My Love 146 Experience

As summer slowly but surely approaches, I made a list of things that I wanted to accomplish within the next year. My list grew to a few things that I've never done before, some being small/short-term goals but with lasting affects.

Amongst all the things my heart desires to do I'd like to share one of them with you. About a year ago, I was introduced to a really great organization called Love 146. They are based in New Haven, CT and their main focus is to raise awareness and help end child sex slavery and human trafficking. Their founders created this non-profit after going undercover in another country heavily stricken with the exploitation of children and women. They walked besides men who were there to buy these girls as commodities for an hour or so, playing the role just to get an inside look of how horrible this trading really is. When they got back home to the US, Love 146 was birthed and today they have rehabilitated hundred's of young children and women. A lot of those women are now married and are able to cope and move on with life.

When I was introduced to this non-profit org, I sat in front of my computer drowning in my tears after listening and reading stories of these rehabilitated children and women. Immediately something had sparked inside of me. Many of those emotions were sadness and grief and my heart went out to these people. But most of all, it was mostly righteous anger that ignited this certain passion to help...even if only from my own home. My safe home on my comfortable safe couch on a beautiful island. That's when I knew I could do something whether it be by monetary donations or getting Love 146's name out.

All I knew right then was that I wanted to help. I wanted to join the fight.

So throughout 2010, I donated a few times, engaged in Twitter campaigns and continued to share with my friends and family (if I hadn't shared it with you yet, I'm sorry) about Love 146, making sure people knew what was going on out there. Yes, I was so oblivious to the fact that sex slavery and exploitation was happening here in Hawai'i (where I'm from)...here in the US. And when I finally learned of that, my fight got bigger and I really wanted to DO something more.

A few weeks ago I learned that Love 146 was doing another campaign called "Tread on Trafficking". It's a campaign where anyone can join and walk, run, hike, bike, swim...even dance to raise money for L146 and their rehab centers (Round Homes). It's also a way for it's "participants" to get healthy and get active! Each mile you walk/run, hike, bike or swim can be worth something. Sure for me, it means I get to lose weight (YAY!) and help put my feet down to end child sex slavery and human trafficking. How cool is that?! It's awesome.

There is an actress that I admire and her name is Bethany Joy Galeotti (One Tree Hill) and two days ago she started a Tread on Trafficking team with a goal to raise $2000+ and in one day the team (who is mostly everyday people) has raised close to $900. She just raised the $$ goal to $15,000.

Let's do this!

-Che'Lyssa - a Love Warrior

Remember the Love, Remember the Child

All little ones need love.

Ever since I learned about Love146, I have been thinking much about my childhood and I do it which so much fondness and glee. I remember the games I played with my friends -- the stories we so creatively made up, the places we so loosely imagined and the dreams we so freely dreamt. All these we were able to do because we had parents and families who had encouraged us to do so. Who nourished and protected us with their love and told us that "we can be whoever we want to be, if we believed enough in it." Who allowed us to be who we were supposed to be at the time -- to be just "kids". Those were incredible years and its not because I got everything I wanted (I didn't) but because I got all that I need. I had food, water, clothes, shelter, education and love; all so easily enough and all for FREE.

It is with these thoughts that I also began to wonder how hard it must be for children without parents to look out for love and to seek for protection. And how much worst it is to have to work so hard for what they need and yet to be refused by the world from having it. It is disturbing to grasp the thought that I may only be one of the few exceptions who so loosely sauntered childhood -- not abused in any form. And it's nerving to think that I may be lucky enough to escape slavery but my future children wouldn't.

I admit, I have no personal experience regarding this grueling topic of child slavery and exploitation enough to fully understand the pain and struggle of each survivor of abuse. I can only imagine it. But I think I have so much love built in my heart courtesy of my loved ones, that I am moved to do something. It is also in gratitude of my wonderful past and in remembrance that I was once I child that I began to support Love 146.

And It is also perhaps Love that brought all of us together here at "We are All Human." It is because of our overflowing love that what started as a small tribute to the lovely Bethany Joy Galeotti turn to be huge impacter in the lives of the children at Love146. It's amazing how each of began as loving individuals and became a big group, standing and moving together to end child-sex slavery and exploitation. It's riveting what love can do.

Perhaps it's best that we constantly remind ourselves that we were all once children and that we are capable of loving. That in any case, we are asked the questions "Who could fight for the vulnerable and for those who cannot fight for themselves?", "Who could encouraged the children without parents to dream their dreams?" or "Who could give these children the love they need?"' We can firmly say "I could, you could... WE COULD."

I'll end with a reminder of who we are:

Love Warriors ~n. Fans of BJG brought together out of love.Soldiers of
Love...Defenders of Human Rights.

"We fight because of love,for love,through love. Love is simply what were made of."

And a poem:

Child's Play

If you had been a child like me
You would know how it is to be free
To see all things with innocence and glee
To have a heart as gentle as it can be
And you would grasp how it is to flee

And now with child-like wonder
And loving eyes,
Let's wish all children these,

Wish them peace
Wish them love
And a freedom to enjoy

We wish them glee,
We wish them free,
We wish them to flee,
And to be whoever they want to be.

Happy Easter everyone.

xo,

Charisse

Blindfold

When you think of wearing a blindfold most of the time it is associated with fun activities such as covering your eyes so you can hit a piñata filled with candy, or to pin a cloth tail on a picture of a donkey. All in all, we use blindfolds to keep our eyes from seeing something right in front of us and protecting us from seeing something we choose to be blind to. Once we decide to take off our blindfold, we usually do so with the utmost care and only if we feel confident that what we will see with our new found sight is what we pictured in our heads, perfection.

I have no desire to protect you from the imperfection that will come from taking off the blindfold when it comes to Human Sex Trafficking. There is no perfection when it comes to facing the blinding truth that at any point worldwide 2.5 million victims are trafficked each year. If that in itself isn’t a harsh enough reality let me shine the light even brighter and add that 1.2 million children are trafficked each year. The blinding details don’t stop there. 70% of female victims are trafficked into the commercial sex trade, a trade that’s annual revenue generated by sex trafficking is over 32 billion.

If you are reading these words you can no longer claim ignorance. These facts as blinding as they may be have been passed on to you in the form of a torch. You can hide these facts and these truths in your darkness and in turn blow out your torch and put your blindfold back on. Or you can choose to take your torch and light the torches of others until we are no longer hiding in the dark and in turn no longer have need for our blindfolds. I know what path I have chosen, so the question is now what path will you choose?

If you’d like more information be sure to follow @weareallhumann on twitter

Also my inspiration in part came from the amazing music video done by the band The Click Five you can check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_08BBIGkwA8

I'll do it later...

I said almost 3 months ago that I'd contribute to this blog, but this is only my first post. I was too busy, I didn't know what to write, I forgot, had no inspiration, other things were more important... And then I realised - this is so stupid! Why aren't I just writing anything and doing my small bit to promote Love146 and end human trafficking and exploitation?? - it's not that difficult to write a blog entry.

The principal of not putting things off is definitely one that should be applied to fighting human trafficking. There's no time we can waste when people are being treated in ways too hard to imagine. I thought to myself, if i can't even be bothered to write a blog post, I'm certainly not helping in any way. So right now I'm going to do something, anything, to help; starting with this blog. And I urge you to do something too, especially as it's #CharityTuesday. I'll either tell someone about Love146, open someone's eyes to the harsh reality of human trafficking, or donate what I can to this more than worthwhile cause. Do something now, it won't take much, just STOP PUTTING IT OFF. Every second we tell ourselves "I'll do it later" or "They don't want to hear about that..." is a second wasted in the fight to end the suffering and help the victims of this atrocious trade.

So with this short post, all I want to say is Do Something. Now.

-Hallie.

I have an itch...

To do a campaign again. The problem? I'm a little stumped with what to do. The challenge with social media fundraising is how virtual the process is. Unless you're an influencer (celeb, popular blogger, etc.), it's really difficult to ask strangers for money online. Obviously, I lack in credibility since I am simply a face behind a screen name and avatar. I don't have a song I can release to raise funds. I don't have a strand of hair to auction off. Well, I do, but only my mom would buy it out of guilt. I'd love to one day do another #WeAreAllHuman mention campaign, but I don't have large sums of money to do that again.

I don't have an emotional story tied to trafficking. I have not experienced that world first-hand. I don't have wisdom for survivors. I wish I understood why that world existed beyond the obvious reasons of poverty, exploitation and desperation. All I truly have to offer is my support for the issue. My enthusiasm to see real change during my life time, and the only way that can be accomplished is if we truly start to re-evaluate the world we live in. If we start to question everything we know to be true.

Instead of trying to answer the philosophical answers of our existence, I'd rather start small by supporting Love146 again by donating to their prevention and aftercare programs. So, the question I ask is if you would all be interested in doing something again?

I don't have any pull for celebrity involvement, but that doesn't mean what we do isn't special. That doesn't mean our efforts won't be appreciated.

I am going to list a few ideas in a poll below, and I am open to so many creative suggestions. So please vote, share, and be as creative as you'd like.

PollPub.com Vote

What type of fundraising campaign would you like to do?

A fundraising challenge - whoever raises most $ gets a prize?
Twitter mention campaign with multiple contributors?
#WeAreAllHuman / #LoveWarrior Merchandise - proceeds go to Love146?
Something similar to the Christmas Card/Thank You card - free w/ every donation?
Other - put in comment field



View Results

Poll powered by PollPub.com Free Polls

Thank you everyone who has donated and helped spread the word for #WeAreAllHuman. I'd love to do something just as special again, so please participate in the poll and share your wonderful ideas!!

xoxo,
Steph

Being Active for Love

I am sure I am not the only one that at times feels unmotivated to workout/be active in some way, but one thing I’m always motivated for is helping others. Ever since I found out about Love 146 and all they do, my desire to help even more increased tenfold. Such an amazing organization battling one of the most horrific injustices in the world: human trafficking; and I knew I wanted to help in any way I can. I personally am very excited to “being active for love” and this amazing project has increased my desire to be very active in the upcoming months. Being active has many benefits beyond burning calories, fat, and toning muscles; but it increases blood flow, have more energy and research has shown that it will motivate you to eat better…and now you can add philanthropist to that!

I hope that others out there will join in on this very influential project and “Tread for Trafficking” (Love 146.org campaign words), and help give this organization and the victims they help a better chance at a more loving life that everyone so rightly deserves. Need more motivation that what I mentioned above? There are also awards/honors/accolades to be won, as well as a possibility of receiving a 32GB iPod Touch with your choice of branded Love146.org design!! Treading starts May 1^st through June 30^th.

“If you make your best effort to be kinder, nurture compassion, make the world a better place, and then you can say 'At least I've done my best’.” –Dalai Lama.

-K

Birthday, Crowdrise, and Puzzle Pieces!

Hey everyone! Ashley here!

As we all know, today (April 2nd) is the beautiful and inspiring Bethany Joy Galeotti's birthday! On her twitter, she asked "for all of you who can to make a donation to @OfficialLove146 or @TWLOHA" for her birthday.

Well, what better a way to celebrate her birthday than to get all of the Love Warriors to donate to We Are All Human's Crowdrise benefiting Love146?

In addition to donating, for the first 60 people who donate $10 or more, we will send you a little piece of our heart in the form of a puzzle piece.

So please join me in wishing BJG a great birthday by donating to Love146 and We Are All Human in Joy's name!

Thanks!
Ashley