"Save Our Children"
This weekend Jeff and I attended the "Save Our Children Conference and Gala". We were amazed at the expert panel that was presenting and I couldn't even share all of it if I tried my best but what I can do is highlight what I think is an important topic that we can all agree on!
But, hey, first let's start with the fun stuff..the Gala!!!It was held at the beautiful Shiloh Farms and the weather was Gorgeous, perfect for an outdoor event! One of the highlights of Friday evening for us was getting to chat with Kevin Sorbo, the well known actor who now lives in Florida! We gave us a lot of his time for which we are thankful because we truly think of him as a hero!
Let's see some pics:
Shiloh Farms is often used for retreats
, and we have actually held Character GPS Board Retreats there twice in the past. I had forgotten just how breathtaking it is there!
Meeting Kevin Sorbo:
I didn't even think to get in the picture just wanted to make sure a got a quick pic of Jeff and Kevin before my phone died LOL!
What a nice guy!!! His wife was there too and they have moved here from the wonderful state of California! Needless to say, they love Florida!! We love having them here!!
Kevin gifted everyone at the Gala with one of his movies that Sean Hannity funded! We can't wait to watch it!
Kevin and his wife Samantha have their own studio called Sorbo Studios! We are very excited for them!
All right, there were many heavy topics and many experts and one of them just happened to be our friend Sgt. Alan Wilkett, human trafficking expert and retired Sergeant for Pasco County. We did know he would be there and were thrilled that he was filling in for someone who could not be there.
Cue the reunion pic:
He was our keynote speaker a few years ago and people were so impacted by it, they still talk about it! I probably should share that link:
You won't regret spending time listening to him!
We got a chance to hear him at a Breakout Session on Human Trafficking on Saturday at the conference. I recorded a small portion of what he was saying:
A key point that he addresses in this video is that Human Trafficking is a relatively "new" crime meaning we've become aware of it more recently and that it can mask itself as other crimes such as shoplifting or drug trafficking. He says that "Law enforcement is getting better at peeling back the cover, why ARE you stealing a box of condoms?"
The other point he makes is about who the "John" is, the "John" creating the market for human trafficking. He tells the story of once, testifying before a senate hearing, and one of the Senators asked him "Why is it that we can't go after the buyer (the John)?" Alan replied "Because, Senator, the buyer looks just like you!" The Senator then asked "What did you say Alan?" "Excuse me Senator but the buyer looks like all of you as he points to all of people in the room."
The most common buyer is a white male, mid to late 40's, makes over 100,00 dollars a year and is in positions of power and influence!!!!!! If the buyer gets arrested, they get a misdemeanor, and the victim gets a felony!!!
We need the trafficker and buyer should both be getting felonies!
All right, heavy info....give a listen if you have a few minutes, he gives it to you straight!
Why is this topic at a "Save Our Children" conference? Because minors are trafficked, boys and girl, and it is happening at alarming rates for alarming reasons and the grooming can be happening at your neighbor's house, child's school, football practice etc....it is sooo pervasive so become educated as to be able to protect your children and others too!
Next up to bat...Nate Lewis with Innocense Rescue Mission!
Nate's full presentation is on the Truth, Faith and Action Alliance website, the second livestream and here is the link to that website:
He shared so much helpful and sometimes shocking information it's a must listen!
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One astonishing fact: while Nate was here in Florida for the conference, he put out some bait. Nate went "fishing" in our Plant City area with phony 14 year old girl's profile on a moderate social media website and within 24 hours had 48 predators!!!!
Are you paying attention yet? I was so excited to hear that they can now use K9 dogs to sniff out very small storage devices that can store a ton of inappropriate images!! Hooray for the K9s!
Particularly horrifying is the true scenario where a young girl befriended someone on a site, long story short, she was exploited with pictures she had sent and all of a sudden it is someone from Nigeria wanting money...she was exploited, blackmailed and....unfortunately...she committed suicide.
The stranger on the playground is no longer the right paradigm....the stranger is in the home, on the electronic device your child is using possibly behind their bedroom door so we need to know and remain diligent. Gaming is also a vulnerable area, often children are chatting and asked to go to another site, a less secure site which is a red flag, and Xbox, to our surprise, is one of the most secure as long as they stay on that site. Snapchat is one of the worst apps a child can be on.
Nate's organization helps police departments with training AND equipment. They can give grants. We think this is amazing work!! Kudos to Nate and Innocense Rescue Mission!
Hold on ...need a peaceful picture...this is pretty heavy, our children have so many forces that want to destroy them so we must help them!
Saw this today in Lakeland:
We have to have hope, we have to fight against dark forces that are after this generation! In our work, we need to be aware of the dangers and trends that can captivate our students and we are in the world of prevention. We equip students as best we can to resist peer pressure, to have confidence in themselves and have positive goals!
The Truth, Faith and Action Alliance website has all of the speakers on livestream in case you want to learn about other topics.
Follow your own heart but I think we can all agree that our children need some help!
Thanks for reading!
Your Friends at Character GPS,
Deb & Jeff Cain
Author - Speaker - Coach
7 个月I attended as well!