Step Into Their Shoes: Walk with Thistle Farms and SAS
The issues of childhood abuse, poverty, sexual violence, addiction, prostitution and trafficking are complex, and often feel overwhelming. After twenty years working in this field, we are more grateful than ever for our community partners who come along side us to support our work and increase our impact.
One of these partners, Songs Against Slavery, a nonprofit raising money and awareness to support anti-trafficking efforts, was started by two remarkable young women, Lauren Lancaster and Grace Theisen, when they were just college freshman! In the last few years, SAS has run over 30 benefit concerts—including many for Thistle Farms—and has raised over $230,000 for the fight against sex trafficking.
Jennifer, a Thistle Farms graduate and Hospitality specialist, remembers meeting them when they first visited years ago:
In 2011 I was fortunate enough to be working and greeting guests in the paper studio where I met Lauren and Gracie. They were young and energetic and shared their vision of ending human trafficking. We spent several hours together sharing our hopes and dreams but it would be two years before I would see them again. When I saw them again in 2014 they were even more vibrant and were making their dreams of ending human trafficking a reality with SAS. They have become dear friends and I have now worked with them on several fundraisers because their mission and vision is the same as my mission and vision.
Always ready to explore new ways to support survivors and work towards a world where slavery no longer exists, SAS has just announced their newest campaign designed to support Thistle Farms and engage everyone in their mission. With Step Into Their Shoes, SAS is challenging people nationwide to sign up and fundraise while walking 50,000 steps per week during the month of October to raise $50,000 for Thistle Farms!
Registration for individuals or teams runs through September 31st and the campaign will officially begins October 1st. At the beginning of week, fundraiser participants will receive a story from a Thistle Farms survivor who they will be “walking with” as well as motivational music playlists.
Visit SongsAgainstSlavery.org for more information on how to sign up.
