Art for a Good Cause || In You We Trust

The latest accessory in my home, this beautiful gold coin, is more than just any accessory. This gold coin is helping to raise money and awareness for an amazing cause- sex trafficking, a topic that scares the living daylights out of me. This project called In You We Trust, is a collaboration between my good friend and artist Marian Lefeld and Jen Rose in an effort to bring awareness to the epidemic of sex trafficking of children in the United States. It happens here too, not just in far off countries believe it or not.

In Marian and Jen's words "The sex trade is the world’s fastest growing illegal industry today, gaining ground and surpassing that of illegal drugs.  Studies cited by law enforcement and advocacy groups conservatively estimate that 100,000 children are enslaved in the sex trade in the United States.  Many of these children are homeless or runaways."  Marian and Jen are aiming to create an installation that will bring attention to this social issue and open a dialogue and create awareness to a wider public. I think it's an important and ambitious project that they have undertaken and so I want to help them spread the word.

This project counted with hundreds of volunteers from all over Dallas to help make 2,000 of these coins to represent the number of children trafficked on the Dallas Streets every year.  A staggering number.  I volunteered and know first hand how much work making each coin was. It's all a formula of a strong need to make a difference, patience, determination, and many, many volunteers working together.  But as they say teamwork makes dream work.  Here are some photos to show you what the project is all about-

Each coin is composed of two sides of clay that later come together to form a front and a back.

Here you can see the mold and different coins at different parts of the process.

Gold makes everything better.

The masterminds of this project, Marian and Jen.

A sea of coins- 2,000 is too large of a number.  Let's work on reducing it. You can help this project by donating here.  If you like the coins you can buy them here. This will support the project, plus they look beautiful styled.  And as one reporter put it, the coins are conversation starters and herein lies your opportunity to share what this project is about with others. Put it in your home and when someone comments on it, tell them them what it means.

Each coin is beautiful and unique. They look beautiful on top of books, and could be a beautiful paperweight.

To read more about the project go here and to help fund the project and maybe buy a coin or too go here.  What a great way to make a difference.
 

[all photos by AC]