View My Career Portfolio on Beyond.com

View My Career Portfolio on Beyond.com: Take a look at my Career Portfolio on Beyond.com, for a comprehensive view of my professional achievements and goals.

Truth That Hurts......



c/o Toni L.Vossen 2010

Toni Vossen | ExploreTalent.com | The Leader for Acting Auditions, Casting Calls, Modeling and Modeling Jobs

Toni Vossen | ExploreTalent.com | The Leader for Acting Auditions, Casting Calls, Modeling and Modeling Jobs

Truth That Hurts......



c/o Toni L.Vossen 2010

Meaning of Abuse

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Synonyms

exploitation

malevolence

wrongdoing

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corruption

prostitute

castigate

Matching Quote

"But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you."

-unknown author

American Psychological Association (APA):

abuse. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from Dictionary.com website:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abuse

Chicago Manual Style (CMS):

abuse. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abuse (accessed: April 25, 2012).

Modern Language Association (MLA):

"abuse." The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 25 Apr. 2012. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abuse>.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE):

Dictionary.com, "abuse," in The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Source location: Houghton Mifflin Company.http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abuse. Available:http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed: April 25, 2012.

BibTeX Bibliography Style (BibTeX)

@article {Dictionary.com2012,
    title = {The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary},
    month = {Apr},
    day = {25},
    year = {2012},
    url = {http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abuse

Truth That Hurts...... c/o Toni L.Vossen 2010

Into The Heart of Truth: The last thing a child molester should see

Into The Heart of Truth: The last thing a child molester should see: Truth That Hurts...... c/o Toni L.Vossen 2010

Truth That Hurts......



c/o Toni L.Vossen 2010

Community Advocates ($35) – Identifying and Helping Lacy:

                                    Community Advocates ($35) – Identifying and Helping Lacy:

Who: Concerned citizens, parents and grandparents, educators, news reporters, Soroptimists, Rotary and Zonta members, students, anti-trafficking groups/task forces, members of the business community, pastors and members of the faith-based community; other.

Read more about this track

Knowing Lacy will help you to understand and empower you as a community advocate to:

• Identify possible trafficking and appropriately respond
• Understand how to identify changes in a youth's life that may signal a trafficking situation
• Understand what your role is in identifying and helping Lacy
• Utilize tools and resources to help you fulfill your role in Lacy's life
• Actively cultivate in your community a compassionate, non-judgmental and safe environment for long-term care of Lacy
• Leave with a proactive plan that you can put into action in your community

Do You Know Lacy?

April 26, 2012
8:30a-4:30p
Flathead Valley
Community College
AT BuildingKalispell, MT

Sponsorship

If you would like to donate an additional $50 to sponsor training for your local law enforcement, social worker or teacher, please visit our Sponsor Page.

Get the word out!

Want to let people know that you are attending the training and they should too?  Click here for the poster image and here for the informative table tent.  

Meet Linda Smith my Hero

Meet Our Staff

Linda Smith
President and Founder, Shared Hope International

In 1998, while a member of the U.S. Congress, Linda Smith traveled to Falkland Road in Mumbai, India – one of the worst brothel districts in the world. The hopeless faces of desperate women and children forced into prostitution compelled Linda to found Shared Hope International.

Believing that authentic rescue requires restoration also, Linda focused Shared Hope's efforts around “one life at a time” and what it would take to make that life whole again – a safe home, education, spiritual renewal, and life skills. From the first Village of Hope until today, Linda has kept Shared Hope aligned with that goal.

To build momentum in the international anti-trafficking movement, Linda founded the War Against Trafficking Alliance (WATA) in January of 2001, which two years later co-sponsored a World Summit with the U.S. Department of State. Government leaders and local service providers from 114 nations came together to collaborate on regional strategies for protecting the vulnerable from the sex trade.

Read More

In 2006, Shared Hope International spearheaded the U.S. Mid–Term Review on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), assembling leaders from across the country to assess progress towards combating sexual slavery of children in America. The resulting report became the basis for U.S.–Canada participation in the 2008 World Congress III Against CSEC .

In 2007, a study funded by the U.S Department of State gave Shared Hope the opportunity to focus on the root of the problem–the buyer. Linda and team conducted research in four countries, including the United States in order to reveal the sophisticated business model behind sex trafficking and the buyer market that supports it. The output of this study, the DEMAND Report, revealed startling numbers of American children being trafficked for sex within U.S. borders.

Shared Hope was given the ability to further examine the scope of the problem under a U.S. Department of Justice grant. Information from assessments in ten U.S. cities led to Shared Hope's 2008 release of The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: America's Prostituted Children. It revealed both the magnitude of the issue and deficiencies in addressing the needs of victims of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST). Under the grant, Shared Hope produced training material for law enforcement and other first responders to identify and properly respond to child victims. Linda addressed the need for training material that would similarly assist service providers by producing INTERVENE with private funding.

Both DEMAND. and the National Report presented factual information obtained through years of research and both reports have been entered into the Congressional Record. Using this research as a platform, Linda is an advocate for a strengthened response at the federal level, and has been instrumental in helping states design legislative frameworks to protect the innocence of America's children.

Known for her ability to galvanize the grassroots community, Linda branded "Kids Are Not For Sale" awareness campaigns and furthered understanding of the issue by authoring two books, From Congress to the Brothel (2007) and Renting Lacy (2009). As a leading expert on sex trafficking and the relationship of demand, Linda often speaks in national and international forums, on radio and television, and before Congress.

Linda served as a legislator in Washington State from 1983 until she was sent to the U.S. Congress on a remarkable write–in campaign in 1994. Her uncompromising belief in the value of every precious child has carried her from leadership in her home state to the halls of Congress, and ultimately to serving victims of sex trafficking around the world. Linda and husband, Vern, reside in Vancouver, Washington.

Truth That Hurts...... c/o Toni L.Vossen 2010

Meet Linda Smith

Meet Our Staff

Linda Smith
President and Founder, Shared Hope International

In 1998, while a member of the U.S. Congress, Linda Smith traveled to Falkland Road in Mumbai, India – one of the worst brothel districts in the world. The hopeless faces of desperate women and children forced into prostitution compelled Linda to found Shared Hope International.

Believing that authentic rescue requires restoration also, Linda focused Shared Hope's efforts around “one life at a time” and what it would take to make that life whole again – a safe home, education, spiritual renewal, and life skills. From the first Village of Hope until today, Linda has kept Shared Hope aligned with that goal.

To build momentum in the international anti-trafficking movement, Linda founded the War Against Trafficking Alliance (WATA) in January of 2001, which two years later co-sponsored a World Summit with the U.S. Department of State. Government leaders and local service providers from 114 nations came together to collaborate on regional strategies for protecting the vulnerable from the sex trade.

That Hurts...... c/o Toni L.Vossen 2010

Being Sold wasn't Her Choice

April 2012

The Global Movement Call us over-achievers, but we're just getting started! Last week Linda Smith, President and Founder of Shared Hope, presented the keynote address at a gala in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to raise awareness and funds to combat sex trafficking in the state. With the funds they raised, Baton Rouge has purchased a home for girls 17 years and older to serve as a shelter and caring environment for the young women to heal from victimization. Shared Hope's policy director participated in a panel discussion on international human trafficking hosted by the American Bar Association in New York City. We joined the Victims' Rights Caucus in Washington, D.C. to present the issue of sex trafficking in America to inform and inspire new advocates. We recently hosted the State of Change dinner for Washington advocates and anti-trafficking leaders to celebrate the state's committment and progress in ending child sex trafficking, most notably through its recent effort to end the online facilitation of child trafficking. This week, two team members are in Jamaica meeting with policy officials to draw greater attention to the plight of sex trafficking in the country and meet with our local restoration partners. Shared Hope is deeply committed to the success of each of our partners, which is why we go beyond funding to ensure each organization employs efficient, sustainable fiscal practices while providing comprehensive care to women and children. We look forward to spending time with our partners in Jamaica, gladly volunteering for their cosmetology students to practice manicure and pedicure skills on us, and meeting with the leadership of each organization to provide advice, guidance and practical solutions to the many challenges of responding to this unique population. Hear about what we did today in Montego Bay. Next month, be sure to check our blog for updates as our team heads into India and Nepal on a similar stewardship and technical assistance site  visit to our Villages of Hope. Your Chance for Change This week we're gearing up for "Do You Know Lacy?" training in Montana - a full day, community-model training to equip first responders and community members to identify and respond to victims of domestic minor sex trafficking. The training will take place in Kalispell, Montana on April 26. Wish you could attend "Do You Know Lacy?"? Here's your chance! Shared Hope is offering this innovative, lifesaving training on the east and west coasts this fall! Don't miss "Do You Know Lacy?" in Portland, Oregon on October 4-5 and in Washington, D.C. on November 29. Those who register for the training in Washington, D.C. have the opportunity to participate in multi-day celebration and learning experience. Shared Hope will break new ground on November 30 by convening experts and service leaders in the domestic minor sex trafficking field to explore and evaluate solutions for the current state of services for victimized minors in the U.S. That evening all are invited to join us for our largest event of the year, the Sharing the Hope dinner celebration to commemorate the past, celebrate our present, and learn what's next for Shared Hope. Ending Online Exploitation Shared Hope has now documented 71 cases of children who have been sold for sex through the online classified site Backpage.com, in 26 states. Our call to mayors around the nation to defend the children in their city from this threat is ever more urgent. The adult services section is expected to earn nearly $26 million in revenue for Backpage.com. Although 48 Attorneys General, 19 U.S. Senators and over 220,000 advocates have asked Village Voice Media, parent company of Backpage.com, to remove the adult services section, the company has not removed the section, and is instead using the power of the press to minimize the reality of sex trafficking in America. We will bring justice to our children, but not without your help! Please take a moment to sign your name to a letter encouraging your mayor to stand against the online facilitation of child sex trafficking by asking Village Voice Media to remove the adult services section from Backpage.com. You can support these programs today though your online donation.  Connect With Us                                                  Attention Federal employees:  Shared Hope is part of the Combined Federal Campaign.  Please note our CFC number: 60601, for your contribution. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE You've been busy! We're currently tracking over 200 bills in nearly 40 states that will change the landscape of child sex trafficking in America. We couldn't have done this without you! Thank you for taking your state Report Card to your legislator and encouraging policy reform. Thank you for creating petitions to call on your legislator to prioritize this issue. Thank you for hosting community meetings to discuss how you want to bring change to YOUR state! In November 2012 we'll release the 2nd Annual Protected Innocence Challenge Report. We're hopeful that many states will have raised their grade. Until then, keep up the good fight!  DEFENDER SPOTLIGHT The Defenders USA, a project of Shared Hope International, is a coalition of men united in their commitment to protect women and children from sexual exploitation. New members who take the Defender's Pledge are mailed a membership card the size of a credit card to carry in a wallet as a reminder of their pledge.            One new Defender decided to make his membership card more visible. He punched a hole in his card, attached it to a lanyard and is wearing it every time he leaves home. The card is prompting an amazing number of conversations about The Defenders USA and, more importantly, how men can join the movement to end child sex trafficking.

Truth That Hurts...... c/o Toni L.Vossen 2010

I can help you through

You are to me,
   what I am to you...
 A sort of strength to help you through...
       A kind of heart that understands
                A kindred spirit that will hold your hand!
TO let you know you are not alone
             and I will help you stop
                  the abuse you have known!



Truth That Hurts...... c/o Toni L.Vossen 2010

Wish Upon a Hero - I wish Please help my children & I to get off the streets....

Wish Upon a Hero - I wish Please help my children & I to get off the streets....

Truth That Hurts......



c/o Toni L.Vossen 2010