Salvation Army Continues Fight Against Human Trafficking

Did you know that The Salvation Army’s fight against sex trafficking of young women and girls as early as 1865? Don't feel bad, I had no idea either until most recently after reading a list of upcoming events centered around one of the biggest epidemics stretching around the globe today.

Photo Credit: BSCC

Even now one hundred and fifty years later, and despite slavery no longer being legal the Salvation Army's fight against human trafficking hasn't abated and remains high on their agenda. With an estimated 27 million people in bondage worldwide and enslaves approximately 1.2 million children each year.

Undaunted by the numbers, The Salvation Army continues to work for the abolition of trafficking through legislative and policy initiatives, through awareness and education, and by offering safe houses for victims.

To learn more visit The Salvation Army's official website or even better there are several Human Trafficking educational conferences or events endorsed by them.

Upcoming Events include:

Canada:

One Voice One Hope – Human Trafficking Seminar
March 30-31, 2012
St.
 Josephs
 Hospital
268 
Grosvenor
 Street
London, Southwestern Ontario

For more information, click here.

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Houston, TX:
Reducing the Demand Concert
Saturday, March 31, 2012
7:00 - 9:30 pm
First Presbyterian Church of Houston
5300 Main St.

This concert will feature the Robbie Seay Band. For more information, click here.

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Marietta, GA:
Introduction to Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children for Mental Health Professionals
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
9:00 - 4:00 pm

For more information, click here.

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Kansas City, KS:
Demand Change Conference
Friday, April 13, 2012
9:00 am

For more information, click here.

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Canada:
Community Forum on Human Trafficking
Saturday, April 14, 2012
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
For more information, click here.

Goodwill Loving

Valentine's Day is the day we share the love, but Goodwill wants you to remember to share your donations as well with a special holiday greeting ecard! The card is an endearing, but fun way to remind people that their clothing/household donations go along way after Valentines Day.

Holidays May Be Over But The Charity Continues

The holidays maybe over, but the merry continues with the sale of Mistletoe & Holly by actor Rober Davi on Amazon.


Described as "spreading love through charity" by one satisfied reviewer, 100% of the song's proceeds will be donated to The Salvation Army's 120th annual Red Kettle Campaign. To hear a sample or to buy, visit Amazon.com.

JCPenny and Salvation Army Team Up To Help Make Christmas Dreams Come True

Once again, JC Penny and The Salvation Army have teamed up to sponsor the Angel Giving Tree, a nationwide donation program to help children and seniors in need during the Christmas season.

Entering its third year, the Angel Giving Tree has helped more than sixty thousand "angels". And this year the program has expanded by allowing company's or organziations to adopt ten or more angels as a group instead of just as an individual. Just choose "find a group" to search for existing groups, or choose "create a group" before selecting your angels(s). This way your angel adoption will count toward your group's adoption goal.


To select an angel, visit Angel Giving Tree Online . There you will be guided through a short Angel selection process, then after choosing an Angel online, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to shop for your Angel from their wish list and where to ship your gifts.

Deadline for adopting and shopping for an Angel is Dec. 9. These dates ensure that your Angel receives your gift(s) on Christmas Day.

Goodwill Appreciates Veterans

Goodwill® appreciates America's veterans. And as a way to give back to those who've served our country, Goodwill has committed itself to helping servicemen and women and their families make a successful transition into civilian life with access to transitional housing, job training or employment. And the service isn't just limited to returning veterans from the wars in the Middle East. The program is available for all those who've served in all periods of combat, from Vietnam and the Gulf War. Employment services is also available to military spouses and families.

What can veterans and their families expect?

As a part of the Obama administration's Joining Forces Initiative, Goodwill will work with serviceman to come up with a life plan that identifies and sets realistic, achievable goals. Veterans are also given access to a variety of family strengthening services offered by Goodwill and if they can’t meet the veteran's needs, they will connect them with a community partner who can.

Veterans will also have access to Goodwill's GCFLearnFree, a program that offers more than 750 self-paced online courses in computers, math, reading and more.

For more information about Goodwill's services and programs for veterans, contact the Goodwill workforce development team in your community.

Childhood revisted, booth shopping at the Jumping Flea

Every Saturday was errand day. The one day in the week where my mom raced around trying to complete everything she'd been unable to do during the week. And of course, she lumped us in her game plans from helping her clean the house to shopping for groceries or heading to the area mall.

Between you and I, I hated Saturdays. Who wants to spend half of the morning cleaning up or looking for women's underwear? Not me, I wanted to be left alone in front of the TV to catch up with the current escapades of Superfriends or outside riding with my bicycle gang.

Alas, I had no such luck. So I guess I made the most of it, especially when one of my mother's favorite errands included a trip to the local flea market, The Jumping Flea. This is where my love for picking through old junk and all things thrifty was born.

Admittedly, I hadn't been back in years, but this morning as I strolled the aisles of this open air market filled with everything from some one's kitchen junk drawer to their attic, it felt like I'd never taken a break. I was still wowed by all the stuff and wished I had more money in my wallet so I could take away every thing I laid my hands on. Even now I wished I'd had five bucks left on me to pick up the Hardy Boys lunch box circa 1977. I could so see myself pimping that at the disco. Le sigh...

PICS FROM CHILDHOOD REVISTED...

Paradise found

Does this dress come in winter white?

I'll have one of those...and one of those...and oh that over there!

Hmm...am I up on my toothpaste?

What about you? When was your love for thrifting/picking born?

Local Project Puts Food in Kids' Backpacks

Most children take a backpack to school filled with required school supplies that will allow them to do their school work. But this weekend about a hundred local school children will be bringing home an extra backpack -- one donated by the Children's Hunger Project.

I met Mr. Barnes personally a couple months back during the initial planning phase of this project. And he's really passionate about his program and didn't ask for much just that people realize that there's a need out there and that if we're able to fill that need we should step up in any capacity that we can and not just with his program.

Coinciding with the start of the school year, at least 100 students at Riviera Elementary School in Palm Bay will receive backpacks on Friday that will be filled with enough food to see them through the weekend. Menu items include: cereal, Vienna sausages, beef ravioli, spaghetti & meatballs, milk & juice, a snack bar and various fruit desserts.

The Hunger Project is financed through private and corporate donations, some of which come from members of the group's board of directors and the public as word spreads.

If you would like to learn more about the Children's Hunger Project visit their official website to learn more about the program or to donate.

Donate and Earn a Vacay!

Many people donate their clothing or household item or Goodwill without expecting anything in return. But for the month of August Goodwill Central Arizona is returning a favor with "Make a Donation for a Vacation" contest!

By entering in one of three way, you could win a travel-themed prize package that includes a $400 Southwest Airlines gift card, Sony Handycam HDR-XR350V, Tumi luggage, and a $500 AMEX gift card. Now that's great incentive to go on a Vacay today, no?

So how do you enter? By Sunday, August 28, 2011 you can enter by either filling out an entry form and placing it in the entry box at participating retail locations; use one of the kiosks in front of the store by clicking on the “Make a Donation for a Vacation” icon or texting "Goodwill" to 269411.

Good luck and send me a post card if you win!

Family Circle Magazine Continues Partnership with Goodwill

Family Circle magazine continues its partnership with Goodwill's Donate Movement! In its third year with the program, Family Circle and its 19 million readers have made a huge impact on this grassroot program who's main purpose is to let people know that their donations "have the power to make a difference in people’s lives, strengthen communities and create a healthier environment."

Since 2009, Family Circle magazine and their readers have donated almost 20 million pounds of goods to Goodwill. And this year they want to beat some records. So much so, they are sponsoring a contest where they are asking people to take a photo of what donating means to them or a picture of their kids with their Goodwill donations.

To enter all you have to do is get your donations together, take a photo, donate your items at any Goodwill between July 22-September 30, then upload your donation photo at facebook.com/familycirclemag.

Oh, don't forget to ask your friends to vote on your photo. The photo with the most votes wins a $5,000 Back-to-School Shopping Spree!

Need to find a Goodwill near you? Use our directory!

Photography Competition Looking To Capture Essence of Salvation Army

London-based All the World magazine is hosting a global photography competition to capture the essence of Salvation Army. As neighbors of the The Salvation Army International Headquarters in London, All the World magazine wanted to provide a way for the world to really see the true impact of the Salvation army on a local level.

And with a division of the organization in more than 120 countries, All the World magazine editor Kevin Sims’ says the lens could capture anything from 'an open-air meeting in Africa, a soup-run in Europe, a Salvation Army school in Asia, or a worship service in the Americas.'

Do you think you have the artistic eye to capture the essence of your local Salvation Army on film? Be creative as you want! It just might get you featured in All the World magazine and an appearance in a London exhibition.

To submit photos, email digital files to IHQ-alltheworld@salvationarmy.org, and send print copies to:

All the World Photographic Competition
The Salvation Army
101 Queen Victoria Street
London EC4V 4EH
United Kingdom

Click here to read submission requirements and contest information. The deadline to enter is August 15, 2011.