From a team of seniors at The Blake
School. We have been actively working against sex trafficking for over a year.
We have talked to organization leaders, police enforcement, and worked directly
with youth survivors. We feel we have a responsibility to our community to work
against this harmful practice. We want to continue our anti sex trafficking
efforts throughout the summer and into college. This year, we have decided to combat
the issue of sex trafficking by raising awareness and creating a sense of
urgency by bringing community members together at an event sponsored by the
Carlson Foundation, the Community Development and Outreach organization, and
the Blake School. We are also partnered with The Women’s Foundation.
Our event
is a screening of the Minnesota premiere of the film I AM JANE DOE. This film
has been prominent with major media companies recently; Hearst Media just
screened the movie in NY. In addition to raising awareness with the film
content, our screening will also be a fundraiser for the Link, which works to
provide exploited youth with affordable housing, healthcare services, emergency
shelter and much more.
n addition, they are working to expand the reach of the
Safe Harbor laws, which currently decriminalizes trafficking victims under 18,
to decriminalize victims older than 18. At the screening, we will have speakers
from the Link, including the executive director, Beth Holger-Ambrose, and
several members of their Youth Survivor Committee. The proceeds from the
screening will go to the Link and thus be put towards the purchase of more
housing for trafficked victims, therapy services and other supportive measures
for the exploited youth.
The movie I AM JANE DOE “chronicles the epic battle that
several American mothers are waging on behalf of their middle-school daughters,
victims of sex-trafficking on Backpage.com, the adult classifieds section that
for years was part of the Village Voice. Reminiscent of Erin Brockovich
and Karen Silkwood, these mothers have stood up on behalf of thousands of other
mothers, fighting back and refusing to take no for an answer.”
I am writing to you because we want members from the
larger Minnesota community to come together at our event. We feel that
this issue is extremely important to confront as it affects youth right at our
doorstep and it is not acceptable to have youth in our community fall into this
life. We hope to have attendance from students and family members from all over
Minnesota. I am reaching out to you specifically in the hopes that you would
share my message and this event with the members in your community and at your
school. We would be so grateful if you could spread the word about our event
using any means at your disposal.
Here is
the link to the facebook:
And the link to the ticket vendor (tickets need to be purchased
prior to the event online):
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