You’re at the end! It’s Week 4, Trailblazer!
Week four has been a long time coming, hasn't it Trailblazer?
Some of you might be ready to burn your black item of clothing, or leave it on the side of the mountain you’re climbing! But, hopefully something about the habit of putting on black each day has changed you to really care about human trafficking, and only increased your desire to give those who are exploited, freedom.
You’ve been bringing freedom all month by blazing a trail down whichever path you decided to go down; whether it be fundraising, creating awareness, advocacy, praying, encouraging organizations who are on the frontlines, or all the above! Regardless of whether you find a permanent role trailblazing freedom, or just do occasional things in the future, we want all of you to walk away from having joined us at Blackout Trafficking this past March as forever advocates who will never stop caring about those who are trafficked in our lifetime.
This week, Missionize, is focused on helping you finish this project well and begin thinking long term about how you can proceed.
This week as we look at "trailblazing" we ask you to:
Keep your eyes on the goal! Reread your "why" and if you keep forgetting, finish your own $10+ donation to partner organizations
Email, post on social media, or touch base with your circle of influence
Commit to one way you will continue to make a difference on the issue of human trafficking through this next year and tell a friend or us what it is in our Facebook Group or on Instagram
Keep trailblazing for freedom and fighting the fight this week,
- The Blackout Trafficking Team
THE BLACKOUT TRAFFICKING CHALLENGE ISN'T AN END-GAME. RATHER, IT HELPS YOU TAKE A STAND, EMPOWERS YOU TO DO SOMETHING, AND IS A STARTING PLACE TO MOLD YOU INTO AN ADVOCATE FOR THE OPPRESSED.
What Mission Will You Choose Next?
Volunteer with one of our Partners or another Anti-Trafficking Org
Host an Event
Create Awareness in your circle of influence or community
Bring prevention education to your childs school
Advocate about human trafficking politically
Volunteer for Blackout Trafficking (contact us here!)
Why We Believe You Should Tell Your Family and Friends That You Trailblazed the Blackout Trafficking Challenge this Year
Write an email to your friends and family, telling them why you care and asking them to donate $10. This email template helps you do it with ease!
Hands-down, If you only do ONE thing to be an advocate for modern slaves during this years Blackout Trafficking Challenge, we recommend you at least telling your friends and family about what you've been doing this month in an email.
Why? Besides in-person or direct phone conversations, email is still overwhelmingly the best way to communicate with those you know, especially if you hope they will take action. It also:
Increases the chance of actually seeing/reading it
Gives you the opportunity to explain more in depth
Creates a sense of personal investment/responsibility of the recipient (compared to a broad social media post)
It demonstrates how much you are invested in the fight for freedom, and invites others to be part of it!
Even if your co-workers saw you in your black every day, they might have not understood that you were wearing the same black item for a purpose. And even if you kept-up with posting daily on social media, social media analytics keeps many posts hidden on most of your friends’ social media feeds (assuming they even check it). Besides, your beloved Aunt Betsy doesn't even use social media!
Sending an email gives you a way to directly and respectfully let those around you know about something that matters to you. It also gives you a way to invite people to learn more or give without pressure. In fact, MANY PEOPLE YOU KNOW WILL WANT TO LEARN OR DONATE IF YOU ONLY GIVE THEM A CHANCE.
The majority of the $120,000+ that Blackout Trafficking has raised has come in during the last couple days of March and first few days of April BECAUSE OF THESE TYPES OF EMAILS.
Even if you don't focus on fundraising, and just decide to let beloved Aunt Betsy know what you've been doing (because she loves to hear from you), this is still valuable. She is one more person who might care about human trafficking, and because of this email, she might then recognize the modern slave that lives in her apartment complex. This has happened with people who’ve participated with us before.
Don't underestimate Aunt Betsy, she might be itching to be a trailblazer too.
To make this whole "could you please send an email?" thing easier for you, here is an effective email template you can alter and send out. (We won't be offended if you change or cut-out lots of it. We just want to help you get the ball rolling!)
