Friends,

As many of you know, Force4Compassion was born out of a surprising duo: a book about human trafficking and a beautiful pair of shoes. Together, that book and those shoes have changed the course of my life.

The book was "The Road of Lost Innocence", by Somaly Mam. It chronicles her metamorphosis from a sex trafficked child to the founder of an internationally respected organization that fights trafficking. The book opened my eyes to a problem that I thought was mostly past tense. In fact, though, there are more human slaves today than ever before in human history.

I also realized that my beautiful shoes could buy two or three children.

My world turned upside down. Everywhere I turned, I saw sex-trafficked children instead of shoes and handbags. I had to do something.

Force4Compassion was born. This 501(c)3 organization has specific literature and materials geared to spread the word about the domestic and international problem of human trafficking. Force4Compassion also seeks to educate our youth about the dangers of trafficking, how traffickers lure in their victims, and what to do if they suspect someone is trying to lure them in. We also partner with local police departments and rescue agencies to distribute Bags of Hope to survivors. Our efforts have received recognition and endorsements from other organizations, including Joel Osteen Ministries, Freedom Place, the Harris County Sheriff's Department and the New Orleans Mission.

These efforts are producing positive results. Every day, I see or hear about how our work is changing lives. Thank you for being part of the change.

In the United States, approximately 200,000 women and children are sex trafficked. There are beds in shelter houses for less than 1% of them. The US needs more shelter houses, and those that exist need to expand. F4C is working to stand in that gap. These are monumental tasks. I ask for your help. Please consider sponsoring a Bag of Hope, sending a donation, or purchasing an item from our store. We also now have a monthly giving program so that you can easily support F4C.

Thank you for your support. Together, we will make a difference. Together, we can be the change.

Jana Rankin
Founder