Q & A and a giveaway // the liberty shoppe | THE KLACKNERS

8.23.2013

Q & A and a giveaway // the liberty shoppe


today i am really excited to introduce you to a couple brave hearts who are making a difference in this world! kelsey and brooke are invested in the fight against human trafficking and have just recently opened an etsy shop called the liberty shoppe. a portion of each sale supports efforts to end human trafficking in their city, memphis, tn.

//every 30 seconds a person is sold into slavery. this crime is one of the largest in our world, with 27 million people enslaved.  it is sadly happening in our city,
 and we would like to stop that.//
"where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 
2 corinthians 3:17

tell me a little about yourselves::

Kelsey // I am a soon to be college graduate living in Memphis, TN. I work as a nanny part time to two sweet kids. I find joy in cooking, party planning, family, serving in my church, and my yorkie Holly. I am thankful for God’s grace each day, and a good cup of coffee! It is my passion to make a difference in the fight against human trafficking and to see girls realize their worth in the eyes of our Lord.

Brooke // I am a stay at home mom and have been married for three years. I’m from East Tennessee but due to my husband’s job, moved to Memphis just after we wed. It was then that my love for the Lord and serving others became one of my biggest passions. Another one of my biggest passions is a burden for the victims of human trafficking and a commitment to stop this crime.

how did you get involved in the fight against human trafficking?::
We both first found out about the reality of human trafficking through hearing Christine Caine, the founder of the A21 campaign, speak at our church. We heard her at separate times and both felt very burdened about this issue. Kelsey first heard Christine Caine speak about human trafficking at a Chick Nite at our church. “I still remember her passionate message to this day; the stories about the victims she rescued, and the call to action she gave us. I remember her describing the group she was speaking to as an army of women that God was raising up. I felt so inspired to help out, but I didn’t know what I could do at that time that would make a difference. I prayed for the girls that were enslaved on a regular basis and prayed that God would show me what I could do to help.“ Fast-forward about a year later, and Brooke was able to hear Christine Caine speak and learned about human trafficking. “As I drove home that day the Lord gave me a burden and passion for these victims, to stand up and be their voice.” Afterwards, Brooke started researching and realized the severity of human trafficking. Kelsey was not at this service, and Brooke felt compelled to contact her about it. We then discovered that we were both passionate about this cause and doing something to help was on our hearts. It was an answered prayer when Brooke contacted Kelsey and shared what was on her heart; now we knew that we were supposed to do something. From that day forward, we have sought God about this through scripture, prayer, and brainstorming ideas together.


what steps are you taking to make a difference?::
In the beginning we had big ideas and were full of faith about all that God was going to do through us. While, that is still true, we have been reminded along the way that God’s timing is not always ours and that what he wants to be accomplished will happen. Even when ideas have failed or certain plans haven’t come to fruition, we kept trying and persevered. Several months ago we thought to ourselves, “What can we do right now, what do we have in our hands?” We decided we would use our talents and things we enjoyed doing to make a difference. We thought of selling handmade hair accessories on Etsy and using the profits to fund our efforts to fight this injustice in our city, Memphis, TN. Right now we are selling handmade elastic hair ties in all sorts of fun colors! Our Etsy shop has taken off to a great start and we are overwhelmed with the support we have received. Our family and friends are really the best. Things are starting to fall into place and we feel like God’s timing for this is now. Our church, The Life Church Memphis, is an amazing place that we call home. We are an outreach church to the core and desire to make a big impact in our city. We as a church already support many organizations in the fight against human trafficking, but we are talking about future plans of one day being in the fight ourselves and using our church as a place of hope for victims of human trafficking. These conversations and plans bring so much joy and encouragement to our hearts. We could not be more excited about what is to come!

how can we help?::
There are many ways you can help. The first would be awareness: many people still do not know that 27 million people are enslaved today. Get the word out to your friends and family, those in your circle. Social Media is a great way to use your voice. Also, there are many great organizations in the fight against human trafficking. One that we hold dear to our hearts is the A21 Campaign. If you would like to financially support one of these organizations, the A21 Campaign would be a great option. There are also many organizations that sell clothing, jewelry, and other fun items, and your money will go to support this cause. Some of these include Sevenly, FashionABLE , and of course The Liberty Shoppe. We would so appreciate your support of our little shop! Action is also necessary to make a difference in this issue. If you would like to get involved, start with awareness and then move forward in action. Talk to your local church and see if there are already organizations in place near you that are in the fight against human trafficking. We encourage doing something that you love and using it to make a difference in the fight, like we did with The Liberty Shoppe. Last but not least, PRAY! Pray for those that are enslaved today, for their freedom and for them to know the Lord’s love.
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so that was a lot of good information, and i hope you took time to read it! thank you kelsey and brooke for sharing what you are passionate about. now, go check out their etsy shop and all the super cute hair ties they have available!

just for funsies, i am giving away this set from the liberty shoppe. enter below. 
giveaway ends at midnight on august 28th. the winner will be contacted by email!
Amy said...

I am very aware of human trafficking. One of my friends is beautifully passionate about stopping this injustice.

Alex Smith said...

So proud of them for shedding light on this issue and moving at the pace God leads them.

Cynthia Gaarder said...

Yes I am aware, I am from Ohio and apparently I heard Toledo is a big area of this and the local police has been really trying to put a stop to it. It is disgusting.

EmmaCosette said...

Its inspiring to see people so passionate about a cause and actively working to help!

Elizabeth said...

Yes and it breaks my heart. Awareness, prayer, and action with help set the captives free. Micah 6:8