I have a friend that is doing something
simply amazing - something so wonderful that I can not help but share her story - how there is power in saying "YES" - even if you feel like you aren't big enough to say yes. She is a mom. She is busy. She has bills. She had plenty of excuses. She also realized that sometimes YES is the start of something much bigger than herself.
My beautiful friend, along with many others, is helping
to fight against world of human trafficking - you would be shocked to hear that it happens here in our city - it isn't just something far away...
It's a hard subject and one that I just can't
seem to wrap my head around, - how humans can, in the 21st century, sell and use other humans like they are worthless...but sadly enough, it does happen. I look at my daughter and cringe to think about if that was her. Every girl sold into this industry is someone's daughter...sister...niece...granddaughter...someone's friend. It is time for this to end!
Here is Lisa's story in her words:
This
is the account of how one little yes has changed everything for me in the last
two months:
One power of one little yes
This
is the account of how one little yes has changed everything for me in the last
two months:
I
have several friends who are engaged in the fight against human trafficking.
They have travelled all over the world and looked into the eyes of these girls
and women so very much like our daughters, like ourselves, and they have been
changed as a result. I have heard their stories… and honestly I tried to keep
my heart at a distance because it was too hard to hear some of the truth of
what is happening. Too painful. To overwhelming.
I
thought, "I can't even solve my own life's issues- how can I possibly
help? I am just a suburban mom. What could I possibly do from here?" Then
my friend Brandi launched a campaign called She's Worth It (shesworthitcampaign.com) to raise
money and awareness in the fight against human trafficking. She's Worth It
supports organizations all over the world who are on the front lines of this
battle against this darkness. She asked me to consider raising money…and I
avoided her e-mails and texts. But she wouldn't give up… so finally I gave in
and said I would join her and I committed with shaking knees to raise $5,000 to
support two amazing organizations- NightLight
International (www.nightlightinternational.com)
and Indian Rescue Mission (www.indianrescuemission.org)
From Love Does by Bob Goff
I said yes. One little yes. I really had no faith
that I would be able to raise $5,000- that was surely an impossible task. I
thought, "Well, I will do what I can and in the end I will just have to
tell her sorry, I tried my best." I knew I wasn't going to
ask all my friends and family for money. Not happening. So how could I even
attempt this? Then I remembered this quote from Erma
Bombeck, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I
would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything
you gave me.” I
began thinking about what I could do with what I already have in my hands. The
thought occurred to me to create a necklace with the logo for She's Worth
it…which happened to come at the perfect time for Valentine's Day. So that
night I photoshopped the heart artwork into a photo I already had of a
necklace, created an Etsy listing, sent the link off to my friend Brandi and
went to bed.
The
next morning I woke up and I had 15 orders! Now mind you, I hadn't created a
single necklace yet!! So I got to work creating those necklaces and designing
the packaging…and by the end of the first week we had sold over 100. I had to
order more supplies and figure out how to streamline the process. My friends
and family rallied around me and jumped in to help me solder, package and ship
the! first tidal wave of orders!
The
next week my friend Melody Ross promoted necklace on her Brave Girls Club
Facebook page (bravegirlsclub.com) and
I received 70 orders in 24 hours. At the end of 3 weeks I had sold over 250
necklaces and raised over $5000! Truly miraculous! And it is still continuing!
I have sold over 350 necklaces and raised over $7,000!!!
We
have shipped necklaces all over our country (40 states) and to two countries!
After
the $5,000 goal was reached I wanted to continue and to raise money for a local
nonprofit called Genesis Project (gpseattle.org)
who is on the mission "to offer hope for a new life to young women and girls
involved in Domestic Minor Sex-Trafficking in the South King County area."
They were featured in a recent documentary called "Rape for
Profit." This
is happening in our back yard. That is not OK with me! So all the money I am
currently raising will be donated to help them accomplish their mission.
What
a journey it has been. I have been changed and one of the huge lessons I
learned through this wild journey is….
You never know what one little yes will lead to.
Sometimes
it's one little yes that changes everything.
I'm
going to keep saying yes. You should too!
Lisa
Will
you join me? You can purchase a necklace through my Etsy shop here.
$20
of each necklace sale will go to fight human trafficking in Seattle! We can't
let this continue in our own country!
Thank
you so much! Together we really can make a difference!
Lisa
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