31days of Freedom.
What is freedom worth? It’s worth way more than something I can give up for 31days… that’s for sure. However, the question is: what freedoms do I indulge in with out a second thought for the hundreds of thousands of women and children within our own borders who do not have that luxury?
When I started asking myself what casual freedoms I take for granted. The first thing that comes to mind is coffee. And not just coffee in general, but coffee houses that make drinks for me exactly the way I want them to taste, just because I feel like having one. I love my grande/medium vanilla Americano topped off with soymilk (hot or iced depending on the weather.) I am so blessed to be able to stop for my signature drink on the way to a meeting just because I have an urge. So many girls here in our country don’t have that privilege. I have meetings multiple times a week at Starbucks or Frothy Monkey with co-workers and friends; I can only imagine how much I will save this month by drinking water during these meetings. Not only will I be able to raise money for girls enslaved, but I will also be able to share about the cause to everyone who asks why I’m drinking water.
Even though we are raising funds for women and girls rescued from sex-trafficking, I think it’s also interesting to note that coffee is one of the largest slave labor industries along side chocolate (which make a fierce pair). During the early years of history Europe and America would actually trade coffee for slaves. As years passed slave labor was and is widely used in the farming and roasting of this special bean. Today we see large companies purchasing coffee for pennies of what it’s worth because it’s grown in a third-world economy. So be sure to buy certified Fair Trade coffee when you do splurge. It is now just as common as regular coffee beans.
31Days of Freedom means sacrificing the luxury of coffee, what does it mean to you? Lets join in this fight together!
Kathryn York
Director of Internships
And Special Programs
The Home Foundation