Here at Grove we are fortunate to rub elbows with some pretty incredible and talented folks-- and Sylvia is one such person! She keeps a busy schedule between helping her mom’s business out in the mornings and lending her skills to our customer relations department. If you’ve had questions about products like our new iPhone cases -- it’s likely that Sylvia was the one who kindly answered you. But one thing that many people don’t know about Sylvia is that she is also a fierce fighter for global human rights. Specifically, she volunteers for groups working to stop human trafficking-- and we wanted to share a little bit about her volunteer work with you.
“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein
Sylvia has always wanted to become a voice for the voiceless. However, a few years ago during a difficult period in her life this became a reality after she stumbled upon the horrific issue of human trafficking. She chose to channel her indignation and empathy for those who've faced injustice and exploitation and hasn’t looked back since.
One simple way to lend a hand is through campaigns like this: Currently, LiNK (Liberty in North Korea) is running a campaign through Sevenly where if you simply SHARE the post from their website (http://www.sevenly.org/LiNK) you can help them reach 7,000 shares which unlocks a $10,000 donation to the cause!
LiNK is one of the three non-profits that Sylvia is most directly involved with. It is an organization that is working to end the North Korean human rights crisis through raising awareness about the atrocities happening inside the country. They are lobbying for the legalization of adoption for abandoned orphans born to North Korean mothers and Chinese fathers (but are unrecognized by China and therefore don't qualify for any federal documents or aid), and help by aiding and rescuing refugees who have escaped from North Korea and are in hiding for fear of being repatriated or being trafficked. Please visit the Portland chapter of LiNK here.
Compassion First is a passionate and dedicated group here in Portland that has a house in Indonesia-- one of the largest trafficking hubs in the world. CF rescues, advocates for, and rehabilitates young women and girls who are survivors of human trafficking. They are doing great things by changing the legal landscape of Indonesia, and by working with Indonesian courts and law enforcement through a partnership with the Portland Human Trafficking Unit.
With Chika one of our Indonesian Case Workers who was recovering from heart surgery, and Bickey the Director of CF’s Operations.
Freedom and Fashion is an amazing platform that brings non-profits and ethical clothing companies together to raise awareness, while promoting smart consumerism. They are making fighting slavery fun, easy, and fashionable!
Current estimates report that up to 27 million people are being trafficked or are the victims of human trafficking (the majority of these people are women and children). Sylvia admits that these problems can seem overwhelming, but as she says, “I like to remind people to focus on just doing their part, whether that be a weekend a month, an hour a day, or once every year. If you can help just one person, even a little, isn't it worth it?” We’re lucky to have someone like Sylvia on our team!
goGrove!
Written by Mike Schultz. Mike is an oil painter from Ithaca, New York. When he is not working for Grove, he’s painting and drawing to his heart’s content. You can see his work on his blog and his website.
