Family Outdoor Expo

Just yesterday I put my booth fee check in the mail for the Family Outdoor Expo in Gainesville! It is unlike any show that I’ve ever done. I get to keep the money from what I sell but all of the event proceeds go to Street Grace and BeLovedAtlanta—organizations that fight human trafficking and sexual exploitation and seek to aid the victims.                                              

Of course I’ve always thought of human trafficking as an extremely sad thing, but I’ve been shocked by the statistics and especially the stories that I’ve found. I didn’t know that one in four girls are sexually abused before the age of 18 or that a pimp’s average weekly income in Atlanta is $32,833. I read that the average age of a girl who enters prostitution is between 11-14 years old and that over 18,000 people are trafficked into the United States for labor or sex each year. I was surprised (but not shocked) to find out how much this happens so close to my home. Duluth, Georgia is the # 1 hub for human trafficking in the U.S.

The event is Saturday, August 23 from 10:00-5:00. It will be at the Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center, 1855 Calvary Church Road, Gainesville, Georgia.

I’ll be there selling my pressed-flower art and cornhusk dolls. There will be other booths, music, food, youth archery shoots, bouncy houses, self-defense training, finger printing and more!

Speakers will include Ernie Johnson, who used to announce for The Atlanta Braves.

To learn more, look for Family Outdoor Expo on Facebook. I’m excited about this event!