...a mile in her shoes...

I love discussing future goals. Andy does it to appease me.

This winter, when we were having our yearly chat about how and where we wanted to grow, he asked me if I had any ideas as to where I would like to volunteer. I immediately blurted out, “I think I want to get involved in the sex slave industry.” (I should write things down before I say them.) Thankfully, my husband, who completely understood my meaning, corrected my sentence and encouraged me to get started.

But where to start?

So I did a lot of reading and researching online. As I sifted through the statistics, I found them all in equal parts horrifying, heartbreaking, and rage-inducing.

I'll let you google the human trafficking statistics yourself.

The A21 Campaign was the first website to open my eyes to the issue of modern day slavery. Not only did they give me information, but they also provided me with ways to get involved.

Their goal is to abolish slavery in the 21^st century and they do this through prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships. You can read more about all these things here.

In an effort to help the A21 Campaign abolish slavery in my lifetime, and to make this upcoming half marathon a bit more fun, I'm choosing to put myself on the line and do some silly things to raise a few dollars. I've started a Crowdrise Fundraising campaign, which you can check out here.

If I raise:

$250: I'll wear silly socks

$500: I'll wear silly socks and a tutu

$1000: I'll wear all the above and jingle bells

$2500: I'll wear all the above and a silly hat/head piece

$5000: I'll wear all the above and wear chains

$10,000: I'll wear all the above and run the race in heels

There are lots of ways you can support me and my goal. You can:

Help me reach my fundraising goal by donating money. Even a few dollars can go a long way in providing a hope and a future.

Pass this blog or fundraising site on to your friends.

Be a running buddy for some longer runs.

If you live in the San Francisco area and are willing to get out of bed at 6am, you can cheer me on at the race.

Cheer me on from the comfort of your home by liking and commenting on my Facebook running post the day of the race, October 19. It will send real time cheers to keep me going!

Ultimately, I'd really love to see some spontaneous conversations regarding human trafficking entering our daily chat. I didn't really know it was such an issue until recently. And I think we can all agree that it shouldn't be happening.

Ready to donate? Click here.