Thank you for fighting against child exploitation!
Students are back to school, which means Sold No More volunteers are working hard at Power Over Predators presentations in schools throughout Tucson and our surrounding communities. We are excited to announce we have added two NEW institutions so far this year -- Catalina High School and Pima JTED --representing over 900 students!
Do you have connections to a school that could benefit from our presentations?
If so, let us know by
clicking here
.
Cally (not her real name) is a sixth-grade student who came forward in one of our presentations during the week of September 16th. This is her story as told by the two presenters in her class:
Cally is a beautiful 12-year-old immigrant from Iraq. Her English is limited, but she comprehends enough to get by in her 6th-grade class in America. She radiates innocence and joy. During a Power Over Predators presentation, Cally and her peers learned the tactics that predators use to lure kids into dangerous situations. Some of the words she heard caused her to blush because they seemed like words that only grown-ups should use. Words like nudes, pornography, and sexting. The more she learned, the quieter she got. Midway through, she asked the Sold No More volunteers presenting if she could speak with them in private when class ended. In the hall of her middle school, she confided, “I have a boyfriend on Instagram. When we talk, he asks me to show
him my…” She gestures to her top. “He wants me to take my shirt off.” She was praised for being so brave to share. “How old is your boyfriend?” her confidant asked. “Twenty- seven. He said he loves me and wants to marry me. And sometimes, when we talk through video, he shows me his…” She gestures to his privates. She is again affirmed for her strength to talk about something so vulnerable. “He is bad. Is he bad?” she asks. “Yes.” Her mentor assured her. “He knows what he is doing is wrong.” “But…Does he love me?” she pained. “When someone loves you, they don’t ask you to do something that would hurt you.”, her new friend explained. “I block him. I talk to him no more.”, she decided.
Stories like Cally’s are far too common among the student populations we encounter, which is why our staff and volunteer teams are working to reach every student in Southern Arizona and beyond with the Power Over Predators message. It's why we need your support now more than ever. If you'd like to be a financial partner and help more kids learn how to protect themselves from exploitation,
click here.
We could not be more thankful for volunteers who spend from two to four hours training students to identify the threats that endanger their lives and how to overcome them. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing students gain the capacity to name these threats and take steps to protect themselves and their friends. If you are interested in becoming a POP volunteer or if you would be interested in auditing one of our presentations, please
click here
to complete our Volunteer Application.
Our annual Walk for Freedom – a fundraising and community awareness event occurs on Saturday, October 19th at 9:00am. We hope you will join the fight to protect kids from exploitation by registering to run or walk, building a team and raising funds!
Click here
to sign up today.
We would also like to introduce you to our new Power of Predators Program Manager, Felicia Ramirez. She is in charge of placing POP in new schools and student-based community groups. She is doing an incredible job and we are so excited to have her on the team!
Thank you again for your support. Hope to see you all at the Walk for Freedom!
