by Tiszandra Sears
Are you tuning in for the first time? Have you had the chance to take a look at the previous blogs and posts from various team members of our One Bread Foundation team?
Please allow me to catch you up to speed.
One Bread Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose goal is to aid in providing funds to help rehabilitate children saved out of sex trafficking. We are collaborating with New Day for Children to accomplish this mission. We are based in San Francisco Bay, California – and YES the problem that we are speaking of is right here in our back (and front!) yards. We have one very simple plan, to shop with you and raise money! Through the Amazon Affiliate program we are able to bring in a percentage of every order that is placed on Amazon when the shopper clicks on our unique link to Amazon right here on our website. It truly is that simple! All of the profits from this program are donated 100% back to rehabilitating these kids.
We are just starting out. We are merely just babes in this organization. In such a short time we have already established multiple social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+), partnered with Macy’s for Shop for a Cause; and are currently planning our very first Annual Benefit Fashion Show with Francesca’s. We are branching out each day to be more and more effective, to bring our stories and our work to your inbox, your notification bar, your message screen – EVERYWHERE. Because children are depending on us. They are depending on all of us – to get the word out and to help them. To get them on their feet and off of the streets.
It is estimated that 76% of sex transactions with young girls starts on the INTERNET. And if you have been on an advertising page on Facebook, you understand that it is starting to get even more blatant.
“One study determined that minors who are trafficking victims are sold 10 to 15 times a day, six days a week. That means that each victim is "used" 9,360 to 14,040 times a year. Can you imagine the level of trauma that would produce in a child?” (http://www.endslaverytn.org)
We need you! We need our team members and our One Bread family to come behind us and “share” us on social media. To “like” us and “follow” us. We need coverage. If the above statistics, and the previous blogs below doesn’t explain it, maybe an introduction into my past will help.
My name is Tiszandra Sears. I was a victim of sexual molestation and rape from the age of 13 until 18. Multiple occasions I begged for relief and begged for it to stop. I acted out, sometimes inappropriately, waiting for someone to notice. I was threatened that if I said anything that my abuser would not be able to support my family. So, trying to be the hero and allow my siblings to have a good chance at success, I kept my mouth shut and silently begged for someone to notice. I was assaulted right under the nose of my closet family members. With every passing year I learned to hate myself and started to harm myself and contemplate suicide. A young lady that attended a nearby Bible College spoke to my heart one day and reminded me of the hope found in Christ, unknowing of my situation.
Years continued, I drew closer to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I followed my friend to Bible College and started learning the Word. It was there that I was surrounded with loving support. When everything came out and my family cut all ties with me, I had the support of a hundred prayer warriors and a few close friends that helped financial when all I had was a bed set and some clothes to my name. Because of this support I went on to start a career, get married, start a life with my husband, move across the country of Canada, and start another career. I get to discuss one day having a family. I get to worship side by side with my husband on Sunday morning. I get to experience daily first world comforts including the two homes we currently own and our vehicles, our cats, internet, and the list goes on.
And all of this, yes through our hard work it is paid for, but through the grace and support I received in my life I was able to get on my feet in order to work hard and grow beyond my past. When two of my dear younger family members came out with their own story of abuse I was able to be their rock and support. I was able to love them the way my past support loved me. They were not alone. I thank the Lord every day and all those that have had a part in my life, who believed in me, and looked past my rough edges. Those who saw more than a broken girl. I could have very well been a statistic, been on the streets, found solace in drugs and alcohol (after all, that is the path set out before me by many folks in my own family), but that is not my story.
And it shouldn’t have to be the story of many children out there. Let’s be that support for them! We may never know their names, but there is One who does. There is One who is able to comfort them. Together we can provide rehabilitation. We can provide stability with the resources available. We can provide public education. However, we cannot provide anything without you. Without someone to shop with us on Amazon, without someone to simply share a Facebook post.
If I knew, as a 15 year old, that one share on Facebook would bring rescue and rehabilitation from the nightmare I was in, I would have begged you on my knees. There is someone who is begging us, and we do have the resources. Will you help us?
Shop. Share. Support. It is that easy!