Next Meeting: 10/19 at 6:30pm, Cambridge Vineyard Ministry Center

Greetings all,

We'll be meeting again in October on Sunday, the 19th at 6:30pm, in the Living Room of the Ministry Center of the Vineyard, Cambridge Campus.

Here's a map and directions:

Please read at least the first section of the book, Not for Sale by David Batstone.

We'll spend the first 30 minutes talking about the book and the issue of child trafficking, the second 30 minutes talking more about the structure of the Task Force, and the last 30 in smaller groups, working on ideas for short-term projects.

To summarize our conversations so far, our goals for this year are:

1. Foster conversations about the issue of global trafficking and sexual exploitation of children.

2. Create opportunities for awareness and fund-raising through small-scale events, such as the gym "tread on trafficking" treadmill-athon idea.

3. Grow and maintain a network of people, communities, and organizations to mobilize larger, more inclusive events come late 2009/early 2010.

Our hope is that, during our next meeting, we can flesh out the ideas and make these goals more concrete and actionable.

We hope to see you there.

In the meantime, consider making a donation directly to Love146.

P.S. We'll be updating this blog weekly on Sunday nights.

Next Steps.

Thanks, again, for everyone who came out last night. We had 22 people there, which was a pleasant surprise for us!

Jaime summarized the conversation below, so let me post some next steps:

1. Read "Not For Sale" by David Batstone (link on the left)

2. Check out the Love146.org website (ditto)

3. Join the Google email group and the Facebook news group so we can stay connected

4. Check back on this blog later this week to keep brainstorming ideas

I've put in a request to meet up again on 10/19, same time and place and will post it once it's approved.

Thanks again and more to come!

Notes from the September Meeting

Boston Task Force

1st Meeting

Monday 9/22/08

Leaders: Paul and Pascha Griffiths
Notes by: Jaime Babstock (thanks!)

* We started by listening to Paul and Pascha talk about Love146 and the issue of child sex trafficking.
* We decided that everyone would read “Not for Sale” as a group, available at local bookstores and Amazon.com
* All attendees introduced themselves and told a little of their interest in Love146
* We then broke up into two groups: Brainstorming and Logistics
* Brainstorming to focus on ideas for events, to generate awareness and money
* Logistics focused on how to get other people involved


Brainstorming

* Kim-
1. dessert benefit, focus on food
2. Kim can bake!
3. silent auction

* Pascha-
1. Beloved Quilts Project-worked really well in the past, when tied in with Gala event
2. What if we made quilts with the word “Beloved” in the native language of the children we are trying to benefit?
3. Perhaps the quilt could be given to the children
4. Fashion week! Challenge designers at local design schools to create clothes for a fashion show, to benefit Love146

* Okami-
1. experienced great success with Quilt Fundraisers at a local shelter

* Deidre (drum roll please, for the idea of the night)
1. What if people got sponsored to run or walk for Love 146 but not at an organized event..at their own local gym, on their treadmill!!
2. Perhaps Gyms can compete where members try to run 146,000 miles collectively or people individually can aim for 146 miles
3. This could run over the course of half a year
4. Possible Slogans “What are you running for” “Tread on Human Trafficing”
5. Gyms, Senior Centers (with walking clubs), mothers walking their children, could all get in on it.

* Jaime-
1. perhaps a fundraiser with IMAX at Jordan’s Furniture
2. Could definitely acquire IMAX comp passes for auctions
3. Perhaps Up with People would partner with Love146 in some way

* Pascha
1. Love146 does partner with worthy organizations

* Jaime/Deidre

1. Benefit concert, “Lydia Fair” (modeled after Lillith Fair) was a success in the past

2. There are lots of artists in this church

* Pascha

1. We must realize that every event, is an opportunity to get people involved in future events

2. So whenever one event is happening, there should be another one on the backburner, so that we can take advantage of every opportunity, to build momentum

* Jaime

1. We should have a webpage, specifically for out task force

2. perhaps Love146 will create a part of their page, that would allow us and other task forces to piggy back…who can we ask about this?

3. gmail allows people to create their own webpage

4. love146 the boston task force should have their own email address anyway

5. a website for our group, would be a great place to track something like the love146 ‘walk-a-thon’ event that Deidre was speaking of

6. We should have a presence as the task force on Facebook and myspace as well

* Pascha

1. A silent auction would be a great place to get a large sum of money in one shot

2. perhaps we should look into how programs like “Walk for Hunger” track such things (even though theirs is only on one day in a specific location)

3. perhaps we could have our first event in September

Kim—perhaps people could shovel or plow in exchange for donations to Love146

Pascha and Paul—People should feel empowered to do whatever they feel will benefit the organization, even if these are personal efforts

Logistics and Brainstorming combine

Logistics decided that it was important to find other venues to speak about Love146 as they did at our church

Also it would be helpful to host events where people can come and get information and hear people speak about Love146 and how they can help

We should have a series of small events leading up to larger ones

Kim would like to head up creating a newsletter

We should all read “Not for Sale” and plan to meet up again in a month

Paul will create google groups and also a blog, where we can all dialogue about our

Ideas

Danny has connections for Boston Billboards and also he will try to make sure our bookstore at Vineyard sells “Not for Sale”

We closed with prayer.

What is Love146?

From the Love146 site:

The trafficking and rape of children for profit is one of the darkest stories on the planet. This physical, mental and emotional trauma leaves children broken and scarred for life. Interventions for these children are critical to their survival. This is why Love146 exists.

Love146 works toward the abolition of child sex trafficking and exploitation through prevention and aftercare. Love146 trains aftercare workers, multiplies safehomes, aids socioeconomic development programs in high risk communities and provides a voice for these victims of modern-day slavery.

Founded in 2002 (as Justice for Children Intl.), Love146 is a registered public charity. Love146 is a 501c3 non-profit organization.

More at: www.love146.org