Piedmont Park
Did you have a good weekend? It was beautiful here in Atlanta. Did you get outside and enjoy the warm weather? Or did you take a trip for Father’s Day?
There was a lot going on in Atlanta not just for family fun, but also in the fight against sex trafficking in America. People often ask me,
What can I possibly do to make a difference?”
My husband and I spent Saturday morning in Piedmont Park running the Wellspring Living Run for One 5K. The weather was perfect for a morning run and the scenery was spectacular. There were multiple volunteer opportunities for those wanting to support Wellspring and the work they do. You could sign up to walk or run the 5K, which helps raise financial support for Wellspring. If you’re not a runner and aren’t up to walking a 5K, you could assist the staff with check-in, the fueling station, or cheer the runners on throughout the course. It was great fun. Mary Frances Bowley, the founder of Wellspring Living, was among the loudest cheerleaders in the crowd.
Me with Mary Frances Bowley, founder of Wellspring Living.
I loved how the Run for One was more than a catch phrase. When you signed in, you were given an armband with a survivor’s name on it. There were banners with each girl’s story posted so you learned how she was taken into the trade. When you crossed the finish line, you were given the rest of the story…. how Wellspring helped lead her into a new life. It was very eye opening. This 5K was just one of the opportunities to fight sex trafficking this past weekend.
Founder, Jeff Shaw giving away a copy of Rescuing Hope at the Out of Darkness Training.
If being involved in a 5K wasn’t your thing, you could have attended the Out of Darkness quarterly volunteer training. It was held in Gwinnette County. Those interested in learning about the issue of sex trafficking in the state of Georgia had the opportunity to gain insight into the issue and learn about all the ways Out of Darkness works to combat the issue. They learned about Princess Night, Solomon House, the state hotline number, the rescue team, the jail ministry and how they could become a part of any of those teams.
These were just two options held in one weekend in Atlanta. The opportunities are endless. Get creative.
Clean out your closets or garage and then have a yard sale. You can take the proceeds from the sale and donate them to your favorite front line organization. If you need some suggestions of organizations, you can find several here.
If you want to take it one step further, you can put up signs or posters about the issue of sex trafficking so those who come to your yard sale gain some insight into the issue. If you contact the organization you’ll be supporting, they’ll likely send you print material you could make available for those who attend your yard sale.
Being a part of the fight against sex trafficking doesn’t require a special set of skills. It simply requires a willingness to serve. God is looking for people who will raise their hand to volunteer [Isaiah]. He will give you all you need to do what He calls you to do [Hebrews 13:20-21].
It’s Monday. You have all week to come up with a creative way to fight sex trafficking next weekend, or the weekend after that and so on. Be creative. Think outside of the box. If you have a creative way to join the fight, please share it here. The more creative the better!
We did it!
Leave A Comment