I had a thought today and I wanted to get opinions on it and even though it's something more along the lines of my other blog, I think it's still fun and also...no one is following my other blog yet, so I'm not likely to get any responses. :)

Here's my thought...not-so-random acts of kindness. Let me explain. There's a man in NYC that sits at a sewing table right in the middle of the street and mends things for people, for free. While people are waiting to get their button sewn back onto their suit jacket, they start talking to each other. People talking to each other in NYC; that's huge in and of itself.

So then I started brain storming about things I could do here. And here's one idea I had. What if some busy weekday morning, I went into Boston with two rolls of quarters and while wearing a T-shirt that says "Love146", I just walk up to parking meters as cars are pulling into spots and feed their meter? Wouldn't that be cool? I'll bet people would read my T-shirt at the very least and go home and look it up, if only to understand why I would just feed their meter.

Of course I thought about washing people's windshields but in the city, they might think I was expecting money for that service. I wonder if there is some other service I could provide that wouldn't cost any money. I can't sew...but I could hang out in a place like Fanuiel Hall and find something else to do. Any ideas? Wouldn't it be cool if 10 of us did something like that altogether? Just throwing it out there... The weather is getting so nice. I'd like to take advantage of this rare time when Bostonians are in a good mood and just open their eyes. They don't have to open their wallets, just their eyes. What do you guys think?

March 8th 2009 Meeting

Erick Goodwin from Artist for Humanity at Harvard visiting.
Upcoming Events:

• April 2nd Freeze In
• April 7th Artist for Humanity Fair

There will be panels at the fair loosely based around these specific areas, in regards to the problem of slaverly:

• Foundational Knowledge
• Next Steps
• Future Strategies

The Love146 BTF (Boston Task Force) will occupy a booth

A booth costs $25 and includes table space, food/drink for two, booklets with event details and some space next to the table.

see destinationfreedom.webs.com

March 15th Minga is hosting a Fashion show/fundraiser

Paul and Pascha to ask Kathy about speaking on a panel at the Fair on the 7th

Tread on Trafficking:

sign up week-April 2nd on

Treader shirts and sponser shirts will be two different colors. Sponsers may buy shirts if they like

Jenn to help Paul and Brain with Cantera for the website

Sarah will send FB message about ToT sign up info

Paul to make a video with sign up details to post online

When someone signs up to be a Treader, Pascha will write back and cc Brian

Paul to send treader instruction letter to Brian that Brian will send out, whenever anyone signs up to be a treader.

Sarah to give credit to our logo designer on our site/blog

Sarah to update site/blog with current info about ToT

Kim to send pdf for sponser for to Brian, so that this can be accessible to Treaders to give to less tech-savvy sponsers

Jaime to send all email sign ups to Brian

Sarah to send all email sign ups from the women's conference to Jaime to add to the database

Sarah to email the sign ups from the women's conference with letter that Jaime forwarded

Paul is looking into creating email addresses so that we are easily identified with Love146

Jenn and Emily to draft press releases

Kim will cooridnate Freeze-in

Sew in Next Saturday 12-6 at the Cambridge Vineyard site

Everyone should share all documents on the Lead google group so that everyone has access

"Becoming an Abolitionist" --we will be video taping meetings from now on and possibly recording short individual blurbs to be included in a video for the Lydia Fair April 25th, Also we could have Pascha and Emily on skype? They will be recording their experience overseas

Paul has created an account for us on Tumbler--another great place to share info, like research etc.

Jaime to contact Minga to see if they can tread

We have an upcoming speaking gig opportunity on April 29th

Carrie and Arwyn presentation! Thank you!

Many blessings and prayers for Emily and Pascha who will be travelling to South East Asia in April to visit safe homes.

Next Meeting March 22nd, Sunday 2:30-4:30 at Paul and Pascha's

February 8th, 2009
Boston Task Force Meeting

Gyms

Beacon Hill Athletic turned us down
Healthworks is a go!
We've learned that when approaching gyms, it's helpful to go to the charitable director first.
The subject matter is heavy but even so, it's important that we press on and continue to try and open people's eyes to this problem.

Launch date

The launch date of ToT will be pushed back to April 2nd for a few reasons:
1. we can coincide with an event that day with "Free the Slaves" at Harvard which will have media coverage and many other like-minded groups
2. People are in a much better mood in the Spring and even looking for a reason to take a walk
3. People might be more giving with their money, given that we're that much farther away from the post-holiday season bills.
4. having that much more time to get the word out, now that we're in motion would be helpful

General

Kim will be handeling the accounting for ToT, through the Possibilites Factory
Paul to work on the sign up feature of our website
The Long Island Task Force is having a fundraising Gala for Love146 on April 15th

T-shirts

these will only take a week to order
we are going to hold off on ordering them until we see what kind of a need we have, based on sign-ups
Paul to order T-shirts for all BTF Leads
We can wear our T-shirts whenever we speak about Love146
everyone to bring $25 to next meeting to get their T-shirt

Vineyard

Feb 15th, we will man a table in the lobby at the Cambridge and Boston sites
Cambridge post 9:30 Brian and Kim
Cambridge post 11:30 Emily and Jaime
Boston post 10:30 Sarah
All materials for this will be posted on google groups
Paul will check with Vineyard to see if we can speak at the women's conference and/or the men's breakfast

Spreading the word-speaking gigs

So the best thing we can do to help this event and to make next year's event is a success is to spread the word about this problem, not just Tread on Trafficking of course but the problem in general
At our next meeting, Carrie and possibly Arwyn will be doing a presentation on how to speak about this topic
Before next meeting we would like to have everyone come with two ideas of places or venues where we could speak
Aspen and Sarah already have a chance to speak at BU on Feb 20th
Carrie may have an opportunity to speak at a church in Vermont
Emily may have one at Tufts and Jenn/Emily may be doing a presentation where they work
I would like everyone to send me details whenever they have a speaking gig

Officers

Our group is really starting to solidfy as well as the tasks involved
Today we assigned titles/tasks to everyone that was here and Brian also updated Facebook and blogs and google groups to update access to everyone who was here
The new postions go like this:
Jaime point person-I will keep track of what everyone else is doing, so that we don't double our efforts anywhere and to avoid confusion, etc., send out reminders and track meetings
Kim community outreach/accounting-tracking opportunities to speak, handling gyms and so on, also handling numbers
Aspen community outreach-see above
Paul Vineyard Liason/tech-checking with the Vineyard on opportunities there and also getting the website sign up going
Pascha Vineyard Liason/'idea factory'-see above and also supplying ideas, feedback and contacts
Brian Tech support-making sure our blog, website, goolge group and facebook are working correctly, also trying to keep Jaime from poking herself in the eye
Sarah Online content-tracking the blog/website and facebook(ToT and BTF), updating what is written there and making sure that we are represented on the main Love146 FB(facebook) group
Jenn media- writing press releases, looking into ways of getting us represented in press, on TV, radio and online
Emily media/season of light- see above and also season of light blogger
Carrie Operations-tracking materials, master-mind behind our sign up process, tracking treaders (?) and keeping us in line.
This is general right now but many of these positions will change as we go, not the people but the tasks as we learn what needs to be done.

General

Next meeting! March 1st Sunday 2-5 at Paul and Pascha's
We might be able to join forces with Barbara Anderson to speak, Brian has invited her

The voices of millions of children are silenced. Yet ours can shout out to President Obama and the 111th congress. Please call and tell them. Please pass this on to all your contacts! The Plan is to flood Washington phone lines on day one and two of President Obama's presidency.Tuesday January 20th and Wednesday January 21st, 2009 Trafficking in children is a global problem affecting large numbers of children. There is a demand for trafficked children as cheap labor or for sexual exploitation. Children and their families are often unaware of the dangers of trafficking, believing that better employment and lives lie in other countries. Your call will tell them that the new administration should take an active role in directing U.S. efforts to confront this global human rights violation.
Currently, some estimates have as many as 1.2 million children being trafficked every year. More than 300, 000 domestic children are trafficked in the United States. There are an estimated 27 million people enslaved worldwide, 200,000 within the United States.
Urge the new administration to enact needed change by assuming a strong leadership role in creating executive oversight and accountability for the various governmental agencies working to combat human trafficking. Please pass this information to as many people as possible so we can flood the President Obama and Senators and Congressman with phone calls making our VOICES LOUD AND CLEAR!!! You may follow this script:The 3 calls take no more than 5 minutes- in that time almost 3 people have been trafficked!!!· Dial this number at the White HouseWhite House Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111 (this one worked best)Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461 · Once you are connected with the office, the receptionist will answer. Introduce yourself as (your name), a constituent from (city, state). Ask to speak with the staff person who handles Mr.Obamas' phone calls You will be connected with the staff person (or their voicemail). · Say: "I am calling to urge President Obama to take an active role in directing U.S. efforts to confront this global human rights violation of child and human trafficking. You may add:Your administration must make the needed changes to create executive oversight and accountability for the numerous governmental agencies presently working to combat modern day slavery or human trafficking.I also urge the president to take a strong role in this crisis by creating a position such as a human trafficking "czar" with authority to coordinate efforts within the United States and internationally. As this crisis is not limited to any national border, and is the third largest criminal enterprise next to drugs and the sale of illegal weapons, an effective international solution requires coordinated efforts. We must confront traffickers wherever they operate. I believe this is possible and we can end the atrocity of rape for profit of children and other forms of modern day slavery.Thank you for your continued support and leadership in this and many other pressing human rights.(Of course you are free to say what you would like but please say something to get this message out!)
· Be sure to thank the Staffer when you are finished.
Thank you for making the call against The Trafficking of Women and Children!Your voice truly makes a differenceTo contact your Senators and Congressman1. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. 2. Ask the Capitol operator to connect you with your Senator's office. If you don't know who your Senators are, tell her what state you're from. Be sure to call both of your US Senators! 3. Call Your Congressman and Senators Directly by using the links belowhttp://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NYhttps://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtmlThank you on behalf of the millions of enslaved children.
-- Marie MorinEastern Regional DirectorLove146 Long Island Taskforce
Love146www.love146.org


-- Marie MorinEastern Regional DirectorLove146 Long Island Taskforce
Love146www.love146.org

Love146 Boston Task Force Meeting
Jan 18th, 2009
6:30pm
Cambridge Vineyard

Love146 headquarters meeting
-Carrie and Sarah represented our Boston Task Force and the Greater Boston Vineyard at the Love146 meeting in CT, at the headquarters
-There leading members of Vineyard churches around the country, were meeting to discuss a tool kit, to help our churches be instrumental in ending human trafficking.
-There are lots of exciting things happening on this front and we’re so grateful to Carrie and Sarah for representing us there!

Money processing
-Great news! Love146 has a way for us to use their website for our ToT
-people can have their own page and track sponsors and donations, all online
-this means we just have to handle the registration fee of $25 and we can do this through paypal and the bank account linked to Pascha’s charity “The Possibilities Factory” which is a non-profit

Gyms
-Jaime to take the lead for getting us into at least four major gym chains
-tables will be set up at four different sites, on opening week
-each table will need two people (hopefully one will be a male) and a laptop and of course T-shirts
-Gyms to target: Beacon Hill Athletics, Healthworks, LA Sports Clubs, Boston Sports Club

Bulletins and Vineyard involvement
-Jaime to email Rachel about getting us into the bulletin and getting us a table in the lobby for after service Treader sign ups

Website
-Paul to have website up by the end of the month

T-shirts
-Kirby found an awesome deal on T-shirts!! Go Kirby!!
-Kirby and Paul to finalize design for T-shirts and production

Media girls
-Media team to meet up before our next meeting on Feb 8th

Kick off week!
-Pascha to check and see about doing a walk around Harvard Square from church, on March 1st

Facebook
-Jaime to post on the main Love146 page for facebook once we have a running website
-Once the website is up, we can also send facebook evites to all our friends
-We need to also set up a ‘cause’ on facebook

Lydia Fair
-possible youtube video from Pascha while she is overseas
-we definitely need a table at the Fair
-it would be a good idea to have a mixer for sponsors and staff, as a reception just before the Lydia Fair
-We should also show the Love146 video and perhaps our own abolitionist video, documenting ToT
-Paul to bring video camera to next meeting, for footage for our website and the abolitionist video

Training component
-Jaime to message Arwyn about training at our next meeting
-Carrie to look into powerpoint presentation to get us all ready to speak to groups

-everyone should join the NewEngland Love146 google group
-Pascha to check about a cool event where the founder of Love146 may be speaking

Next meeting Feb 8th, Sunday from 2-5:00, location TBD, pot luck snacks, Jaime will provide drinks

-by next meeting we will have a finalized registration process
-hopefully this meeting will have a training component

Notes from 12/4 Meeting

Love146 Boston Task Force Meeting Notes

1.4.06 Sunday 2-5:00

T-shirts: we should order female tailored T-shirts, to ensure they get seen

Grey is a good color

American Apparel has a good product for this

How to become a Treader procedure:

1. Treader signs up, pays a Treader Fee and gets a T-shirt
2. Treader gets as many sponsers as possible (at least 10) with a suggested minimum contribution of $20
3. Sponsors can go to the website and donate (we will have an up and running website and a bank account, perhaps using pay pal)
4. Paul will track what sponsors came from which Treaders and then
5. Weekly he will forward this info to us the “Treader Mentors” so we can send our Treaders weekly emails telling them of their progress and encouraging them

Action List:

Everyone: Try to enlist at least 5 Treaders each, with a verbal commitment that they will become Treaders, when we launch the program

Also, if you have already contacted a gym that’s excellent; please send all this information to Jaime (gym name, address and contact name). If you are planning on contacting a gym (and please do, if you feel so inclined), please email Jaime first and see if anyone has already been there. If you need a script to go off of, Jaime can give you helpful tips. Emily and Jenn drafted a gym letter which is posted under the document tab of the Google Group, so that you can print it out and take it with you.

Jaime: minutes, send out next meeting info, type up script for approaching gyms, contact Arwyn about setting up an info session

Kim, Carrie and Judy: finalize materials this includes:

• Letter to treaders
• Letter to gyms
• Letter to sponsors that treaders can give out

Emily: Press Release

Jenn: Media list, send logo to Kirby and Paul

Kirby: looking into screen printing and T-shirts at American Apparel. Compiling list of contacts for gyms

Pascha: email contacts from speaking gigs, fortify team, get collegiate crew to help with our initiative, connect with Brian King

Paul: will input materials into website and set up a bank account

Carrie: will talk to Sarah about enlisting the men’s softball team

Next Meeting: Jan 18^th at 6:30 at the ministry center at the Cambridge Vineyard site.

Also save the date for Feb 8^th and Feb 28th

12.14.08 Meeting Notes

December 14^th, 2008 7pm

Boston Task Force Love146

In attendance: Amanda, Arwyn, Paul, Pascha, Kirby Jennifer K., Carrie, Aspen, Emily,

Rachel, Jaime, Jennifer E.

Welcome Aspen and Arwyn, new to our group. Arwyn worked for Love146 and has been to their safe homes.

Meeting at Paul and Pascha’s January 4^th, from 2-5 to start moving logistics

Thanks to Jenn E. and Emily for the logo and gym letter!

Kim and Carrie came up with mock treader sign ups and letters

There are many websites that can help collect donations for non-profits, such as

First giving.com (endorsed by BBB). However they charge 7%

Razoo.com is another

T-shirts: We may want to approach gyms and ask if they want personalized t-shirts with their gym name on them

American Apparell and Screened.com might be a good place to start for T-shirt production

Should we direct people to get t-shirts online or sell them in person; in person may be better

$25 fee to be a treader that earns treaders a t-shirt

We could have a kick-off day at church and at certain gyms, where we could man a table to sell t-shirts and do sign ups

We will concentrate on a definitive number of gyms, preferably those that are large enough to have a community outreach director, that has sway over all the gyms many locations (ie: Healthworks)

Challenge the Boston Metro softball league to get involved

Carrie will talk to Sarah about this

Paul and Pascha to email Kathy at Love146 and find out what other local churches support this cause

Jenn E. to ask Joanna about T-shirts, Jenn and Kirby will connect

Everyone to be thinking of a catchphrase for the back of the T-shirt

Kick-offs at gyms should happen from 5-7 on weeknights

March 1^st start for the public is more realistic

Jan-we will make schedule for the gym outreach, kick-off tables

We should request stage time again at the Vineyard when we get closer

Test launch here at church Feb15th, March 1^st launch for the public

By Feb 15^th we should have:

-webiste

-T-shirt

-procedure for how to handle money (both t-shirts and donations)

Paul’s company has bought the domain “tread on trafficking” We should have a website up and running soon

Emily to update gym letter and make a gmail address for tread on trafficking

We will take turns monitoring this email address with Emily and Jaime going first

Any money spent on Love146 can become a tax write off

We are a ‘GREEN’ group so that’s why we don’t print anything. J

We are focusing on certain gyms but if you belong to a gym that we haven’t targeted by all means, approach them

All money should be handled by paypal

At the gyms we’ll need internet access and a table

January 10^th, Saturday from 12-6 is the next Sew in!

We should be always striving for our goal of 1 on 1 conversations

Arwen will give us a workshop in January with talking points for Love146 presentations

“Real men protect those who cannot protect themselves.” This might be helpful in regards to approaching men about this topic, which can be scary for them.

Great Article

CBS covered the New York photography event and gives some great info on Love146.  Check it out here: www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/01/entertainment/main4640707.shtml

Virtual Meeting Notes

Notes provided by the wonderfully organized Jaime B.!

Boston Task Force Love146

Virtual Meeting Sunday 11/30/08 6:30

In attendance: Kirby, Jaime, Carrie, Paul, Pascha, Kimberley

-main focus of the media group this week, will be our logo for ToT and the media sheet to be used in approaching gyms and also advertising (like radio and publications)

-also thinking about the website tree

-media team will be meeting this week

Kirby-has extensive marketing experience

-is going to work on T-shirt design, billboard design and a logo for the Quilting

Project and pdf-able posters

-also familiar with legalities of branding

Jennifer Eastman has secured the involvement of multiple gyms through one contact at Beacon Hill Athletic

-may be a good idea to have a sign up fee for becoming a ‘treader’ that gets you a T-shirt that treaders can use, that will help spread the word even more

-It will be a good idea not to quantify people’s miles

-we need to give serious thought to the functionality of the website and what we need it to do, especially in terms of collecting info about treaders and donors

-Carrie and Kimberley to convene to make decisions about how the process will work, eg. How information will be tracked and how money is collected and how much people sponser per mile and so on

-they will also draft a letter to treaders and a mock sign up sheet

Kirby can create PDF’s and such of these documents

-This Saturday from 12-6 in the Cambridge chapel on 12/6 will be the quilting event

-Park Street speech was a big success with lots of people willing to participate in our cause

-Very few people responded to Paul’s inquiry about helping to fund the ToT website

-The Lydia fair in the Spring will benefit Love146-this is a performance event

-By next meeting, we will have already sent a gym letter to all members with gym connections, so that hopefully by the time we meet on Dec 14, people will have already touched base with gyms

-It would be great to have material to drop off at gyms and tell gym management that we’ll be back in a week to touch base, if no one is available to meet with us initially.

Tasks:

Carrie and Kimberley- specs for ToT, mock up of sign up sheet and letter to trackers

Media girls (Jaime, Emily, Jennifer E and Jennifer K)-mock up letter to gyms and publicity and logo firming

-once this is done, we will send to Paul, before forwarding to whole group with reminder of gym contacts

(both of these teams will consider what the website needs to support our program)

Kirby-once logo is set, will begin design of T-shirts, billboard, posters, and business cards. Also she can begin design of quilting logo

Next live meeting, Dec 14^th, Sunday 6:30 Cambridge Living Room

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you feel moved to make a donation to Love146 this week, check out their Thanksgiving e-cards. You could make it in honor of someone you're feeling thankful for this year.


Hope you all have a wonderful, happy Thanksgiving.

Some Thanksgiving Reading

Just wanted to make you all aware of the June 2008 Trafficking in Persons report put together annually by the U.S. government. You can find the report here, and it's fascinating: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2008/.

I blogged about a few of the initial things I found to be most interesting (http://seasonoflight.blogspot.com), and will continue to do so as I make my way through the report. Feel free to check it out, and comment on your own impressions.

Also wanted to pass along a great story link from Rachel: http://globalhealthlaw.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/battling-child-sex-slavery-in-cambodia/
If you don't know much about Somaly Mam, this is a great place to start. Her story is incredibly inspiring.

Keep reading and keep learning! And spreading the word...

Update on Love146 as an organization

Here's a breakdown of where the funds to Love146 go:

$1.1 million budget in 2007:
86% Programs
8% Fundraising
6% Management & Administration

If you want to read more about what makes a good charity, read the BBB rating process for Love146 here.

11/16 Meeting Recap

We had a great meeting last night with a big turnout--17 of us gathered to brainstorm for Tread on Trafficking, and came up with some great ideas & next steps.

We opened with prayer and then read some stats and figures about child trafficking.  We then opened the discussion to brainstorm and figure out logistics around our Tread on Traffficking idea.  We decided to broaden ToT to include exercise activities outside of just gyms, including running and biking clubs, etc.  We determined the best way to track participant miles was to have a PDF file available for download on the eventual ToT website.  

We also discussed why gyms would want to participate in the initiative.  The reasoning was threefold:

• It gives members a reason to keep working out, or increase their involvement with the gym
• Good press
• Opportunity to run promotions with gym-related prizes (e.g., free personal training) 

We then broke out into three brainstorming groups:

1. Advertising
2. Gym outreach
3. Logistics

We're currently working on designing a Tread on Trafficking logo, which will then be implemented as part of the website, press kits, advertising materials, and business cards.   The website will include the following:

• A link to Love146
• A link to Skreened.com, where interested participants can buy tshirts advertising/in support of Love146
• PDF form to track their miles
• Description of ToT
• Stats about trafficking
• List of participating gyms
• Contact email
• Testimonies

Our fundraising goal is $14,600 by May 1.

Our other pre-event to do's:

• Approaching gyms
• Designing a sign up sheet 
• Designating a person to collect sign up sheets
• Designating a person to email those who are interested
• Jenn will see if she can find some helpful insight from a gym manager that she knows in order to refine talking points when approaching gyms

Other orders of business:

• Sending out reminders to treaders to send payment
• Make checks payable to Love146
• Send thank yous to participants, gyms, and any other businesses that participated
• Email gym the the name of number one prize winner
• Send email updates

Thanks to everyone for coming out and giving your time, energy and ideas.  Special thanks to Jaime for taking such great notes--and Kim for some realllly good snacks. :) 

10/19 Meeting... rocked!

Love 146 Boston Task Force
10/19/08

Agenda:
1. Discuss Not for Sale, 1st Chapter
2. Review Mission and Goals for coming year
3. Review Tread on Trafficking fundraising idea
4. Open time for discussion
5. Close in Prayer

Mission and Goals (draft)

For this year, we believe, with God’s help, we can accomplish the following:
1. Create a viable, sustainable Task Force that involves dozens of people from many churches and many different faith-backgrounds
2. Educate thousands throughout Greater Boston through regular, persistent communication about human trafficking and Love 146’s relief efforts (email campaigns)
3. Educate and motivate 1,000 people in the Greater Boston area to donate to the cause
4. Sponsor 100 1x1x1 meetings – 1 on 1, 1 hour meetings about human trafficking to raise awareness
5. Raise $50,000 by Dec 31, 2009 for Love 146

Tread on Trafficking (draft)
Tread on Trafficking is a walk-a-thon like event that will take place at gyms throughout New England from February 15th to March 31st. Treaders will ask others to sponsor them per mile on a bike, treadmill, or other exercise machine. The goal is to capture 1,000+ sponsors of treaders throughout the Boston area. We hope that since many undertake a new exercise regime at New Year’s, Tread on Trafficking will appeal to gym owners and they will sponsor/promote the event as it drives gym usage at a time when new members can be vulnerable to slacking off; Valentine’s Day is also Love 146’s key holiday. Finally, we aim to posit stories in various media outlets before, during, and after this event, highlighting key points about Love 146 and its mission.

The next steps in this campaign are to begin to research local gym owners and franchisees, asking for their support of this program. Our goal should be to gather 5-6 gyms to agree to post signs, flyers, and promotional material before our next meeting in November.

Reminder: Love146 Task Force Meeting Sunday Oct 19th at 6:30pm

A reminder that we're meeting again on Sunday night at the Cambridge Vineyard Site, in the living room of the Ministry Center.

We'll be discussing Not for Sale and, if you've signed up for the Google Group -- see the link on the left -- there's a copy of the discussion materials awaiting you there.

Call + Response Coming to Kendall Square

The new movie, Call + Response is coming to Kendall Square.

KENDALL SQUARE
One Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02139

October 9
October 13–16

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