Vanessa Mankin Rescue Hill Care for Human Trafficking
With a background spanning nonprofit and ministry work as well as executive assistance, Vanessa plays a key role in organizational support and external engagement. She’s regularly out evangelizing for Rescue Hill at speaking engagements, assisting in cultivating and stewarding donor relationships, and helping coordinate and equip volunteers to serve.
Greeter: Jim C Quick Prayer & Pledge: Jason Kazarian
11:30 AM - Lunch, Networking, and Socializing Noon - Opening Bell Rings 1:00 PM - Closing Bell Rings
When was the last time you experienced an act of kindness? Not as a giver, but as a receiver? We often think of kindness as something we offer others, but it is true magic lies in how it connects us to others, whether we are the giver or the receiver.
At the Rotary International Convention in Taipei, we encountered kindness in action trying to find our way on the train. A Rotarian named Wallace from Taiwan overheard our group wondering how to get the train back to our hotels.
Wallace not only showed us on the map but also rode the train with us to make sure we stayed in the right direction. He had passed his stop helping us, but it was more important to him that we found our way.
Later in the week, Wallace came upon our group again. And, for a second time, he told us directions and rode the train partially to the restaurant we wanted. That was a simple, unexpected, yet helpful gesture! We felt connected to our new friend in a foreign country.
“Kindness is not doing something for someone because they can’t, but because YOU CAN”. This statement made me think of Wallace from Taiwan. It also makes me wonder about the topic we will hear this Thursday at our Rotary meeting: How to support survivors getting out of sex trafficking?
How do we recognize people needing our help? Trafficking victims need to know they are supported, and not just saved. Often times, victims do not even realize they are being trafficked because they don’t fit the “victim narrative” of a victim. This is a frightening yet necessary topic we must understand to learn as a society how to help (or at least identify those who need help) in this struggle.
Does kindness go beyond being thoughtful? I know true kindness has an action component to it that does. As humans, we all struggle with something. Kindness from others is a connection that bonds with peace.
I am so thankful for those who show me kindness, gratitude, and grace. Please look for opportunities this week to show kindness to someone else—no matter how big or small! No positive gesture is ever wasted!
Yours in Rotary Service,
Stacy Bridger
Club Vision Statement: “To inspire and unite individuals who are passionate about making a lasting impact, both locally and globally, through service, connection and leadership.”
Jenna Audlin, Stacy Bridger, Web Library Book Presentation
Four-Way Test
As long as we…pretend that human trafficking is something that barbarians do on the other side of the world, it's going to continue, and it's going to get worse.
