Collecting And Repurposing Unwanted Jewelry To Help End Human Trafficking

ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE COLLECTING YOUR UNWANTED JEWELRY!  As you purchase gifts and receive new accessories this holiday season, please consider donating your used or unwanted old accessories to FIGHT Ministries through Top Buttons.  We will send them all the donations we receive from you! So during the month of December, we would like to highlight one of our three anti-human trafficking organizations that The Sozo Initiative supports. F.I.G.H.T. Ministries, or Freeing Individuals from the Grasp of Human Trafficking, is a Christian organization located in the Dominican Republic. Their goal is to “rescue, rehabilitate and provide prevention to victims that are trapped in a system and society of oppression and abuse.”

As part of F.I.G.H.T.’s preventative and restorative efforts, they train the women and children in trades such as jewelry making and selling through a division of their ministry called New Creations. In order to keep up this trade they are in need of more supplies. F.I.G.H.T. needs your old, broken, or unwanted jewelry that they will renew into beautiful creations. The money they make by selling this jewelry will not only provide a job for those that have been rescued from human trafficking, but also prevents and protects girls that are at risk. So we are asking for you to donate your jewelry and help provide a job and safe place for these women and children.

Please read what one Dominican woman has to say about F.I.G.H.T. and to see how your donation can make a huge impact!

"I am 38 years old, mother of 4, only 2 are living. I can not read and this is my first job. My husband is currently out of work and through the opportunity with New Creations under F.I.G.H.T. Ministries, I am able to learn more about God, job skills and awareness of Human Trafficking. The money my daughter and I make from jewelry making provides food for our family and keeps us safe from desperate situations like prostitution and deceptive traffickers, offering to give my kids what I cannot: a better life. I am so thankful for this ministry!"

Top Buttons and the Sozo Initiative will be accepting your old, broken, or unwanted jewelry starting today through January 5th. The drop off location is located at 256 N Kentucky Ave, Lakeland, FL 33801 from 9:00 to 5:00 p.m.

If you are located outside of the Lakeland, FL area you may mail your jewelry to Top Buttons through the above address.

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“We strive to be a voice for children that are dominated by the brutal world of modern-day slavery. Our purpose is to restore hope, healing, security and safety to children through the power of Christ.” - FIGHT

To learn more about FIGHT ministries please visit their website.

Top Buttons joins the fight against human trafficking

Top Buttons is excited to announce we are launching our anti-human trafficking initiative, Sozo United for Freedom. Through Sozo, we will be partnering with several different organizations to not only rescue and restore girls from slavery, but prevent it from happening to begin with. There are more slaves today than in any other time in history and Top Buttons knows you want to do something about it. Together, we can make an impact in ending modern-day slavery through awareness, education, fundraising, and outreach. In the future, you will be able to purchase fashion products that financially support the prevention, rescue, and restoration of girls around the world.

Visit Sozo online to find out more about Sozo and what you can do to get involved.

A Fashion Designer Employs Those Pulled Out Of Slavery

Did you know that close to 4.5 million people are victims of human trafficking worldwide? Human trafficking is an injustice that is operating on a global scale and it is our heart to see it ended. When we see companies dedicating their time to help combat trafficking we applaud their efforts and hope to see them thrive in their endeavors. Elegantees is a company making gains to help revolutionize the fashion industry, redefining what it means to be beautiful. Founder Kate Martinez, had a vision to take simple tees and use them as a tool for the work of bringing restoration to the victims of human trafficking. Since 2012, Elegantees have been exclusively sewn by women rescued from trafficking, giving them a way to earn income, while rebuilding self-esteem and confidence as they re-enter society.

Today, we are excited to share a lookbook from a recent photo shoot featuring the Audrey tank and the Clarisa tee from Elegantees.

Elegantees has sewing operations in Nepal and New York City. With plans to streamline their NYC locations in 2014, they are moving forward in creating a modest fashion image that will touch many lives.

If you would like to read more about Elegantees or shop their on-line store visit www.elegantees.com.

Donate Your Jewelry and Help Prevent Human Trafficking

With your BROKEN, unused, or unwanted jewelry, YOU can help prevent human trafficking in the Dominican Republic. Top Buttons is working with an organization called FIGHT Ministries (Freeing Individuals from the Grasp of Human Trafficking) based in Jarabacoa, which is in the center of the D.R.

Their purpose is to restore hope, healing, security and safety to the children of the Dominican Republic who live in an oppressed society where human slavery is rampant. As they move towards gaining the means to rescue and rehabilitate young women, they are currently working diligently on prevention.

TRAFFICKING IN THE D.R.

In a 2009 report from the U.S. State Dept for Trafficking in Persons, the D.R. is ranked 4th in the world as a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Also noted was the fact that parents often push their children into prostitution to help support the family. You can read more about the difficulties in assessing the actual number of Haitian and Dominican children being trafficked by going to this link at the UNICEF website.

THE CULTURE

Naomi Ostberg, one of the FIGHT Ministry's Team Members, described the people of the Dominican by saying, "They are loving, generous, and don't seem to meet a stranger. Unfortunately, they have a very strict history of religion which doesn't include a relationship with Jesus. Church is seen as a place one goes weekly to hear a set of rules, not a place for worship and personal growth. Religion can't save or fill the void within us all, only Christ can. We see young women reaching out for attention seeking to fill that void. Along with the challenges of Human Trafficking, sex is accepted here for even the very young. Sexiness with clothing and in attitude is commonly a dictator of who is considered beautiful and is encouraged in order to attract a possible rich spouse. Teaching young women to understand the importance of dressing with proper fitting clothes in order to protect themselves from traffickers, is a part of the FIGHT Ministries prevention plan along with teaching other life skills. These girls are lovely. We want them to know who they are on the inside is what makes them beautiful." She continued by saying, "We are working to show young girls the love of one man, Jesus, is more than enough. He is our Savior. He is our hope. Helping young girls understand this principle will be a stepping stone to encourage change and will help them overcome the challenges they face."

NEW CREATIONS JEWELRY

"New Creations" was started as a part of their fight against human traffickers in this country. As they teach young girls in the community how to make and sell jewelry, they are less likely to believe the lies of the traffickers who try to lure them into slavery with promises of financial security.

FIGHT ministries has partnered with a local church in Jarabacoa. It is through this church that they have found some solid women in the community who their organization has taught the skill of making jewelry. Soon these women will be teaching this trade to their daughters and other children (mostly female) in their neighborhoods.

They want to "re-make" old and broken jewelry into "new creations". Just like Christ has done with us. Of course making money to feed one's family is a must! But the benefits of starting this project are so much bigger than simply putting change in their pockets. They want to equip these women to fight off their intruders with knowledge, a solid community, with an activity that will keep kids off the streets, and see God's provision at work in their lives as they strive to honor Him!

Did you ever imagine that your UNWANTED jewelry whether old or new could be upcycled to prevent Human Trafficking?! We all debate what to do with our tarnished, broken, or unworn jewelry pieces. Please don't throw them away! They have requested:

*buttons, gems, or beads

*broken, new, unwanted, or unworn jewelry

*jewelry making supplies (like clasps)

*any other small items that could be used for jewelry making

We will be collecting jewelry pieces during July and August! Please send items to our office

256 North Kentucky Ave, Lakeland, Florida, 33801, Suite #105

Soon Top Buttons will take a few team members to the Dominican and deliver all the jewelry pieces we have collected. If you have any questions or would like to read more about FIGHT ministries. Please check out their website at fightministries.org.

The images are of Naomi Ostberg and some children of Jarabacoa. Naomi is one of the 5 team members who founded FIGHT Ministries. She was an ESE teacher in central Florida before she and her husband (who had his own construction business) felt called to leave it all one year ago and move to the Dominican Republic to help fight against human trafficking.