Thirteen is the average age of entry for girls who are forced into sex trafficking.
See video about child sex trafficking from Shared Hope International
When Trey Gass heard this statistic two years ago and realized that there are at least 300 underage girls in the Phoenix area who are enslaved in the sex trades, his world stopped. After all, his little sister was just barely 14, and he understood that she could be vulnerable to abduction and rape and then forced to prostitute herself, right in his hometown. This was a horrifying thought.
Although just in his mid-teens himself, Trey was willing to sacrifice some of his personal comfort to take action and be part of a bigger movement to help eradicate child sex slavery. StreetLight Phoenix (now StreetLight USA) was the agency he encountered. He liked their approach to being a holistic safehouse for the girls recovered from trafficking, and “to be a lighthouse for the rest of the world to raise awareness about child sex slavery”.
Gass invested $100 of his Christmas money into wristbands reading “Save a Life”, and sells them on his Facebook page. He donates half the proceeds to StreetLight and re-invests the rest to buy more bracelets (and t-shirts and other items will be coming).
So far, Save A Life has donated about $2000 to StreetLight USA. As a result of the entrepreneurial spirit and passion that Trey exhibits, he has been serving on the StreetLight Speaker’s Bureau for almost a year. He attends events in various parts of the Phoenix metro area, sometimes helping at the information table and sometimes being one of the main presenters, although currently only 17 years of age.
I want to spread the word because I don’t want anyone else’s little sisters or daughters to be affected by this horrible crime. When I look at my sister, I can see that she has a bright future ahead of her. To think that someone else could sexually harm a little girl just gets me fired up. I want everyone to know that this happens in our country and is one of the fastest growing illegal trades in the world, and that we need to stop this and speak for those who can’t.
I started Save A Life so that I could raise money and impact girls’ lives to help keep them off the streets. I wanted to show people that no matter who you are or what you have done, you can make a difference. When I go out and speak for StreetLight and sell wristbands I want to tell people about the problem, but my main focus is to inspire them to do something as well. I want people to make the biggest difference that they can, and I want to invest in them qualities to drive them to help end child sex slavery.
We haven’t raised that much money yet but we will keep striving in order to make a difference. However, where I believe I have made the biggest difference is showing people you do not need 20 years of experience or a degree in something in order to make a difference. If you set you mind to it with the goal of helping others, there is almost nothing you can’t do.
Groups to whom Trey has spoken about the sex trafficking issues include the youth group and adult congregations at his church, ASU Sorority–Theta Nu Xi, film screenings at Arizona State University and churches, and various other public gatherings. He believes it is important that all sectors of people hear about the issue and take action, “because almost everyone knows a 13-year-old girl”.
Next: The impact one teen is having on the awareness of child sex trafficking and action steps
More about Trey: Save a Life: Teen enterprise nets thousands to eradicate child sex slavery
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