Stop Using the Term Underage Women
The June 2019 arrest of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein has brought the issue of human trafficking into the news again. It is a good time to talk about how to refer to the victims and survivors of this evil.
Volunteer Opportunities: Yes
Bridget Gray was a friend of our founder. She was a foster youth who became a victim of sex-trafficking at the age of 14 and, like many others, was recruited by a peer. Numerous foster placements, abandonments, and a severe lack of family support made her vulnerable to exploitation. At 19, Bridget briefly escaped “the life” (the deceptive term pimps use to describe the world of prostitution) only to encounter challenges due to a lack of education, community support, counseling and financial resources. She set out to obtain her GED and some vocational training but struggled with the debilitating effects of PTSD and was not able to find self-sustaining employment. With time she was deceptively convinced that sexual exploitation was her way out of the challenges she faced. On March 3rd, 2006, the day of her 22nd birthday, Bridget’s life was taken by a "John" (a purchaser) in Las Vegas. Bridget’s endeavors to be free from her painful past ended tragically but her desire to succeed will carry on through the lives of other young women who will experience restoration. Children and women who are held captive will be set free, they will be healed, and they will learn to dream again…
As a survivor-led organizsation, Bridget's Dream provides comprehensive services to commercially sexually exploited young ladies and their families, while bringing awareness to the community, and advocating for systematic change.