Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Winter 2014 | Page 27

Everyone Can Help
These are just a few of the Wheaton alumni whose work addresses
human trafficking. The problem may be vast, but all say the solution
is just to start somewhere.
“The issue of trafficking sounds so big and so overwhelming, and it
is,” says Emily. “I’m not good at thinking at a macro level, but I can be
committed to this one community and hopefully use my resources to
bless them.”
“It’s in our American culture that we have to ride out with a quick
fix. But our biblical worldview teaches that it’s okay sometimes to just
be present in that darkness with someone, without all the solutions. God
is still present,” says Talmage. “Some of it is about showing up—but
bring your brains and courage. We don’t have all the answers, but we
can be professional and entrepreneurial. I would rather be standing up
against the darkness instead of not showing up because I can’t figure
it out.”
Kaign believes all alumni can get involved, even if they’re not
lawyers or social workers. One example: building social demand to
generate political will to address the problem. “The one thing every
American has is influence,” he says. An IJM-led petition recently helped
the Trafficking Victims Protection Act not only get reauthorized by
Congress, but also improved.
Another opportunity: volunteering our skills to an existing group.
Sarah launched Hand & Cloth as a small project, but thanks to “tons”
of other Wheaton alumni who donated their time and expertise
with business, marketing, and legal help, Hand & Cloth has thrived.
Sarah is now working to find similar products in other nations.
“The Wheaton community has built Hand & Cloth,” says Sarah. “It’s
like the body of Christ—when everyone has different skill sets, whether
accounting or business expertise, then wonderful things can happen.”
Another starting point: focusing on the labor side of trafficking by
paying attention to the source of what you wear, eat, and buy. “This
consumer movement, asking, ‘Where does my T-shirt come from?
Where does my food come from?’ is really valuable and important,” says
Talmage. “The ability of somebody in Wheaton to influence children
av