Spirit of Giving

On the cold night of November 14, NYPD officer Lawrence DePrimo helped a barefoot, homeless man by buying him a pair of $100 Skechers boots (a store employee lowered the price to $75 with his own staff discount). This kind act was captured by Jennifer Foster, a tourist from Florence Arizona, who shared it with the NYPD, which then posted the picture on its facebook page. Little did any of them know that this generosity would become an internet sensation. As of Wednesday night, the post had 1.6 million views, since then it has 529,901 "likes" and 193, 568 "shares".

As the season of the giving begins, it is not unusual to read stories about acts similar to officer DePrimo's. However, many generous acts go unnoticed. This story is just one of many simple acts of kindness that inspire others to get involved and help others in need. It is remarkable how quickly a simple act of officer DePrimo can gain wide attention of the media and the public. However, there has not been a huge public outcry when it comes to modern slavery in the United States. It is very unfortunate that we rarely hear stories of victims of this crime or organizations helping them.

This heinous crime is widely misunderstood as mostly occurring overseas and involving women and children being forced into sexual exploitation but little do they know that it is happening in their own backyards. People don't need to look any further to find a victim as they can be found from the streets of San Francisco to New York. People are unaware of the fact that modern slavery takes many forms, not just sexual exploitation (which tends to be the most talked about) and effects not only the victims but our society as a whole. Rarely do people suspect that the women and even girls they see on streets with short dresses and spike heels may be the victims of modern slavery. There are many organizations in the U.S. and around the world working year round to help the victims of this crime. The mainstream media and the general public, for the most part, have turned a blind eye toward this issue and as a result very few people are aware of it.  To increase your awareness about modern slavery, it's various forms, and how you can recognize and help a victim click here.

So in light of the holiday preparations make sure to think about the victims of modern slavery around you and help spread awareness. To get started, check out BTFF's website and begin by taking action to support BTFF's cause to help modern-day slavery victims transit from surviving to thriving by volunteering, donating, buying survivor made products, and/or voting for BTFF to win 10K.  

Source: Picture