Dear Friends,

On #GivingTuesday, a day when people around the world take a moment to give back, I have been thinking about the survivors of sex trafficking who served as my teachers and mentors about the horrors of this crime.

Among my first teachers was Julia. She's a towering figure despite barely reaching my chin. I learned of her from a late-night call, dialed frantically by a detective. Julia had run away from her boyfriend, who was pimping her out, and as the shelters were closed, the police didn't know where to take her. I located a place for her to stay, and when we later met, I was shocked. At 17, Julia was emaciated and a wisp of a girl; she barely looked over the age of 12. 

"How could someone sell this tiny body?" I asked myself. "And who would buy her without fully knowing that they were committing an act of child rape?" Equally troubling, I wondered how no one around her noticed or called for help?

Over the years, Julia and I worked together to access the services she needed to reclaim her body and her mental health. Even as the memory of our first meeting still haunts me, Julia has blossomed into an outspoken activist who wants to ensure that no child ever again is bought or sold for sex. Today, Julia is part of ECPAT-USA’s Survivor’s Council, whose members share their hard-earned expertise with us on federal and local policies to prevent the exploitation of other children and to access the care essential for healing.

I recently wrote about the moment Julia and I met as part of My Giving Story, an annual contest held in conjunction with #GivingTuesday and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As part of this contest, we at ECPAT-USA have the opportunity to raise even more awareness about our work and secure more funding for our programs. You can help us out by reading and voting for my story, "Answering the Call for Help."

For over a quarter of a century, ECPAT-USA has been a leader in the fight to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Through our programs focused on legislative advocacy, private sector engagement, and youth education, we have been able to pass laws that protect and support survivors of trafficking, train members of the travel industry on how to identify and respond to instances of trafficking, and empower students to become activists in their own communities. 

Your gift this #GivingTuesday means that we are able to expand our Y-ACT program to more schools. It means we are able to work with more companies and advocate for more laws and resources that support survivors of trafficking. Gifts from individuals, just like you, are crucial to our work. Your continued support allows us to continue fighting for Julia's and every child's right to grow up free from exploitation. 

In Solidarity,



Lori L. Cohen
Executive Director
ECPAT-USA