brushes, brooms, new screen doors, blinds and a whole lot of gusto, we started our day tackling some of the much needed TLC work on this community home. We spent three grueling hours in the 105 degree Texas heat doing everything and anything that these people needed. Mosaic has provided them with a loving, safe home - we just wanted to provide them with some additional help and the knowledge that perfect strangers care about them. I will say, Project 7 peeps don't smell.. or look so good after three hours of 105 degree heat... But it was all worth it for the genuine "thank yous" and smiles that we got at the end.
Stay tuned for our "P7 goes to Mosaic" Video. And remember, it doesn't take much to help "change the score." Just a little time and energy. Do something nice for someone else today. If for no other reason than we said so!
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great post jeanne… eye opening to see these kinds of trafficking crimes going on in your own backyard. this is one of the reasons we do 7 day is to learn what is going on locally in these 7 areas of need we support… while at the same time we are educating ourselves we can help bring awareness to anyone w/ an internet connection. i almost think that the term “human trafficking” is too soft of a PR word… it takes too long for “people to get”. Its modern day sex and labor slavery… that doesnt roll off your tongue as easy…
hey my mom works in a company called flavorroad or you mite have seen it as fibre but she meet you guys at a convention in california and just today i was at caribou and saw your bottles. I think what you guys are doing is great and i want to help in any way possible!