How to Save a Girl Over Breakfast

Eight hundred forks and knives clank ceramic plates in attempted quiet. Over scrambled eggs and pastries we meet police detectives, city council members, and prostitutes who were trafficked as minors. 

We hear stories from

• a Frogtown St. Paul girl who is propositioned on her way to and from school each day, waiting for the bus.

• A Woodbury suburban girl who longed to feel pretty, met a man who told her she was and loaned her money, and then asked her for favors to his friends. "I loved him," she stated softly, looking down.

• An inner city teen who was given the impossible choice: be the gang prostitute or we’ll rape your mom and kill your little brother. She silently complied for a year until her baby brother begged her to stop, guessing, “[Something’s wrong.] You’re dying. When you die, we all die.” That gave her the courage and determination to stand up against her attackers, come what may.

• A curvaceous blonde woman who said, “I didn’t think of myself as a victim. I thought I was the one in charge for a while…”  

Breaking Free is but one organization fighting to rescue women and children from coerced sexual slavery. Breaking Free is run by women who have escaped and survived “the life,” and they are passionate about helping other women and children have a way out. Unique in that they offer transitional and permanent housing during their programs (that include counseling and job skills), Breaking Free is in high demand throughout the nation, often getting calls from New York to California asking for room in their program.

The FBI lists Minnesota as one of thirteen states that has a high recruitment of minors, and Minneapolis-St. Paul is listed in the top ten American cities for human trafficking. The average age of entry for prostitution is between 12-14 years old. 

While Minnesota is just my state, human trafficking and the sex trade is rampant, and growing at a ferocious rate. Find your state and other info here.

To read more, see Calls in the Dark and and the exciting, hopeful story in Cookies, Milk Shakes and Hero Truck Drivers and a super easy way to help today!

For an easy way to help right now, and on the Thanksgiving drive to Grandma’s house, see Turkey Travelers: Heroes in Disguise and click print when prompted!

Join me, friend, in fighting this. There are so many easy ways to rescue women and children. Learn more. What have you heard about human trafficking in your area?  

Linking with Emily and Shanda.