United Against the Epidemic of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (Part II)

Bestselling author Lori Scott is passionate about youth, sports and spreading awareness of human trafficking.

This intersection of passions led to her newest literary work for young adults called "Offsides," which tackles the difficult topic of human trafficking and opens the door for important conversations all while using age-appropriate sensitivity and ending on hope from a faith perspective. 

The book also provides important resources for families and at-risk individuals who may be facing a difficult situation related to trafficking or substance abuse.

Check out Lori's website for more updates about her work at: https://lori-z-scott.com/ follow her on Instagram (stories.by.lori) and you can purchase Offsides by visiting Amazon.

Local nonprofit Rewired & Real Foundation has already reached 30,000 individuals and they're just getting started. Their message? To help rewire the way we look at mental health, and to embrace the collective power of kindness towards oneself and the world around us.

Married couple Stacy and Kjersten Franzwa were inspired by their own experiences to start a movement designed to promote mental health through human connection and to unlock the treasure of kindness within each individual through their "million acts of kindness challenge."

Learn how you can join their "Unlocking Kindness" challenge, learn about upcoming initiatives, or support Rewired and Real by visiting their website here.

www.rewiredandreal.com

If there's anything today's guest understands, it is the power of overcoming adversity, and using your own life lessons to help lift up others who are navigating similar challenges.

Dekelen "DJ" Griffin is the the Founder of MBM (Motivation Begins with Mindset Corps), a new nonprofit in the Chippewa Valley that is dedicated to help motivate others to go beyond their own life's challenges through the mentorship of others who also have lived experiences as well as by connecting individuals in need with essential physical items such as clothing, housing, and everyday necessities.

DJ shares his experiences as a child of parents struggling with substances, shedding light on the impact it had on his own path towards addiction as well as the pivotal moment that inspired him to break free from this dark lifestyle and embark on a journey of recovery and life transformation.

If you'd like to support the work DJ is doing with MBM, you can head over to their website or email DJ at dekelengriffin@gmail.com

In a culture that shows a majority of violent acts perpetrated by men, how can we help to empower men and boys towards healthy behavior that honors and restores relationships?

We invited Shawn Schutt, Community Engagement and Prevention Manager Underground Railroad Inc. & Co-Chair for the Mid-Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, to share about how he believes sports are a great way to help coach boys into maturity and to unlearn behaviors that set the stage for future possibly violent behaviors.

Shawn says that this work has to begin internally, and encourages each of us to check our own belief systems and how they may inadvertently promote relationship violence or abuse.

You can check out Shawn's podcast "Touchy Subjects" or support his org Underground Railroad Inc. here: undergroundrailroadinc.org

Did you know it is estimated that 27.6 million people are trapped today in forced labor? (Walk Free’s Global Slavery Index)

The level at which exploitation touches everyday products we all consume is astounding, which is why our guest Samuel Logan, CEO and founder of Evidencity, is working to give businesses full control over their information supply chain, by conducting investigative due diligence to combat modern slavery.

Samuel shares about how these ethical actions can be integrated through legislative, business, and personal practices, and how he believes we can transform these sectors through conscious and collective effort.

To learn more about Samuel's work, visit his website: https://www.evidencity.com/

Trigger Warning: This episode depicts a real story of trafficking which includes some details of child sex trafficking and abuse.

Today we hear from a brave survivor recounting her experience of trafficking as a young woman in California. Sarah shares about how some of her vulnerabilities enabled sexual abuse and ultimately sex trafficking during her teen years. 

She frames for listeners what her healing path has involved and how she is learning to love and re-parent herself towards further restoration of her self.

Check out Sarah's show Que Sera Sera (8 years old this year) on Driftless Community Radio out of Viroqua, WI on WDRT or by visiting: www.wdrt.org

Women who come to Sarah's Oasis in St. Paul, MN are often fleeing various traumas abroad, including war, trafficking, torture, violence, and discrimination.

To hear more about the org's history and impact, we invited the director Cheryl Behrent, whose goal is to "always to make a difference in the lives of women. It is my greatest joy to accompany women lacking resources and support on their life journeys."

Sarah's accompanies these women on their journeys through opportunities for education, job training, and family reunification, but also by creating an environment of peaceful community where these women can begin to regain their lives and sense of self at Sarah's and beyond.

If you would like to learn more about the work Cheryl and her team are doing you can visit their website: www.sarahsoasis.org/

Program and Retreat Coordinator for the center, Julie Connelly, shares more about the retreat, as well as a bit of her own journey to spiritual direction and how this practice can benefit survivors of human trafficking as well as anyone on their own journey of healing.

Lastly, Julie shares about some resources with listeners and encourages individuals to check out some of their programming found on their website: www.fscenter.org

Sound of Freedom has grossed $172.84 million domestically, shocking mainstream media with its popularity. The film, depicting the life of Operation Underground Railroad's Tim Ballard and has surpassed blockbuster hits like Indiana Jones and Disney's Elemental.

Podcast hosts Cat Morgan and Mark Halvorsen dive into a conversation about this recent box office success, delving into some of the controversy surrounding the film and sharing 5 key takeaways we can learn from it.

What were your thoughts on the film? We'd love to hear from you! You can connect with us by emailing podcast@fiercefreedom.org

Toni Mattson is the Founder of Trinity Equestrian Center as well as a speaker, writer, and podcaster. For part II of our conversation with her we hear more about how she was influenced by her upbringing towards helping others know the 4 P's of passion, power, peace, and purpose and to help weave this calling into everyday life.  

Toni also shares about upcoming projects including an upcoming book she has written about hope and transformation.

To stay in touch with Toni's work and to check out her podcast "Live The Life" you can visit her website tonimattson.com