Dear Friends,
  
Progress! From the passage of FOSTA-SESTA and the shuttering of Backpage.com, to the overwhelming success of our luncheon, we are making progress towards our mission - ending child sex trafficking in Washington state. We were overwhelmed and inspired by your participation and support at our Annual Not on our Watch Luncheon. The room was filled with nearly one thousand of our closest supporters, and together, we raised $1.1M to fuel our coalition's work to end this scourge in our community.
 
Because of your generosity, our coalition can continue to provide services for survivors, educate businesses and students, and leverage technology to curb demand. In addition, we can launch new initiatives that are so critical to achieving our mission, such as:
 
  • Healthcare Training - Training that will enable healthcare workers to identify sex trafficked youth and provide the care and services they need.
  • Child Sex Trafficking Prevention Education Through Social Media - Educating youth about sex trafficking though social media, enabling them to make good decisions and educate their peers. 
  • Fresh Start and Choice for Survivors - Enabling job readiness, training and placement programs, financial literacy, and trauma-informed therapy and counseling, and legal support for survivors so they have choices as they strive to regain their lives and their futures.
  • Survivor Impact Group - Sponsoring survivors of sex trafficking to advocate on behalf of survivors for systemic reforms critical to rebuilding their lives.
We're making progress, but there's still more to do. Thank you for your ongoing engagement and support. We cannot do this without you!
 
Please join us for our next community gathering, Yoga for A Cause on May 9th, GiveBIG day. We look forward to seeing you there.
 
With appreciation and gratitude,
 
Loria Yeadon
Chief Operating Officer  
 
GiveBig 2018
 
On May 9th, GiveBIG Day, please join us for Yoga for A Cause at CenturyLink North Plaza. Seattle's own notable yoga instructor, Ginger Saunders, will lead an hour of restorative yoga for all levels between 12 and 1pm. Check-in opens at 11:30am. Please register and bring your yoga mat and water bottle. Attendees who donate $50 or more will receive a complimentary t-shirt (while supplies last). There will be giveaways from Lululemon, Storyville Coffee Company, Silver Cloud Hotel, and more! Thanks to Horizons Foundation for their $5,000 challenge gift! Click here to preregister and schedule your donation to StolenYouth. This is a fun way to support a great cause and learn about StolenYouth and our mission.  Please join us and bring a friend!
Not On Our Watch Luncheon 


Thank you for being there for our 6th Not on our Watch Luncheon and joining us at our virtual tables. Together, we raised $1.1M. If you were not able to join us, there is still time to contribute and be counted among our supporters by clicking here .

Thank you to all our sponsors, for their generous support. Here, you can find pictures from the event. Another highlight from our luncheon is our feature in the Puget Sound Business Journal. You can also go to our Facebook page to see the live updates posted throughout the event and watch luncheon videos our YouTube channel.
 
A heartfelt thank you to our luncheon Co-Chairs, Alan Brown and Scott Galiher, for your support of StolenYouth and our cause. At the luncheon, Alan reminded us that " ...the majority of those being pursued are trafficked online. But how, in this digital age, do we protect our kids from these predators? Well, it starts with a commitment like the one you made today. The commitment you made to be here now, to intervene. To make a difference." Thanks for Alan and Scott for your commitment to making a difference!   
In The News

FOSTA-SESTA/Backpage
 
On April 11th, FOSTA SESTA was signed into law. This means that websites that knowingly facilitate sex trafficking can be held accountable. A few days after the bill passed the Senate, Backpage.com was officially shut down and its CEO pled guilty to facilitating sex trafficking. These events signal the beginning of the end of the online sex trafficking era. Thank you for calling your senators to stress the importance of passing the FOSTA SESTA bill. Read more about the seizure of Backpage.com here.
TEDx Talk with Patty Fleischmann  


In November, StolenYouth's founding President, Patty Fleischmann, spoke passionately about our cause at TEDx Seattle. She shared our Founders' story of traveling to India to study child trafficking after reading the book SOLD. That journey was the beginning of StolenYouth, formed to address the issue right here in our backyard. For Patty, "every single bit of hope that comes from each small victory gains a stronger foothold in our hearts and in our minds and it stays there and it grows." You can watch her TEDx Talk here.
StolenYouth is a 501(c)(3) Non Profit Organization. Tax ID# 454985230
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