A Triumph Story

This blog is all about fun, but I want to pause for a moment to highlight something that is prevalent in our society although largely unnoticed, and keeps many people from experiencing the simple and fundamental rights and joys that most of us enjoy and take for granted.

Last night I attended the Coalition To Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST)'s annual Gala where I was reminded of the horrors of slavery and human trafficking that are happening both in my very neighborhood, and around the world. The courageous stories of trafficking survivors are helping to fight this illegal and inhumane industry, through government action and community awareness. An estimated 10-30 million (!!) people are enslaved today worldwide. Read and watch about some of these stories at the CAST web site, or at the CNN Freedom Project, and consider giving to CAST to support their efforts. Though these stories start with years of sadness and abuse, they illustrate the importance and joy of freedom, which we take for granted every day. Seeing a former slave reveling in the freedom to do seemingly simple things like work for an honest days pay, have a place to live, and sit in traffic in her own car brings a lot of joy to my heart.