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You can make a lasting and significant impact in the lives of vulnerable and victimized kids in your city, and you can do it from the comforts of your own home. iEmpathize is founded on the principle that issues of child exploitation are not just criminal problems to be solved by law enforcement and legislators,…

Marisol Garcia Bejarano spent seventeen years in prison for a crime she did not commit.  A survivor of human trafficking in Mexico and in California, Marisol witnessed a murder committed by the man who bought her for $200 when she was just thirteen years old. After years of holding her as his domestic servant and…

2013 was an exciting year for iEmpathize. Here, our team members share their fondest memories from the year. Each photograph and reflection demonstrates the heart of iEmpathize: to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable and victimized kids so that exploitation will exist no more.  To begin, click the button below. Then click here…

If you want statistics on the number of homeless served at a particular shelter, you can get that information easily.  If you’d like to know how many families a local food bank served in a year, the numbers are readily available.  If you’d like to know how many kids attended after-school programming providing meaningful alternatives…

In the summer of 2013 iEmpathize was invited to attend the “From Victim to Survivor Forum” being held in Mexico City. The list of speakers included the Mayor of Mexico City, the president of the Human Rights Commission, and our partners Rosi Orozco and German Villar among many others. By far the most notable participants…

Long distance running is kind of an obsession. It doesn’t matter if it’s 0 degrees or 100, pouring rain or sleeting, calm winds or 30 mph winds, 5am or 10pm, on vacation or at home; long distance runners will find a way to run. As a long distance runner myself, I can relate to the…

Kicking off April, I gathered with some local advocates in Tucson, Arizona for an Engage event.  Last year, iE was at the University of Arizona for Empathy week.  It impacted many of the people there deeply.  It is because of that event that this gathering, a year later, was easily put together.  I shared an…

To say it has been an incredible year is an understatement. 2012 was an amazing year expanding our work of addressing the needs of vulnerable and victimized kids and inspiring culture to empathize and engage. The year was all about empowering teens, investing in survivors’ futures, engaging truckers in the fight against child exploitation, developing…

Our priority is to prevent child exploitation and trafficking from ever happening, but there is an immediate need that must also be met. That’s where the Survivor Fund comes in. It addresses the gaps in the US system…  very few survivors are being placed in safehomes in the US. Instead, children are typically placed in foster…

There were three rooms decorated in Disney motifs and next to each bed was a stash of condoms, lubricant, and lingerie. A call to the new anti-trafficking hotline in Chiapas had given authorities a lead on three possible child trafficking victims. It was reported that the girls were being forced to work as waitresses in…

University of Arizona students participate in our anti-trafficking demonstrations. The UofA Union Gallery brought iEmpathize in to educate and engage their student body in the fight against child trafficking and sexual exploitation. Empathy Week is our outreach to universities. Events include our mixed media exhibit, an academic forum, a mattress vigil, and flash mob. The…

We just returned from Louisville KY where we attended the world’s largest truck show with over 80,000 in attendance. Thousands of US minors are victims of trafficking each year. The FBI has rescued over 1,500 kids through their Innocence Lost initiatives in the last few years alone. They believe they are just scratching the surface. Unfortunately,…

EMPOWER YOUTH: Empowering youth and equipping educators to recognize and respond to teen trafficking. Thousands of US minors are victims of trafficking each year. The FBI has rescued over 1,500 kids through their Innocence Lost initiatives in the last few years. They believe they are just scratching the surface. Unfortunately, these numbers are from just…

The Empathy Experience is a large room installation of the mixed media Empathy Exhibit adding live art, music performances, talks, and idea exchanges. This event is immersive and interactive. Films, photography, and artifacts tell the specific stories from the exact locations of the kids we serve. The compelling mixed media narrative has child protection, intervention,…

Historically media has been used to articulate the voice of justice movements and inspire involvement. During the transatlantic slave trade, actual slave artifacts and media of the day were key in awakening people to abolition. Since we can’t always bring you to the kids, we bring the kids to you. We use a mix of film, photography,…

iE Expeditions are always about the kids. Participants are educated about the issues iEmpathize and our partners are addressing; meet survivors, local practitioners, and national influencers; work directly with at-risk kids. There are many ways that we will work in their behalf ranging from encouraging and serving the children and staff from our partnerships to advocating…

The Scooter Hero event is a mass awareness and fundraising event inspired by Yeng who is featured in the film. He rides a scooter to villages to protect kids from traffickers, we ride on behalf of the kids he protects. If you are interested in hosting the Scooter Hero Ride and Walk in your city…

Trucker Hero “They made us go from truck to truck… and then I had to have sex with another guy that I didn’t even know.” Sheri, age 15. Most of us drive down the road and pass by houses, buildings, alleys and rest areas, but all we ever see is the wood, brick, steel, and pavement….