Surviving Human Trafficking: Andi Buerger’s Story of Courage & Truth

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Welcome to Conversations That Make a Difference.
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With your host, Teresa Vellari.
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We believe that authentic, meaningful, and diverse conversations are the two divides us together.
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I do like it.
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Join us for conversations filled with gratitude, valued, abundance, authenticity, and faith.
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Here's the host of our show, Teresa Vellarti.
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I'm Teresa Vellarti, your host, and we are excited to have Andy Berger here with us today.
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So we're excited to have Andy here, but before I introduce her, I would like us to first do what we do every week, and we're going to say the serenity prayer.
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God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
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And I also want to say that it is by God's grace that we are fabulous, blessed, highly favored, living in our greatness, using our gifts and talents, making a difference in the lives of others with passion and purpose, and all of God's great universe is conspiring in our favor.
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And we gratefully say amen.
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So let me let me tell you about this woman that I have um become friendly with because we have missions in the world to make a difference in whatever way we can.
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And she is brave and bold, beautiful, and she has an incredibly good purpose in life.
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Andy is um the excuse me, Andy has a not-for-profit organization called Voices Against Trafficking.
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And she works to create an expansive tool for which every day people can uh up to the highest government officials can draw resources for public awareness.
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Now, if you are not familiar with what trafficking is, we're gonna talk about that.
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But first, let me say that Andy is an international speaker, author, and advocate for victims of human trafficking and exploitation.
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Andy herself was a victim of child sex trafficking and unspeakable abuses by family members for 17 years.
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She founded Beulah's Place, which provided temporary shelter services for at-risk, unsheltered teens for 14 years.
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300 plus youth were, I try and say that three times fast.
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300 plus youth were successfully rescued and assisted earning national recognition.
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So she has a nationally recognized, she had a nationally recognized place for kids to go when they were in trouble.
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Andy later founded Voices Against Trafficking to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, the voiceless victims of human trafficking and exploitation.
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VAT, Voices Against Trafficking, advocates for the protection of every human's rights, regardless of race, gender, culture, or socioeconomic status, voices against trafficking, the strength of many voices, speaking as one, gives a portion of proceeds from HSL to survivors of child abuse and trafficking, and does Andy's, and excuse me, as does Andy's first book, A Fragile Thread of Hope, One Survivor's Quest to Rescue.
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Andy launched Voices of Courage magazine in 2023.
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It is distributed internationally and accepted into the U.S.
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Library of Congress.
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It honors everyday heroes who selflessly fight to protect human rights.
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These champions come from all walks of life to change communities and the world for the better.
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A television series by the same title debuts in 2025.
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Andy, you have so much going on.
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I know you are making a world of difference in this arena.
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Welcome to Conversations That Make a Difference.
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Well, thank you, Teresa, and thanks to your audience as well.
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I'm just honored to be here and looking forward to being able to create that awareness and impassion people to want to be part of the solution.
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Yeah.
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And this is something that I'm pretty passionate about.
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I've seen what can happen.
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My niece, when she was very young, almost got abducted.
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And I'm convinced today with what has happened, what is going on in the world with children, that she could have been a statistic.
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But instead, she's she's thank you, Jesus, she's perfect.
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She's got a family and she's doing well.
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So for people who don't know what human trafficking is or don't understand it, can you give us um a picture of what something like this would look like in just even any town in the country, um, I'm sure has lost children or women to human trafficking.
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So give us an idea of what it looks like.
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Yes, absolutely.
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Even though uh there is a great myth that says, oh, it doesn't happen in our uh community, that is not true.
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We know that every 40 seconds, Teresa, a child 18 years or under is abducted.
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That means they're taken or they're alerted to something that seems safe, maybe a summer job, maybe babysitting, maybe mowing lawns, whatever it is, um, they are actually taken.
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So every community is affected.
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So the basic definition, Andy's you know, baseline definition is human trafficking is when somebody is forced or coerced to be uh either labored, uh engaged in sexual activity or debt repayment against their will.
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It could be a child, it could be an adult, but they did not willingly engage, they did not uh offer themselves out for that type of activity.
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They are literally coerced into it and usually terrorized or their family members or they're threatened, you know, that if you say anything, we're gonna tell your mom, your dad, your family, or we're gonna kill them.
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And you know, I have many examples of that.
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So that's the basic rule of thumb.
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Uh, before human trafficking became a term, you know, there was a lot of familial trafficking, intra uh interfamily trafficking that did not necessarily involve money, but it involved perversion.
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So basically, human trafficking is driven by perversion and greed, and we always hear about the greed, national headlines, movies, it's all about the money.
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Yeah.
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Recently, um, was I think it was last year, um, Sound of Freedom came out and really put eyes on trafficking of young children.
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How often you said every how many seconds children are abducted?
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Every 40 seconds in the US.
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In the US, and the United States is from what I've what I've read and the research I've done in the past, is that the United States is the number one country that perpetuates this horrible, horrible practice and crime.
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These are crimes against humanity.
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So um it that's huge, it's ridiculous.
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And most of the times people don't get out.
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How do people get out?
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That's right.
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It is by the grace of God, you know, even in my situation in the early 60s when there wasn't even a conversation about child abuse.
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If there was something wanky with Uncle Joe or grandpa or whatever, people just swept it under the rug, or they didn't talk about it, didn't invite them to gatherings.
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But uh, people generally, the statistics from a couple years ago, I always use conservative statistics because it's changed uh dramatically in the last three years with an open border.
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But statistically, one only one out of every hundred victims will survive or survive long enough to move forward, you know, and go on with the life.
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The average uh lifespan of a victim once they are engaged in human trafficking activities against their will, as you said, a crime against humanity, a crime against their body and person, um, their average lifespan is seven years after the start.
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So it's a very hard life, and and people wonder why some of those survivors come out as drug addicts or alcoholics or or whatever.
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But what you have to realize is their body has been sold in sex uh trafficking, for instance, at least 20 to 25 times a day.
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Now imagine a child or any adult having that many uh activities in one 24-hour period, and most of the time they are drugged because after a while they just can't they can't do it and they wouldn't do it if they had a choice.
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And many times they die in the process.
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Oh my goodness.
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My heart my heart.
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I think of um, I think of that.
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I'm gonna go back to that movie because that gave a a really good picture of how covert these uh people who drag these young children into trafficking are.
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I mean, in that particular movie they had they had um tryouts for um um, I I guess it was um modeling or you know, movie stuff, and the kids were all like, oh, I'm gonna be in pictures, I'm gonna be in pictures.
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And the next thing you know, they're taken from their families and they're um scattered among among the world.
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And that's that's the other thing.
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I just heard just probably 20 minutes before I came on to to do the show today, that there are, since that border has been opened, there are 325,000 children who are missing in this country.
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No one knows where they are.
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How often are people are are children and and women mostly taken from a place and then transported to another country?
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And in that case, they probably never get seen again unless they have a story like the one in the movie.
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Absolutely.
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So, and that that's the low end of the numbers.
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That's just what uh has been reported.
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And here's the thing: it used to be let's say there is a child that comes across our border, let's just take the US and Mexico.
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That child should be placed in child protective services, CPS, you know, um, and health and human services has to run those things.
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There should be a 30-day hole in order to verify do you really have family here?
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Are you connected to anybody?
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You know, and why aren't they, you know, given physical exams and checked out?
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Now it's less than 10 days for every child.
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They're moving them fast through foster care, through CPS, and again, without a checks and balance, those kids most likely will be sold if they haven't already.
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But to lose that many children, why isn't there an outcry about the agencies that are responsible for those children?
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And here's the thing: I truly believe there are some parents in other countries that think if only my kid, my child could get to America and make their dreams come true.
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They're very vulnerable, right?
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What parent doesn't want?
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You know, the bright lights, big city, Hollywood, you know, opportunity.
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Look at all the athletes from different countries that play professional sports.
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However, the person they send that child or those children with, you know, along the way, are they connected to someone who's going to take those children?
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Are they being paid to escort their coyotes?
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You know, is what we call them to take them across the border, and the parents may never see them again.
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We also have cases, even in the US.
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I hate to tell people this, but it's true, some families will sell a child either because they have bills to pay or they can't handle it, or for whatever reason.
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Okay, so children are sold for a number of reasons, and there are plenty out.
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Yes, the US is, I am going to say, uh complicit in the exponential rise of child sex trafficking, of human trafficking, uh, of what happens to the women and children before they even cross the border.
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Okay, and so we astonish people when we use you know tough words like raping trees and things, but maybe we need to be uh kind of uh awakened as a community to the brutality of what happens to these adults and children.
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The children did not have a choice, and now they're in a country, probably don't speak the language, they have no way to do anything except be sold.
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Maybe some of the young men will go work somewhere, cash under the table, but where do they live?
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How do they live?
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How do they utilize the services that we would normally give if we knew, you know, how to bring them in properly?
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Yeah.
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Oh my goodness.
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Unbelievable.
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So it's no wonder you created a not-for-profit, actually, two not-for-profit organizations um dedicated to eradicating human traffic and sexual exploitation.
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How did you ever get the guts to get started with this after all you've been through?
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I have to tell you, you're one of my heroes.
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Thank you.
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I appreciate that.
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But as you know, it's God's grace.
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So let me just kind of give you the five and dime for your audiences so they understand the background uh very quickly.
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In the early 60s, as I said, there weren't any um organizations, there weren't any safe houses.
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They didn't even talk about child abuse.
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It was the culture.
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Uh, I was actually uh trafficked by all immediate and some extended family members from the ages of six months to 17 years old.
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And again, you know, the image factor, go to church, have an image, whatever it was.
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Uh, we were very controlled.
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But the physical abuse, the sexual abuse, the the torture that I had to endure by the age of five, Teresa, it was so bad.
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And my birth mother said she could take me out anytime.
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So I thought if I'm gonna die anyway, I'll beat her to the punch and I'll just go kill myself.
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And I went to the curb of my house and I waited for a car to be coming by fast enough.
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It was usually a busy street, but you know, at that day, at that time, there weren't any cars, so I waited.
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But while I was waiting, and here's how God, here's how God meets people sometimes, in such desperation and pain.
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I just wanted to be dead so no one could touch me, nobody could, you know, beat me to death, nobody could, you know, control me.
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And I looked into this huge blue sky and I thought, wow, it's just so big, you know, where does it go?
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How far does it go?
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Who made it?
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Is there someone out there that made this beautiful sky that's bigger than the people that were hurting me?
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And in that moment, I heard this voice within my heart say, This is not the plan I have for you.
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Suicide is not the answer.
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Now I'm five years old.
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I never would have known what the word suicide meant, but I heard that voice, I felt that voice within my body, and I trusted it.
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And I decided, you know, okay, I went up to the garage and I just sat against the garage door or stood against it, and I said, if you keep me alive, I will do whatever you call me to do.
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Those were the exact words.
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So, as many people know, there's a difference between being asked to do something and being called to do something.
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And so this blind faith with a God I had met began on that curve.
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Now, life was not easy.
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I had um things that uh happened, I was locked up for three months during the summer.
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You know, I could only uh have a bathroom break a day, and you know, things like that, and because somebody told a lie, and and and so I was locked up.
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And so I tried to take my life a couple more times, and by the time I was 17, uh I thought, okay, well, I've come this far.
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So maybe I should try and stick it out because I've already endured so much pain.
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But uh the summer I turned 17 was the summer of my birth mother the last time she tried to kill me by choking me to death.
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So it was not an easy life by any means, but I also know that God was always there.
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He's the one, Jesus is the one that pulled me away from the second story window that I tried to jump out of.
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He's the one that kept me from cutting my wrist with a steak knife, you know, at age eight.
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So there was a plan and a purpose, and I try and encourage people no matter what has happened in your life, God has not forgotten you.
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No.
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Oh man, to be told that this is not what you are called for, and have he's calling you to something, and then to actually, even through everything that you have gone through, be brave enough to say, okay, it's time, and then you step into the role that was prepared for you, despite everything that you had experienced.
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Um, it takes guts, girl.
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It takes thank you.
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Well, I'm not gonna say no to that.
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I I don't think I I clearly knew exactly how it was all gonna happen because it seemed simple.
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Just go, you know, talk to the teens, rescue them, whatever.
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Um, but I had this major life event where I had the fourth of ten traumatic brain injuries and I was not able to work in 2008.
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Uh, lost a very high-paying um corporate training job, and I thought, what am I gonna do?
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I'm in my, you know, my 40s, and I'm I don't know if this is all my life will be.
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I lost a year of memory.
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But during that time is when God inspired Beulas Place and basically said, you don't have to be a rocket science, all you have to do is love them.
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And I thought, okay, so Ed and I talked about it.
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We started doing that, we created a safe house system where uh anyone that we vetted, single, married, grandparents, would take one of our kids in for three to five months, and we would uh they had to finish high school, GED or diploma, they had to get a job and maintain it.
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Sometimes they could earn their way to a car that would be donated, but all in all, all of those kids, what they needed was someone to intercede, to give them guidelines, not judgment.
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Uh, our our basic plan, because we didn't really have one, was to love unconditionally, and then uh figure out uh their needs, food, housing, you know, jobs, uh, medical, dental, whatever it took, and then create a plan for them, Teresa, where they could go and reintegrate into community again successfully as young adults.
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Yeah, and that takes, yeah.
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Well, how awesome to be able to set somebody up in a family that's going to love them and not hurt them and you know be there to advocate for them and make sure that they get what they need.
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It's it's a huge, huge, huge undertaking, I'm sure.
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And um, how many kids did you say you you um put through the program?
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I more than 300, yes?
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Right, in the central Oregon area, and some of those kids came from other places as well, and they ended up in our area.
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And then, of course, we also did help uh some uh case-by-case kids outside of Oregon.
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But yeah, and out of those 300, 12 have completed university or college.
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Nice.
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Yeah, homeless to college, and they're changing their world their way.
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Um, and you know, unfortunately, COVID put a put a kink into what we were doing in terms of we had just gotten a building, we were halfway through renovating it, and uh in Oregon, the the leadership, I use that word loosely, decided that kids were the problem in COVID and and we weren't able to keep the building.
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But you know, God used that too.
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So that's when voices of trafficking, uh voices against trafficking was birthed out of uh the Beuless Place success.
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Wow.
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All right, so we're gonna talk a little bit about that when we get back, but we're gonna we're gonna have to take a break right now.
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Um, when we get back, I would like to talk to you not only about um what you just said, how God used that, even even in the time of COVID where you could not complete the mission, so to speak.
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Um, you know, there's it's like the thing, the shortest distance between two points is from A to B, but God's plan usually takes us on a road all the way around before we get to the point, you know.
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So, and along the way, there are good things, and I can't wait to hear some of them.
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Yeah.
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So we'll be right back with Andy Berger, and this is Conversations That Make a Difference.
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And we're back with Andy Berger.
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We are talking about human trafficking and voices against trafficking and how Andy has made a difference in the lives of people who have experienced such a horrendous, horrendous um um life after they have been um trafficked.
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So uh Andy, what are the biggest obstacles and challenges that hinder the work that you're doing, the anti trafficking efforts?
00:21:57.599 --> 00:21:59.759
Um there are um you know.
00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:06.480
When you talk to people about this, some of them say, Oh, it's not happening as bad as you think it is.
00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:09.519
And there's there's huge denial around this.
00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:14.880
Um, what what are some of the obstacles and the challenges that you each um you go through?
00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:27.200
And keeping in mind that you have helped so many kids get out and created a safe place for them to be able to live a um a much more peaceful life?
00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:28.960
What's talk to me?
00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:31.759
Tell me what what I need to know, what our listeners need to know.
00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:53.440
And while you're doing that, maybe you want to um um say uh what one thing that I I would like to know, and I'm sure my listeners would like to know as well, is are there certain things that you can see about people who are actually being um abducted, have been abducted and are under the control of somebody else?
00:22:53.599 --> 00:23:02.480
And is there something that we can do as laymen, if you will, to help those those people, the children or the women who are in this situation?
00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:05.279
All right, so we're gonna call that a two-parter.
00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:07.759
I'm gonna start with absolutely yeah.
00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:11.920
Uh one, as we talked before, breaking the myth that, oh, it doesn't happen here.
00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:13.279
I know my neighbors.
00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:24.960
Okay, well, if you know your neighbors, and let's say uh your preteen is trying to socialize and there's a sleepover or a pizza party or something, do you know if that person has additional children?
00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:30.480
Is there uh a son, you know, that stays in the house while the daughter is having the sleepover?
00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:34.799
What about the coach that you know doesn't want the parents to come to the pizza party?
00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:39.440
And that's a true story, you know, didn't want the parents there, just wanted all the girls there, right?
00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:43.920
Okay, so there are things that happen that look innocent, crowds of any kind.
00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:51.839
I don't care if you're on the soccer field or if it's you know Super Bowl Sunday, crowds are very, very dangerous for kids.
00:23:52.079 --> 00:24:06.160
And uh just not so long ago, the the story about the father the daughter went up to use the bathroom in a stadium, you know, at a big uh professional sports game and disappeared, took them 11 days, you know, to find her, which was a miracle.
00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:09.440
But she was already in another state, she had already been violated.
00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:11.519
That father will never forget that day.
00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:24.000
And it doesn't mean we have to police our kids, but we do have to teach them how to be aware, and we need to have some things that I'll offer to help people, uh, like you know, the family code and things like that, to know when their kids are in trouble.
00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:33.359
But back to obstacles, clearly, you know, funding because if people don't believe it happens, they're not going to support it either in time or with valuable resources.
00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:42.640
Okay, and there are good organizations out there, but again, it's all about vetting and doing our due diligence to find out who's doing doing the work.
00:24:42.960 --> 00:25:01.920
You know, what we find a lot of times we have this amazing uh prevention program uh from the Paratus Group and Brian Searcy, and we have tried to get that into schools and try to get families interested in just watching a four-minute video uh five days a week for 90 days.
00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:02.640
That's it.
00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:09.920
And your family will definitely be situationally aware, you'll know how to help have conversations with your children.
00:25:10.079 --> 00:25:21.680
I have a mom who bless her heart, she works two jobs, you know, dad works, they have a couple of kids, but they they spent the$79 one time to do this program and they make it fun.
00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:56.079
They have taco night on Monday and they they watch the video or they talk about what the video says, and then they that one of the kids gets to choose dinner for the next night, but they were willing to put time and energy, and because of that, they actually helped uh uh a child that was being abducted, they notice something strange in the restaurant, like the body language of someone who's abused or controlled, they'll usually be quiet, maybe not have eye contact, they won't speak unless the handler, as we call them, tells them to speak, even if it's just ordering pancakes, you know, all of that is done for them.
00:25:56.400 --> 00:26:15.759
But this couple who had gone through the training felt something was off, and so as the man and this young girl uh exited the restaurant, they got up and they took a picture of the license plate of the car, and then they called the police and they they told them their suspicions and why they thought it was suspicious.
00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:21.440
The car ended up being stolen, but at least there was a clue for the police to go after.
00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:25.119
So, again, you know, we don't know whose child that was.
00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:29.359
But what I say again, we're not trying to police them, we're trying to protect them.
00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:44.960
But if we don't have a conversation as adults with our kids, the kids that we're involved with, grandkids, foster kids, any kids, up to the age of 24, because right now, Teresa, college campuses are the most dangerous for women 18 to 24 years old.
00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:48.480
It used to be, oh, well, just you might get raped if you went out at night.
00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:50.880
No, it's way worse than that now.
00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:58.559
There are recruiters on campuses looking for men and women, young, young men and young women to be uh trafficked.
00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:09.119
And it could be a party, it could be so many different things that look normal, or that a kid uh a young person says, I want to do that, you know, and I'm here at college and it's okay, right?
00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:10.480
Because my friends are.
00:27:10.799 --> 00:27:12.240
It's not always okay.
00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:22.319
So those obstacles, and then of course, uh our leadership, whether it's the mayor or the school board, uh, head of the school board, or we go all the way up to the White House.
00:27:22.559 --> 00:27:27.039
What are they doing to help keep America's children safe?
00:27:27.599 --> 00:27:30.000
And if they're not doing something, why?
00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:33.039
Pull your support, don't vote for that person.
00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:55.920
Because here's the crux human trafficking is not about right versus left, it's about right versus wrong, and it should always be wrong unless you're participating in it or profiting from it, but you're not gonna see that, but it is wrong no matter where you stand, economically, gender-wise, uh political-wise.
00:27:56.079 --> 00:28:00.720
And here's the other thing that people think it just started in America, right?
00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:03.039
Wow, that's not true.
00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:07.680
Human trafficking has been going on since before the Greco-Roman eras.
00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:15.519
There has always been a trade of human life for sex, for profit, for labor, for debt repayment.
00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:24.400
So it didn't just occur, we're just now getting a lot more um exposure to it in the last 40, 50 years.
00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:25.599
So this one.
00:28:27.039 --> 00:28:28.640
Yeah, absolutely.
00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:34.319
And think about the national headlines, think about the university scandals, think about Epstein and Maxwell.
00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:39.759
Here, here's Jelene Maxwell, well dressed, nice shoes, nice nails, nice hair.
00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:43.519
What young woman wouldn't want to be like what they saw, right?
00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:49.920
And so she invites somebody, you know, over, and there you have it.
00:28:50.079 --> 00:28:53.039
Uh, there are a lot of female predators, and people refuse.
00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:53.839
That's the other myth.
00:28:53.920 --> 00:28:56.160
Oh, well, they wouldn't do that, you know.
00:28:56.640 --> 00:28:57.759
Yeah, they do.
00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:00.319
Yeah, and it's sad, it's really sad.
00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:18.079
Now, I I don't know if this is um this is uh something that you teach the the kids, but I know that there is a signal, a hand signal that people can use when they are being abused or have been are with somebody that they don't know, that they need help.
00:29:18.319 --> 00:29:25.599
And I've I've always like for for um for um um a woman in distress.
00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:30.480
I think this signal is four fingers up, one finger in here, and then you close your hand.
00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:32.000
Do you know about this signal?
00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:34.079
Is this something that you teach them?
00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:35.680
I do know about it.
00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:40.559
I don't specifically teach it because guess who else knows what those signals mean?
00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:41.440
Yeah.
00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:41.839
Yeah.
00:29:42.160 --> 00:29:47.359
So when you identify yourself as a woman in distress, uh that was a great idea.
00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:57.680
And it could still work if the predators and people that want an easy hit, a kidnap, uh uh, you know, sexual assault, anything, didn't also know that.
00:29:57.839 --> 00:30:07.920
They are also using young teenagers to do those signs, to get into somebody's car, into somebody's house, uh, to to do whatever it is they're going to do.
00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:10.240
And so we have to be careful.
00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:12.960
So here's an all here's an alternative, okay?
00:30:13.440 --> 00:30:27.279
If if you have uh whether your family unit is a single person, a married, a family, uh, whatever, roommate situation, we always encourage people to create a code that say let's take a family of four.
00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:29.200
You got a mom, a dad, two kids.
00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:36.799
That family should have a code word, something generic, because you don't want to say, well, you know, dial 911 or police.
00:30:37.039 --> 00:30:39.920
Maybe you say groceries is your word for your family.
00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:47.759
And when your child uh texts you that word, you know, uh-oh, I gotta go get them, I gotta help, they're in trouble somehow.
00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:52.400
And and for parents that have trackers on phones, you know, do that immediately.
00:30:52.640 --> 00:31:16.319
Okay, for adult uh children, say college age or adult teens, uh have the family code, and also if they have two or three kids that they they normally hang with that are regulars in their life, they could also have their own code so that if they're with a friend, because when a teen or a young person's in trouble, they'll probably call a friend first before they would call a parent figure.
00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:26.799
Um, they could also have a code for them, maybe it's you know beer or maybe it's uh I don't know, dinner or something like that, pizza, whatever that word is, but do not share it with anyone.
00:31:27.039 --> 00:31:29.519
Um we had a little trouble teaching some of our kids that.
00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:32.079
Oh, I told you know, so-and-so what my word was.
00:31:33.359 --> 00:31:36.880
And so we would talk about the responsible way to use that.
00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:50.160
If you are a parent with young kids and you have a daycare worker or you have someone come to the house or anything like that that you trust and and please vet them out, um, then they could also have access to that word.
00:31:50.240 --> 00:32:00.240
It's just a quiet way because if some if someone gets snatched, it takes as little as three seconds for a predator to snatch a 10-year-old that weighs 70 pounds.
00:32:00.799 --> 00:32:02.880
Okay, that's how fast.
00:32:03.039 --> 00:32:13.279
And a lot of times there's not going to be a way to call, but uh kids are very fast with texting, and so they could text that word or text some help word that you all choose.
00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:14.799
So that's one way to do it.
00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:24.799
Another way to prepare, uh, like that couple in the restaurant, they were already prepared, but for those who aren't, go to voicesagainstrafficking.com.
00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:29.039
We have helplines and hotlines, put them in your phone today.
00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:32.960
This way, if you see something, you can say something safely.
00:32:33.119 --> 00:32:46.319
You know, your neighbor's not gonna know, uh, the town's not gonna find out, it's suicide hotline, human trafficking uh suspicion or victim hotline, uh child abuse hotline, all kinds of helplines and hotlines.
00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:54.319
And if you have children uh who can who can understand the responsibility for those numbers, make sure they have those in their phone too.
00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:58.160
So uh voices against trafficking has that on there.
00:32:58.640 --> 00:32:59.039
Nice.
00:32:59.119 --> 00:33:02.079
And these are some of these hotline numbers are national hotline numbers.
00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:02.640
It doesn't matter.
00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:05.039
Absolutely, yes, absolutely.
00:33:05.200 --> 00:33:08.400
And Department of Homeland Security, we have that line there too.
00:33:08.480 --> 00:33:12.640
They will take reports of suspected trafficking, abductions, things like that.
00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:14.000
Okay, good.
00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:23.440
Um well, you're giving us a lot of information already, so I hope that people who are listening are feeling a little bit safer knowing some of the things that that Andy is sharing with us.
00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:39.920
This is a national, this is an international, this is a worldwide problem that um people would like to deny, but it's it's alive and well and living in every city in this country and every city in the world probably.
00:33:40.400 --> 00:33:53.119
So um speaking of all over the place, how much does um the media, let's say, how much are they um what kind of role do they play in this whole thing?
00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:59.200
I, you know, a lot of times you don't like you won't hear stuff on how to help on the media.
00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:05.279
To me, that that's kind of like being complicit and or in denial that there is actually a problem.
00:34:05.599 --> 00:34:08.480
So, what part does the media play in this whole thing?
00:34:08.800 --> 00:34:10.400
Well, they should play a major part.
00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:18.480
And thanks to you and other people that have shows and that are in uh media in general, I appreciate that so much for being part of the solution.
00:34:18.639 --> 00:34:26.480
But here's the deal it's not uh it's not really news to them because it doesn't gain them anything to talk about that.
00:34:26.719 --> 00:34:30.639
A lot of big box stores used to have walls with missing children's pictures on it.
00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:46.320
Why aren't we talking about take 30 seconds out of every show, every newscast to highlight, hey, this this person's missing, or uh as a reminder, go put these numbers in your phone because you know trafficking is an issue, whether it's here or somewhere else, be prepared.
00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:53.519
Why aren't we encouraging people to be involved in the solution to prevent it, which is the best way to not have it?
00:34:53.760 --> 00:34:59.199
Okay, if we prevent one victim, it's worth whatever you have to do to do that.
00:34:59.360 --> 00:35:15.920
So the media, in my opinion, is very lax because they are not using not only my services, which are there for the taking, all our speakers that are involved in voices against trafficking, that are fighting internet, you know, safety and all those things.
00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:25.119
Uh, we're all here available, and yet getting to mainstream media is very difficult because it's either not sexy or saleable enough.
00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:27.519
You know, it's not a big headline for them.
00:35:27.760 --> 00:35:31.199
And honestly, you don't know who's covering up for who, right?
00:35:31.280 --> 00:35:32.800
Or who's getting paid by who.
00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:34.000
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:34.159 --> 00:35:45.039
I have no idea who's getting who's getting uh their palm greased, so to speak, to keep their mouth shut or to say something that's a code for somebody else that doesn't, you know.
00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:54.159
Um this tunnel runs really deep, really wide, really long, and it's all over the place.
00:35:54.400 --> 00:35:56.239
So we have to go to a break again.
00:35:56.400 --> 00:36:13.679
I hate to break this up, but we have to take a break, and we'll be right back with Andy Berger, and we're talking about voices against trafficking and how you can play a part um in the fact that you are becoming aware of some of the things that um are out there that you may not have looked at before.
00:36:13.920 --> 00:36:14.559
We'll be right back.
00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:15.440
And we're back.
00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:21.599
We're having this incredibly good conversation with Andy Berger, who is um with Voices Against Trafficking.
00:36:21.760 --> 00:36:39.760
She has not-for-profit organizations, has been uh, for those of you who are just joining us, has been trafficked herself, and we are talking about what's going on out there, and we're talking about some solutions for families to be able to and practices for families to be able to prepare their kids.
00:36:40.320 --> 00:36:50.880
You know, Andy, the other day I read something about um 11 kids in a container, in a cargo container, were rescued.
00:36:51.360 --> 00:36:55.280
And the children, several of them, they were under 11.
00:36:55.440 --> 00:37:04.079
They were under 11, and several of them said they had been in a store with their their mom and um and they just got they just got taken.
00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:05.360
They just got taken.
00:37:06.239 --> 00:37:10.559
Talk to me about how parents can be more mindful.
00:37:10.960 --> 00:37:15.920
Um, well, obviously, parents, be more mindful of where your children are.
00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:16.480
Okay.
00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:23.760
Talk to me about how uh people can actually um do something about this or prevent.
00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:24.800
Absolutely.
00:37:25.119 --> 00:37:30.400
It gives me chills to even think about that anytime I see a container when I'm traveling or on the you know roads.
00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:31.599
It's just okay.
00:37:31.760 --> 00:37:42.320
So to your point, yes, especially with holidays coming up where it gets even busier for a lot of families, school has started, all the there's a lot going on, and so we're not blaming parents.
00:37:42.480 --> 00:37:47.760
What we're asking them to do is, like you said, please be more aware of where your children are.
00:37:47.840 --> 00:37:53.840
So I was in a big box store, you know, groceries, sundry, I mean the whole thing, you know, huge.
00:37:54.079 --> 00:37:57.840
And I saw three little kids in the aisle, uh, the toy aisle.
00:37:58.000 --> 00:38:01.280
No parents, no adults that seem to be connected to them.
00:38:01.599 --> 00:38:03.920
But I will tell you what I've experienced and seeing.
00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:13.440
My guess is the parent probably said, sure, go ahead and look at all the toys, you know, so you can tell Santa or you know, whatever, go entertain yourself basically while I go do grocery shopping.
00:38:13.599 --> 00:38:13.920
Okay.
00:38:14.400 --> 00:38:32.559
But most of those big box doors, where are the toy aisles and things uh next to bathrooms, uh, exterior exit doors, you know, for employees, uh, all kinds of things where somebody could easily snatch them and exit before a parent is even aware of what has happened.
00:38:32.639 --> 00:38:39.440
They'll think the child is lost in the store, they'll have somebody go over the PA, but but by that time, that's at least an hour.
00:38:39.599 --> 00:38:41.360
Okay, that's at least an hour.
00:38:41.599 --> 00:38:53.119
So please be with your child or have an adult that is responsible, watch them because it is so easy, and you do not want that tragedy in your family.
00:38:53.199 --> 00:38:58.400
You do not want your child to go through what I did or what so many others have gone through.
00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:13.199
And again, uh, there are a lot of big box do-it-yourself stores, and they have these little sessions, these little classes, which is great, but have a parent or an older guardian there watching the person, giving the lessons, watching around.
00:39:13.280 --> 00:39:14.639
I'll give another example.
00:39:14.800 --> 00:39:16.880
Um, big box store in our area.
00:39:17.039 --> 00:39:29.519
I kept noticing every time I would drive through, I wasn't shopping there, but there was another store I was shopping at, and I and I noticed that there were three black SUVs in the back of the parking lot consistently for about two or three weeks.
00:39:29.760 --> 00:39:31.360
Okay, well, guess what?
00:39:31.519 --> 00:39:42.800
I I talked to some of our uh colleagues, and we all uh agreed that they were waiting so that the first SUV could go up and snatch somebody.
00:39:43.039 --> 00:39:57.760
The second one would be a backup, and if they got lucky, the third one would pick up someone else, okay, as they're coming out of the store with their package or their kid or whatever, and it could be an adult or a child, but they are waiting to pounce, okay?
00:39:58.079 --> 00:40:04.559
And so we have to be more aware of the parking lots, you know, who's in the stands at our kids' uh, you know, ball games.
00:40:04.639 --> 00:40:06.239
Uh, what about the dance class?
00:40:06.320 --> 00:40:07.840
Have you vetted out the teachers?
00:40:07.920 --> 00:40:09.360
Are you looking at the other parents?
00:40:09.519 --> 00:40:14.159
Are you looking at, you know, how they respond to certain movements by the kids dancing?
00:40:14.239 --> 00:40:18.079
It's you know, really cute to have your daughter in a tutu, but you have to be there.
00:40:18.159 --> 00:40:22.719
You can't just rely on that teacher to be basically the babysitter.
00:40:23.440 --> 00:40:24.559
Not in these times.
00:40:24.719 --> 00:40:27.440
It used to be different, but it's not anymore.
00:40:27.519 --> 00:40:32.719
And it it just really my heart is for people to protect our children.
00:40:33.119 --> 00:40:34.960
But we have to be more diligent.
00:40:35.360 --> 00:40:42.880
And you know, the other thing, the other thing as far as you know, paying attention, these things right here are huge distractions.
00:40:43.440 --> 00:40:43.840
Absolutely.
00:40:44.159 --> 00:40:56.239
How many times you're in the store and you see people with and all they're doing is looking down, looking down, looking down, pay attention to what's going on around you, people, pay attention to what's going on around you.
00:40:56.480 --> 00:41:02.079
There's even if they're not your children, pay attention to what's going on around you.
00:41:02.320 --> 00:41:08.320
If you see a child in distress, I would say, I would be the one that goes and says, Are you okay?
00:41:08.559 --> 00:41:09.440
You know, right.
00:41:10.559 --> 00:41:14.639
I would be absolutely means that there are go ahead.
00:41:14.719 --> 00:41:15.119
I'm sorry.
00:41:15.360 --> 00:41:16.079
Oh, I'm so sorry.
00:41:16.159 --> 00:41:17.039
There was a little glitch.
00:41:17.119 --> 00:41:23.519
But to your point, you know, school bus areas, you know, there are a lot of times I see kids all by themselves, you know, getting on the bus.
00:41:23.599 --> 00:41:36.719
And I understand parents work, or you know, maybe grandma isn't well and she can't watch the kids or whatever it is, but I don't have to have little children to be an adult that could volunteer and watch the bus stop, you know, one day a week.
00:41:36.800 --> 00:41:42.960
Let's say get seven people or five people to watch that area, just from you know, that point of view.
00:41:43.199 --> 00:41:51.840
Volunteer, uh, you know, vacation Bible school, who's in the parking lot watching who comes in and out, who who's watching for the people watching the children, you know.
00:41:51.920 --> 00:41:53.599
Um, let's see, what else can we think of?
00:41:53.679 --> 00:41:57.760
The stores we've already talked about, uh, you know, just all those different things.
00:41:57.840 --> 00:42:08.880
And if your child has to use the restroom, even if they are 10 years old and they're old enough, stand outside that door, wait for your son, wait for your daughter, make sure they come out, you know, within a reasonable time.
00:42:09.199 --> 00:42:14.480
I saw a mom do this the other day, and I said, good for you for standing outside waiting for your son.
00:42:14.639 --> 00:42:21.440
Her two daughters were in the bathroom where I was, so I was watching them without her knowing, and I was making sure they were safe.
00:42:21.679 --> 00:42:28.159
But she was waiting to make sure her boy came out of that bathroom, you know, and we don't do that enough.
00:42:28.400 --> 00:42:30.000
No, we don't do that enough.
00:42:30.239 --> 00:42:31.360
Um, movies.
00:42:31.440 --> 00:42:39.119
We talked about the there are some movies, Sound of Freedom, and when Sound of Freedom came out, um, there were t-shirts that were being sold afterwards.
00:42:39.440 --> 00:42:41.519
God's children are not for sale.
00:42:41.760 --> 00:42:43.360
God's children are not for sale.
00:42:43.599 --> 00:42:45.039
That's a line from the movie.
00:42:45.199 --> 00:42:48.079
And Jim Caviezel does a great job in this movie.
00:42:48.239 --> 00:43:10.639
I think that, you know, there's nothing, there's there's nothing that is um, they don't do anything graphic in the movie, but they de definitely paint a picture of how a certain scenario can play out for children um when they are um when they are when there are people who are looking specifically to take them into this this arena.
00:43:10.800 --> 00:43:12.000
So Sound of Freedom.
00:43:12.079 --> 00:43:14.320
What's the other one that you mentioned to me earlier?
00:43:14.639 --> 00:43:17.119
Uh the Taken series with Liam Neeson.
00:43:17.199 --> 00:43:20.239
Uh they kind of started it uh in a different way.
00:43:20.480 --> 00:43:24.159
It was definitely you know theatrical, but there is a lot of truth in that movie.
00:43:24.320 --> 00:43:30.719
One parent didn't want the daughter to go to Europe, the other parent did, and it was, you know, kind of a battle between the two divorced parents.
00:43:30.880 --> 00:43:37.920
Like the girls go and things happen, but the first one in particular, and then it goes into um uh the second and third movie.
00:43:38.079 --> 00:43:46.559
But if for a starter movie, if someone hasn't seen that one, start with that, you know, and then you know, if you if I would definitely recommend Sound of Freedom.
00:43:46.639 --> 00:43:48.320
There are a lot of movies, Ring of Silence.
00:43:48.400 --> 00:43:49.119
There's so many.
00:43:49.280 --> 00:43:50.159
Do some research.
00:43:50.320 --> 00:43:53.440
If you're a movie person, do some research, watch the movies.
00:43:53.599 --> 00:43:55.840
Uh, YouTube if you want information.
00:43:56.000 --> 00:43:58.320
But again, look at credible sources.
00:43:58.480 --> 00:43:59.760
Why isn't this in the schools?
00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:01.599
They're teaching all kinds of things.
00:44:01.760 --> 00:44:05.119
Why don't we have anti-trafficking or prevention?
00:44:05.440 --> 00:44:09.920
There's a free program called SEMPI, S E M P I out of Australia.
00:44:10.079 --> 00:44:19.760
22 countries are using it and they're reducing the homelessness, the hunger, and the incidence of trafficking of children.
00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:23.760
And I've tried to get that into our area here.
00:44:23.840 --> 00:44:36.079
And I'm going to keep plugging away because the material is free and it's developed by a survivor and it helps five-year-olds vet their peers all the way up through college.
00:44:36.159 --> 00:44:38.320
It can be used all the way up through college.
00:44:38.639 --> 00:44:41.039
So why aren't we saying, yeah, give us more of that?
00:44:41.199 --> 00:44:42.480
We want that for our school.
00:44:42.639 --> 00:44:44.079
We want our kids to understand.
00:44:44.320 --> 00:44:45.519
What's the name of the program again?
00:44:45.679 --> 00:44:46.320
Say it again.
00:44:46.639 --> 00:44:51.920
Senpai, S like Sam, E M P like Peter, I Senpai.
00:44:52.639 --> 00:44:57.920
So each day in the classroom, uh their teachers, let's let's check our Senpai today.
00:44:58.000 --> 00:44:59.440
And there are four questions.
00:44:59.599 --> 00:45:02.400
It's a social communication uh program.
00:45:02.880 --> 00:45:06.239
And it's something like, you know, did you eat yesterday?
00:45:06.400 --> 00:45:08.639
Okay, how are did you sleep last night?
00:45:08.800 --> 00:45:11.599
If you didn't, why did someone come in or were you hungry?
00:45:11.679 --> 00:45:12.639
You know, things like that.
00:45:12.719 --> 00:45:20.480
So it asks four simple questions, and at the end, the child will will ask the other child, do we need an adult to help us?
00:45:21.039 --> 00:45:26.320
Can you imagine if we vetted from five years old up what we could do?
00:45:26.800 --> 00:45:28.320
It would be humongous.
00:45:28.559 --> 00:45:30.079
It would be humongous.
00:45:30.239 --> 00:45:33.679
You know, it uh this is there's just so much, so much here.
00:45:33.760 --> 00:45:39.760
So for those of you who are listening, there's replays on this, replay it, share it with other people.
00:45:40.079 --> 00:45:44.320
Andy is a wealth of information, and I am I'm floored.
00:45:44.480 --> 00:45:49.039
You know, the other thing that I wanted to say is we we were talking about you just said college.
00:45:49.119 --> 00:45:59.840
Okay, so a lot of college kids, even high school kids, they go to other countries on, you know, student um exchange as exchange students.
00:45:59.920 --> 00:46:03.360
Some dates and one comes to go to the other country.
00:46:03.519 --> 00:46:04.639
They don't know anybody.
00:46:04.960 --> 00:46:09.920
They're being entrusted to a family who who knows if they've been really vetted or whatever.
00:46:10.079 --> 00:46:16.400
Um, and they're in it in a place where they may not even know the language and they're going there for a period of time.
00:46:16.559 --> 00:46:22.800
Or let's say a group of kids just graduated high school and they're gonna go backpack through Europe or something.
00:46:23.440 --> 00:46:37.599
What can you tell the family members, parents, and what what tips can you give to these kids who are so ambitious to go on these um adventures, if you will, to keep themselves safe?
00:46:38.000 --> 00:46:42.880
Well, one of the things we've mentioned a few things, but yes, the kids themselves need to have that code.
00:46:42.960 --> 00:46:49.679
Uh, there should be some responsible adult on the other end or somewhere where they can identify a safe spot.
00:46:49.840 --> 00:46:52.880
You know, if you're in trouble, where would you go if you could get there?
00:46:53.280 --> 00:46:55.519
Okay, so the parents need to be involved in that.
00:46:55.679 --> 00:47:03.280
Even if you have an 18-year-old, okay, sure, we want you to have this advention, but uh this adventure, but here's what needs to happen before you go.
00:47:03.440 --> 00:47:05.119
And have the conversations.
00:47:05.199 --> 00:47:07.360
And if you don't know how to have it, ask one of us.
00:47:07.519 --> 00:47:08.400
We'll we'll help you.
00:47:08.480 --> 00:47:11.760
We're we're not perfect, but we can tell you what to look for.
00:47:11.920 --> 00:47:25.519
Um, I I get some physical therapy, and one of the therapists is first time out of Oregon, young girl, beautiful, cute, blonde, adorable, hasn't been out of her hometown for 24 years, and she's going to New York.
00:47:25.760 --> 00:47:32.400
And so I talked to her about things to look for and what she and her girlfriend need to understand.
00:47:32.639 --> 00:47:43.280
But they actually have one of the parents in New York who's going to be kind of their their guide or their safe spot, even though they're going to be independently doing activities.
00:47:43.519 --> 00:47:49.199
So we just need to make the map of safety for our kids because they don't know.
00:47:49.360 --> 00:47:53.840
They don't know uh what kind of target they are for predators.
00:47:54.559 --> 00:48:01.519
Yeah, I think I think a lot of us are are raised in in house, especially if we are in a very safe household.
00:48:01.679 --> 00:48:04.000
Um, we're raised with blinders on that.
00:48:04.159 --> 00:48:11.360
We don't imagine that this could possibly happen to anyone we know or anyone, one of our children or whatever.
00:48:11.519 --> 00:48:13.039
We just don't imagine that we can.
00:48:13.199 --> 00:48:16.079
But I know that you have a lot of resources on the website.
00:48:16.239 --> 00:48:20.320
Can you tell people a little bit more about the website and what they can get there?
00:48:20.719 --> 00:48:27.599
Okay, on voicesagainstrafficking.com, voicesagainstraffing.com, besides the helpline hotlines, we have our books.
00:48:27.760 --> 00:48:35.760
Uh as uh Teresa mentioned, there are two books, and proceeds go to uh victims of child uh abuse and exploitation and trafficking.
00:48:35.920 --> 00:48:40.639
Uh, we also have uh a CD coming out or an album, so to speak, a digital album.
00:48:40.719 --> 00:48:43.760
It's called Broken Treasures, the inspiration album.
00:48:43.840 --> 00:48:46.800
We're gonna have positive, you know, songs, message songs.
00:48:46.880 --> 00:48:51.039
Uh that's gonna be a fundraiser for us and hopefully out right before Thanksgiving.
00:48:51.199 --> 00:48:52.320
That's a way to support us.
00:48:52.559 --> 00:48:54.320
Very simple, just like buying a book.
00:48:54.480 --> 00:49:00.239
We also have the magazine Voices of Courage available on the website and on Amazon.
00:49:00.400 --> 00:49:02.960
So uh again, you know, lots of resources.
00:49:03.039 --> 00:49:04.960
If you're a long-term reader, read a book.
00:49:05.039 --> 00:49:08.480
If you like magazine style that's more editorial, get the magazine.
00:49:08.639 --> 00:49:13.360
If you love to listen to music, it's coming, and then we're gonna have a TV show next year.
00:49:13.440 --> 00:49:20.960
Uh, and then usually we try to have one or two free live international uh forums through Facebook and YouTube.
00:49:21.360 --> 00:49:23.039
Again, it all depends on funding.
00:49:23.199 --> 00:49:28.400
Right now we're we're a little bit low, and we have survivors that were supporting, uh one in Africa.
00:49:28.719 --> 00:49:34.880
We have uh actually almost 30 orphaned kids from war and human trafficking in Pakistan.
00:49:35.039 --> 00:49:39.519
So it's growing, and we're trying to, you know, give them school supplies and things.
00:49:39.599 --> 00:49:45.199
Uh, and then also in the US and various states as well as my area.
00:49:45.360 --> 00:49:47.599
So all of they need your help.
00:49:47.760 --> 00:49:48.639
They need your help.
00:49:48.719 --> 00:49:54.400
We're a 501c3, so that's one small way that you could help us that would create big results.
00:49:54.719 --> 00:49:54.960
Right.
00:49:55.119 --> 00:49:58.400
And if somebody wanted to donate to the organization, how can they do that?
00:49:58.719 --> 00:49:59.199
Absolutely.
00:49:59.360 --> 00:50:04.320
Go to voicesagainstrafficking.com, click on the donate button, and you'll get your tax receipt.
00:50:04.400 --> 00:50:05.760
Uh, it's through PayPal.
00:50:05.840 --> 00:50:09.920
You can be recurring or you can be at one time, and every single dollar gets used.
00:50:10.079 --> 00:50:11.199
None of us are paid.
00:50:11.360 --> 00:50:12.559
We are all volunteers.
00:50:12.639 --> 00:50:14.880
We've been volunteers for 20 plus years.
00:50:15.840 --> 00:50:17.840
Andy, you have brought so much information.
00:50:18.000 --> 00:50:19.280
I don't know how to thank you.
00:50:19.440 --> 00:50:28.960
For the families that are listening to this, for the mothers, for the fathers, for the children, the daughters, the sons of people who have who love and honor who you are.
00:50:29.280 --> 00:50:39.519
Please do everything you can in order to be able to make yourself aware of signs and signals that could potentially bring you into harm's way.
00:50:39.679 --> 00:50:45.440
And for the families that are are um teaching their kids how to stay safe, kudos to you.
00:50:45.920 --> 00:51:06.960
Be sure to go to voicesagainstrafficking.com and do what you can in order to be able to educate your children and yourselves on how to be aware of what is one of the biggest crimes against humanity, if not the biggest crime against humanity, that is happening every single day, multiple times a day around the world.
00:51:08.000 --> 00:51:09.119
Andy, thank you.
00:51:10.239 --> 00:51:10.719
You're welcome.
00:51:10.880 --> 00:51:11.519
My pleasure.
00:51:11.840 --> 00:51:19.840
And thank you all for listening to this uh incredibly important uh show of conversations that make a difference.
00:51:20.000 --> 00:51:20.960
We'll see you next time.
00:51:21.280 --> 00:51:28.480
That brings us to the close of another episode of Conversations That Make a Difference with host Teresa Vellardi.
00:51:28.639 --> 00:51:33.199
We want to sincerely thank you for tuning in and sharing your time with us today.
00:51:33.440 --> 00:51:44.639
Our greatest hope is that today's discussion inspired your personal growth, encouraged you to share your unique gift, and gave you the courage to write your own magnificent story.
00:51:45.039 --> 00:51:49.440
If this message resonated with you, let's keep the conversation going.
00:51:49.599 --> 00:51:58.239
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00:51:58.480 --> 00:52:02.880
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00:52:03.840 --> 00:52:07.039
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00:52:07.199 --> 00:52:07.920
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00:52:08.079 --> 00:52:10.400
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00:52:10.480 --> 00:52:12.960
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00:52:13.199 --> 00:52:15.519
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00:52:15.679 --> 00:52:20.559
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