THAT'S THE WHOLE PROBLEM.
WEE APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S
FEED BACK.
AMAN NONPROFIT IS USING T-SHIRTS
TO HELP DELIVER A
POWERFUL MESSAGE.
SEX TRAFFICKING IS SOMETHING
THAT YOU PROBABLY
THINK ABOUT BUT IT'S HAPPENING
RIGHT HERE IN THE
TWIN CITIES.
MYSISTER DOIRGT IS A ROADWAY
TAIL THEIR SELLS
T-SHIRTS WITH A -- IT'S HARD TO
DO MAY AND THE GROUP
HAS RAISED 35,000.
MY SISTER CEO VIRGINIA TOWNSEND.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN.
SNRT T-SHIRTS VERY QUICKLY.
THESE WERE THE SHIRTS,
ROORVETION SNIGHT SOME
PEOPLE MIGHT THINK IS A SHIRT IS
-- SEX TRAFFICKING
SUCH A SERIOUS ISSUE.
WHAT MADE YOU SAY LET'S DO
SOMETHING?
YEAH.
SO EXTRAFFICKING IS SUCH AN
OVERWHELMING TOPIC.
IT'S HARD TO TALK ABOUT.
WENS TO TAKE A HOPEFULLY AND
INSPIRING APPROACH TO
IT AND FE THE KFTIONS GOING.
INSPIRED TO TAKE ACTION.
THEY DON'T REALLY SPEAKED TO
ISSUE.
WHERE DID THIS CONVERSATION
START TO GET YOU
ENTERED IN SEX TRAFFICKING AND
RAISING THAT
AWARENESS?
WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?
YEAH SO, YOU KNOW, THE BIG
MISCONCEPTION IS MAYBE
IT'S NOT HAPPENING IN OUR OWN
COMMUNITIES.
OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY.
RIGHT.
AND SO ONCE I STARTED LEARNING
MORE ABOUT IT AND ALL
OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY GOING
GOENS INTO IT, I WAS
BLOWN AWAY AND THEN, YOU KNOW,
WE HAVE TO WORK
TOGETHER TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST
IT.
SO DEFINING -- A PRODUCT TO
SPREAD THAT MESSAGE I
THOUGHT WAS A GREAT WAY IT TAKE
ACTION.
YOU CAME FROM A BROKEN FAMILY
AND THEY CAME FROM
MINNESOTA TO GET YOUR LIFE ON
TRACK.
TELL US -- SOME TROUBLE TISSUE
WHEN I WAS 17 I
ESCAPED A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
MY PARENTS WERE MENTAL ILL.
MY MOTHER HAS SCHIZOPHRENIA AND
MY FATHER WAS DI
POAER LATEST MURDER.
IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO LIVE
THERE WITH THEM.
A LOT FOR A TEENAGER.
THERE WERE A LOT OF WOMEN AND
KILLS WHO BRAWG
IT -- LIKELY TO GO INTO SEX
TRAFFICKING BECAUSE OF
THE ADDED VULNERABILITY AND THE
LACK OF GUIDANCE IN
THE FAMILY.
FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL D. ALL
OF THAT AND I WAS
GETTING READY ONLINE AND I ENDED
UP LOSING MY JOB.
AND I FELT WE HAVE TO -- SOME OF
THE PEOPLE I MET
THAT WERE IT -- THIS WAS A GOOD
WAY TO MAKE MONEY
AND I DIDN'T THINK -- I COULDN'T
PAY FOR ANY FOOD.
YOU KNOW, AND THEY -- KIND OF
CONVINCED ME THAT IT
WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS -- THAT I
WAS GOOD AT AND
SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD
INVOLVE MY PROBLEMS
AND IT FELT LIKE I DIDN'T HAVE
ANY OTHER CHOICES.
I JUSTFELT REALLY BACK TO SQUARE
ONE.
YOU'RE ACTUALLY WORKING FOR
THAT CENTER.
I DO.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THINK --
THAT TOOK A WHILE.
AND WHAT DOES -- A LOT OF TIME
WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE
VULNERABLE TO THIS.
THEY HAVE DRUG ADDICTION I WAS
ABLE TO REACH OUT TO
RELATIVES AND GET HELP AND
TREATMENT.
YEAH.
AFTER TREATMENT, I FOUND MY
SISTER ON FACEBOOK
AND APPLIED FOR THEIR COMMUNITY
OUTREACH MANAGER
POSITION.
AND THIS IS -- THIS MONTH IS MY
ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
WITH THE COMPANY.
CONGRATULATIONS.
VERY POWERFUL.
YOUR STORY IS --
VERY POWERFUL TO HEAR.
DO YOU HAVE AM T SURES IN
MARTIN PATRICK?
MEN'S SHIRTS.
ONE IMPORTANT STEP IN FIGHTING
TRAFFICKING IS
GETTING MEN ON BOARD.
WHAT BETTER WAY THAN GIVING
THEM A T-SHIRT THAT
THEY LOVE.
GOOD LUCK TO BOTH OF YOU.