Without Permission Meeting Recap

“Without Permission”

Presented by Sandy Sexton

Our topic in MOPS this past week was probably not really something we like to think about, it is not enjoyable, or pleasant  yet every now and then it is good for us to be reminded of what life is like for many young people in our world, today.  Sandy Sexton came to speak to us about the terrible world of Sex Trafficking that is going on in our own backyard.  We no longer can think of this as happening only in the big cities and around the world, no, we have it all around us. 

Sandy works for the non-profit group,  “Without Permission”  that is local and has been working for the past 8 years to raise awareness and mobilize the local community to join the battle against human trafficking.  Without Permission is working to educate all aspects of the Central Valley.  They work with members of  the Justice System, Police Departments and Education Institutions as they attempt to identify and/or rescue sex trafficking victims.  When a survivor is identified, Without Permission begins the work of life restoration for the victim.  Their hope is to bring justice to the city gate.

We were told of many facts about this trade which were staggering and we found it difficult to take in the magnitude of the issue,  but getting to the individual on a human level was what gripped our hearts.  The young ages of these poor children who were taken from their families often thru supposed friends or even family members, I think caught us off guard for it to be often the result of such family break down.  Sandy told us of one young girl who was being sold by her mom at the young age of 5.  She was in the business until sometime around the age of 16, but she could not remember exactly when as she was strung out on drugs.  This poor girl was a victim of her own mother.  Where safety should be found, these children had no one to protect them.  With MOPS being a group of women who have children at or near these ages caused us to stop and take notice of this horrible thing going on.   

On the flip side, Sandy told us how Traffickers know which children are easier to go after.  They focus on children who come from unstable homes, have low self-esteem, are non-chaperoned thru parts of their days and spend time on the internet looking for friends who might offer something to fill the voids in their lives.  This hurt in a child can happen in any environment and can go so uneasily unnoticed by a parent.   

In the past 8 years Without Permission have served an amazing 345 victims in the process of walking out of this horrible life and giving them some tools that will help them adapt back into a healthy lifestyle, maybe for the first time.

Sandy, who is in charge of all volunteering at Without Permission gave us some ways that we could help out, some being more passive for those that want to help but don’t have the hours right now and then some hands on ways to help.  She told us about Amazons partnership with them to donate a percentage of your purchases from Amazon to go directly to Without Permission.  Go to Smiles.amazon and sign up and at no cost to you a portion of your sale will go to them.   She also told us of E-Script thru Google, I believe, that partners with them to sell us script for shopping at stores we already shop at and a portion of that will go to Without Permission.   She also told us of loads of ways she could use your local involvement.  You can look up their web-site for more information:  www.withoutpermission.org

As she finished off her talk and we had some time to talk around our tables, you could tell that the emotion had moved deeply into our hearts.  Even if you don’t know someone personally, when something effects a little one, we moms are touched.  This talk reminded us, at the very minimum, to pay more attention when we are out with our little ones.  Don’t let them wander off in a store to look at things in the next isle.  Take the time to talk to them and wait to hear their responses.  Make sure they know you are for them, that they are of value.  Also, our children may be fine and not a target, but maybe one of their friends they bring home could be a target.  Their home life may not be what it should be, and maybe they are needing a mom to love them and build their self esteem.  
These things may seem obvious, and may not be addressing the problem of sex trafficking, but ladies this might be the spark we need to be reminded that what you do counts.  You are important in the lives of your children.  It is while they are at home, that you can build up their self image,  that will help them not be a target when they get older.  

So along with the awareness of what is going on in our world that we need to be praying about,  may our prayers turn into actions for those of us who are lead to help. 

May this awareness be the thing that makes us active, starting with the very least of these little ones.  May the world know us because of our love. 
 
And thank you ladies for all of the stuffed toys and hair brushes you brought.  You are again, amazing.    

written by: Mentor Mom Jan