January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Human trafficking is a serious problem that deserves a concentrated campaign to spread awareness in order to help more victims. The Department of Homeland of Security defines human trafficking as a “modern-day form of slavery involving the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain.” In fact, an estimate states human trafficking is a 150 billion dollar industry. Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking. Traffickers often use violence, threats, deception, and other manipulative tactics to take control of their victims. The most common victims, around 71%, are women and girls. Furthermore, 50% of human trafficking victims end up used for sexual exploitation. This is a very scary reality and the industry continues to grow. This is why informing people of Human Trafficking Awareness Month has never been more important.

Victims of human trafficking need support and understanding combined with recovery methods to help them break the vicious cycle of abuse. Organizations combating human trafficking have used Charity Charms as a wearable symbol to signify there is hope, help, and to spread awareness of this problem.

Bangle Charm Bracelets with a Heart-Centered Message

We are honored to work with Short Creek Dream Center to launch a bracelet program in 2019 to support women who benefit from their services. The custom bangle charm bracelets we created with the Dream Center focus on a heart-centered message. They ultimately serve as a reminder to these women they are safe and they are important.

The bangle charm bracelets each feature a 15mm pewter heart charm. On the back, each charm features the letters DC with a smaller heart. Additionally, each bracelet features a two-sided branding bead with key words: dream and conquer. Adding these important words reinforces the hopeful message these bracelets instill in women.

Each woman benefitting from services at the center receives a bangle charm bracelet as a symbol of hope and promise for the future. A special message card accompanying the bracelet reads:

About Short Creek Dream Center

The Short Creek Dream Center provides refuge and care to the people in Colorado City affected by Warren Jeffs. They provide valuable residential life skills and community engagement. They strive to help families be happy, healthy, and live their lives to the fullest. Most importantly, they offer counseling and therapy as part of recover to victims with these complex needs. They offer opportunities to help victims receive their high school diploma, GED and more. Short Creek Dream Center helps victims and those in need learn the valuable life skills to help them better their future.

Human trafficking shows up in all kinds of scenarios. The Dream Center in Colorado City is part of a network affiliated with the Phoenix Dream Center and StreetLight USA both based in Phoenix, Arizona. We recently visited the StreetLight USA center where they help young women and girls who are victims of child sex trafficking. They provide guidance and words of wisdom to the girls helping them start out on the right foot and filled with hope moving forward into their futures. View photos from our trip to the center below and read about the StreetLight USA program GivingBands here.