Hi everyone... if you've been following Everly on Twitter you may have noticed our frequent tweets about LOVE 146. I wanted to be sure and share with you more details about why this movement is so important and give you the information you'll need if you decide to get involved. The following is the story of how LOVE 146 got it's name...

In 2002, the co-founders of Love 146 travelled to South East Asia on an exploratory trip to determine how they could serve in the fight against child sex trafficking. In one experience, a couple of our co-founders were taken undercover with investigators to a brothel, where they witnessed children being sold for sex. This was their experience. This is the story that changed our lives.
"We found ourselves standing shoulder to shoulder with predators in a small room, looking at little girls through a pane of glass. All of the girls wore red dresses with a number pinned to their dress for identification. They sat, blankly watching cartoons on TV. They were vacant, shells of what a child should be. There was no light in their eyes, no life left. Their light had been taken from them. These children...raped each night... seven, ten, fifteen times every night. They were so young. Thirteen, eleven… it was hard to tell. Sorrow covered their faces with nothingness. Except one girl. One girl who wouldn’t watch the cartoons. Her number was 146. She was looking beyond the glass. She was staring out at us, with a piercing gaze. There was still fight left in her eyes. There was still life left in this girl...
"...All of these emotions begin to wreck you. Break you. It is agony. It is aching. It is grief. It is sorrow. The reaction is intuitive, instinctive. It is visceral. It releases a wailing cry inside of you. It elicits gut-level indignation. It is unbearable. I remember wanting to break through the glass. To take her away from that place. To scoop up as many of them as I could into my arms. To take all of them away. I wanted to break through the glass to tell her to keep fighting. To not give up. To tell her that we were coming for her…"

There are so many things you can do to help, big and small! From a $25 a month donation toward their Safehome care facility for rehabilitating exploited children HERE, to buying some merchandise like the 146 necklace and tank I'm wearing here at work today HERE.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and look into LOVE146. I hope to post more on this org and issue in the future as I become more involved and there should be info up on EVERLYGAB.com soon, as well.
Thank you! BJG

This is so heartbreaking. These people doing this to these innocent little children are SICK in the head. When I see or hear about this going on, it reminds me why I decided to pursue a degree that helps victims of sexual and domestic abuse. NO ONE deserves to be treated this way. Thank you for posting this Mrs. Galeotti. I enjoy reading your blog :)
ReplyDeleteI love this charity, It's such a shame, I would really like to think that the poor child was taken into safety... living in a developed part of the world, we really taken advantage of the safety of our children, child trafficking is NEVER heard of in the likes of the U.S and the U.K...
ReplyDeleteThe tank is really gorgeous! Suits you very well! And all for charity? Win win :D
If they ship to the U.K, I might get myself one!
Thanks for posting this, nice to know that there are still people out there that cares about humanity!
Lauren xxx
And once again you brought me to tears... That is horrible.... No one should do or should be treated that way... Thanks for letting us know what LOVE 146 is and thanks again for caring.... You really are a great source of inspiration for everyone!!!
ReplyDeletexoxo lots of love
You are such an inspiration Bethany. Thank you for posting and keeping us updated with these organizations that are trying to help the world we live in. This is such a horrible heartbreaking situation that these girls are put in, and they need help.
ReplyDeleteThankks Bethany for posting this. I already fallow love 146 on twitter. I think it's a wonderfull idea and i love that you help these people. I love the way you are.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for bringing this to our attention. To be honest, I was not aware of this organisation until you began tweeting about it, but after reading more about it, I definatly want to do all I can to be involved!
ReplyDeleteThis is something that definatly needs putting a stop too, it doesn't even bare thinking about what these children have to go through each day. I think its important we all do what we can to help.
I want to try and speak to my college to maybe spread the word. I study childcare, so this certainly will be something the people on my course will be interested in!!! If we could try do some fund raising, or even just get other people to buy things from the store on love146, whatever ... every little helps right?!
Thanks once again x
i love this it just sghows how much heart you have i love that unlike many blogs were the celeb tells of career connected things you tell of things that you believe in and feel people should know about
ReplyDeleteunlike many people when i watch a movie i think about how much truth there is in it and i recently watched one about child trafficing and your blog made me remember these people its happening to them i think i will look into love146 well teas ready just thought id 5 minutes of my time to type back
Love 146 is one of my favorite organizations! We held a benefit concert for them at a local church that I worked at and it was a powerful night! Thanks for helping spread the word about a great organization that is standing up against Injustice in the world!
ReplyDeleteSo grateful for you using your influence for good!
God Bless!
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ReplyDeleteOMG Joy...That was heart-breaking...I got chills while reading this...Can't believe in the story i'm reading...This girl could have been me...It could have been any of us...What those people do is sooooooooooo inspiring and we should all do our best and help them to turn the world into a better place...I'm gonna make sure everyone hears about this...Hope there's smt i can do to help even though i don't live in the US...Every little bit counts right?It's smt that concerns all of us...
ReplyDeleteSo thanks a lot for posting this!!!If they ship outside the US i'll try to get a necklace!!!It's good to know that there're still people out there who want to make a difference and help others!!!
Fotini xoxo
Wow… I'm visiting the web site Love146.org. That's so horrible: how can we let someone do that to a child ? I'm reading some of their stories, and I am so moved and upset. It is so easy to live for us. But so much people don't know what freedom is. It is not normal, and intolerable. Your post "The American Gossip Epidemic" and this one show us that world is not perfect. I hope something will change.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to defend so important issues.
And sorry for my english.
Love,
Inès
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ReplyDeleteWhen I read this I get tears in his eyes!. I hate that people have to go through stuff like that! The world is big, but it might be a better place. As the song of Michael Jackson "Heal the word, make it a better place"
ReplyDeleteIt means so much that you write about this, because it is so very important!
Love
Sigrid !
I've read allll about this on your Twitter! Thank you for always sharing. It's so sad to read about this and know it's actually going on. You're such a wonderful, strong hearted woman. Thank you for that. LoveAlways<3
ReplyDeleteBethany,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say thank you for supporting our work! I so appreciate your heart and passion for defending and protecting vulnerable children, as well as restoring and empowering survivors of child trafficking and exploitation. Thanks for using the power of your public platform to amplify their voices!
With deep appreciation,
Rob Morris
President & Co-founder
Love146
http://love146.org/
Twitter:@ROBLOVE146
Thank you for shedding light on such a dire and tragic situation/cause. I plan on making a purchase through the Love146 website. Your heart is so generous, Joy. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteCall Me Ishmael
Hey Joy,Thanks for sharing I've been involved in the cause for a while now and it's so sad to see and hear that young children are being sold for sex and everything. I think it's great that you are willing to help within this cause and other, thank you.xoxo briee
ReplyDeleteJoy...
ReplyDeleteI just want to thank you so much for posting this. My church in Delmar, NY has supported Rob Morris and Love146 for as long as I can remember and each time Rob speaks at my church, I can't help but be moved to tears. He truly is an abolitionist. If you ever get to hear him speak in person, you will be amazed by how tender his heart is and how raw his passion is.
So again, thank you.
Joy,
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this! This (sick) movement of torment has definitely been on my heart lately and you've definitely encouraged me to add "donate" to my list of prayers. Thank you for being true to things that really matter. May God richly bless you!
Che'Lyssa
Hi joy. Thank u for posting this. I think it's great that u use ur blog to raise awareness of things like this and organisations like LOVE146. After reading ur post I really want to get involved and help out, like by buying something from the store but unfortunately they only ship within the US :( but I'm sure there are many other ways to help out and I want to any way I can. I think this is a really great cause to get involved in and thank u for making us all aware of this and other causes thy really matter.
ReplyDeleteUr an inspiration :)
Best wishes,
Love
Shauna xoxoxo
Bethany,
ReplyDeleteThis story is absolutely heartbreaking. It has inspired me to get to know more about the cause. In addition, I am going to take this to my alma-matter (an all-girls high school), as I know they will want to fight for this cause as well.
Keep posting :)
Laurel
i have two children of my own they are boys but just imagining anything happening to them like this makes me furious! this story has really touched my heart! it makes me sick to think that this kind of thing goes on. thanks for sharing and educating us on this. I live in FL and our church is educating us on this very same issue with an actual agent comming in to make us all more aware that there are so many people that need help and need the Lord and need prayer! thanks bethany! xo
ReplyDeleteSo disgusting. Thank you for continuing to spread information on this issue.
ReplyDeleteThis is something that has been on my heart for a while now. It kills me to see these little girls faces and to know what horror they go through every night!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Love 146 before, this is a new organization to me, but I'm glad you talked about it. I have been involved with 'Aim4Asia - http://agapewebsite.org' and 'IJM - http://www.ijm.org' Both GREAT organizations who have been fighting child sex trafficking and slavery for a while now. You should check them out!
One day WE WILL STOP THIS!!!
ATTENTION JOY: PLEASE ANSWER
ReplyDeleteWhat size tank did you order from love146.org? I want to purchase one but I don't want to the shirt to be too tight or too big..please help!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks
Shannon, WI
Is vey sad to know that there are so many evil in the world but is very good to know that yet there are hope because God see and to use good people for help. Love you xoxo
ReplyDeleteBy the way your blog are everything that i expect to know you.
ReplyDeleteI have been following love146 for quite some time. I believe that it is wonderful that you are helping spread the word about human trafficking and sex slavery. I have come across another website, theA21campaign, that also aids in the prevention of sex slavery. It was founded by Christine Caine who is an amazing speaker and has a huge heart for God and other people. Also Siddarth Kara's book, Sex Trafficking: Inside the Modern Business of Sex Slavery is a fascinating read, even though I just started. Thanks again for the post. It makes me happy whenever I see people talking about love146.
ReplyDeleteBrooke
Hello! I'm a big big fan of you. I LOVE your music and I LOVE One tree hill with you as Haley!
ReplyDeleteBut back to music, I would recommend an artist from Norway (where I'm from). Her name is Susanne Sundfør, and she has a very beautiful voice! Her most famous single is called The Brothel. I recommend you listen to it, either copy this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jjk_7wF2BY, or search for Susanne Sundfør on either iTunes store or Spotify.
Marie.
I have a few things to say. First, I've been following IJM(International Justice Missions) for some time now. My friend did a dance for sex trafficking at our school and her friend actually works for IJM in the Philippines. It's a great organization that does so many things to fight injustice.
ReplyDeleteSecond, you have to listen to this song by Tal & Acacia called Hope Again. Written for victims of human sex trafficking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjDzyh3TwAE
And lastly, Everly should totally write a song about something like that. I know you two would bring the house down.
Peace, Love, and Jesus.
This story made me cry and after reading it i went onto love146 to find out more about the cause. Im from the UK and learning more about this problem from your blog then finding out its a huge problem here aswell made me want to help so now i'v joined amnesty international so i can do something to help. Thanks
ReplyDeletex
Hey Joy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing this to your followers attention. Your unrelenting kindness is a breath of fresh air in a society where the stigma on celebrities is so negative!
Not sure if they're the same org, but my church is doing an ongoing fundraiser for Coins For Children - pretty much the same thing. Here's the link if you (and your followers) would like to check it out. It's a link to my church, but all the info is on there.
http://coinsforchildren.org/
Joy,
ReplyDeleteI want to thank you for bringing this issue to the attention of your fans so avidly. I first grabbed the cards that you thoughtfully had at the Corn Palace show and was unbelievably moved. I have been reading on their web site ever since & am so moved. I really love to hear your thoughts and ideas on these matters and I am so grateful for your love & devotion to others.
I am hoping to purchase a necklace for myself and some others for Christmas gifts as well. I hope that I can spread word of this horror to my loved ones and help to make a difference.
Also, I noticed that the link you posted to the store has not been working properly... I believe that this one will though-
http://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/eCommerce/Category.asp?ievent=431934&en=7fKJJQPnE9KILMPoFbIKJNMnEaIRL6MEJcJGJXOBIdINK1MBIjL1E
Thank you!
Chelsea
Touching story ,is horrible to see what people do with this little girls, it's horrible. Luckily some people are here to help this girls and that all this stops for them. I remember the story of Love146. I like the action that is conducted with the necklaces, it's a nice gesture. Nice posting. Once again you show how you are generous to others. And it's that fact that many people and I love you more every day. You are the star of the most generous I've seen. Love you, and sorry for this english, I'm french. Love you Xoxox Emeline.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting this. I love watching you on One Tree Hill and I'm thrilled to see that you're using your platform to promote Love146 as it's something I've been passionate about for a while now. Rob Morris is a friend of a friend and his heart burns to see God's grace and justice take place in the lives of these girls. Thankful that you are getting the word out!
ReplyDeletei admire how you use your famousness for something that really does make a difference. i think anyone with children or younger siblings reads this, they will do anything they can to stop this kind og thing happening. the film Taken also highlights the problem, but what i love about the passage you posted was the way the writer wrote it, he made it feel like you were there, seeing the desperation in the chilrens eyes. it gives you shivers but fills you with hope that one day these things will have been stopped globally. it feels wierd living in such developed countriesand to hear all about these things that barely happen in the UK or US. It feels good to know that people are going that bit further to make sure that children don't ever find themselves in these positions. Love 146 forever!
ReplyDeletexxx
So I had some downtime at work when I first heard about LOVE 146. I heard what it was about, but of course I wanting to know more, so I went to the web site and started reading. What I read brought me to tears and I was truly touched, heart broken and quite pissed off. I was sitting in the office quietly at my desk when a co-worker stopped by, I explained the reason for my tears and let them read just a bit of the powerful material the site has. At that moment I looked up to see they were crying as well. By the end of the day a mass email went out to everyone I knew in the office (office size approx 2000 people)w/ a link to the site. I later received e-mails back w/ responses along the lines of "Thank you for shearing, I forward this on to XYZ" "I can't believe this is real" and "What is this world coming to, why haven't we heard more about this?" So I wanted to say thank you for shearing and spreading the word about a major issue that seems to be getting brushed under the rug and forgotten about. Also, I must admit that since hearing about LOVE 146 I have a more acute since of what is being talked about in the news, because I want to know more and I want more to be done. There are documentaries out there, but I still feel this issue is not getting the attention it needs and deserves. My part - shearing my knowledge and I hope other do the same. Thank you again for bringing light onto this subject.
ReplyDeleteHi Bethany.
ReplyDeleteI am Andrew, Love146's Artist Coalition Coordinator. Firstly, thank you for using your voice on behalf of the voiceless. Your involvement, right from the outset, will practically change lives and restore children. Shining a light on this issue and reaching your supporters and fans creates movement, without which we cannot grow strong enough to fight this brutal trade to its abolition. So thanks, you are really making a difference.
I would love an opportunity to talk to you personally about how we can continue together to restore children. If you like, please drop me an email at andrew@love146.org and I'll be happy to chat at your convenience.
And to all who are responding to Bethany's post, thank you also. Spread the word, grow Abolition and help us bring this to an end.
Andrew Zsigmond - Love146
I think Love146 is a wonderful organization but I just want to point out that sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children does not just happen in "underdeveloped" countries as someone else put it. This occurs every day in the United States and exploiters and johns (the men paying for sex) often walk away scot-free while the victims are criminalized and impacted from this traumatic experience for a lifetime. In NY the Safe Harbor Act was only recently passed in an attempt to "prevent" underage victims from being criminalized while affording them supportive services yet it does not change the fact that in New York, as well as other parts of the United States, victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking are being bought, sold, beaten, and raped on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteCSEC and sex/human trafficking need to be talked about and people need to be aware of it. However people need to also understand that this isn't just happening in other countries. It happens in the U.S. and, depending on where you live in the U.S, it's happening in your neighborhood. I work for an organization in NY that provides services to girls and young woman who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking and the horrors, pain, and trauma they go through is no different than international trafficking victims. I believe 100 percent in getting involved but people should please remember as you reach out to help others, not to forget about those that are being victimized within your own community.