Life has felt especially fraught these last few years. The enormity of the challenges can be paralyzing. If you are like me, you may have found yourself wondering, “What can one person do to make a difference?”

Allies Against Slavery provided me with an answer to that question, and it’s there in the name—we can each be allies, and by doing so magnify our power by linking arms in common causes with others against seemingly intractable problems, particularly the issues faced by marginalized groups. I want to make the world a safer place, especially for my two daughters, and Allies has given me opportunities to make a difference.

How do I know?

Because we’ve already made tremendous progress, thanks to your support and the power of allyship:

• Lighthouse, our innovative software solution, grew by 40% in 2022.

• Now, 178 Texas and Louisiana organizations can identify victims, coordinate quality care, and gain insights.

• Texas screenings increased by 39% in 2022 and now exceed 95,000, with almost 12% identifying someone with the highest risk for sex trafficking and exploitation.

With data from over a dozen sources, including new illicit massage business and national human trafficking hotline data, Lighthouse has become one of the country’s largest, best sources of data on human trafficking. Yet we aren’t collecting data for data’s sake. We’ve achieved a scale that allows us to build predictive models and take the fight more proactively to the traffickers.

Through your support, Lighthouse and our quest for freedom and human dignity is now a national effort, with two states as the prelude to a national model for identification, intervention, and insight.

Continued progress is not inevitable. The fires must be constantly stoked. And even as a Board member, I can sometimes forget the Allies staff could, until recently, be counted on one hand. They are a small team of committed change-makers who see firsthand the indignities and traumas suffered by those trafficked and have personal lives filled with moments of happiness and grief.

To ensure that we are providing the Allies team with the needed capacity and expertise, the Board has recently expanded its ranks. In addition, we have invested in the team, enhancing compensation and benefits and adding two new positions.

I am asking for your continued support as an ally and funder.

For those of you who have already given, you have my deepest thanks. For those of you who have not, please consider making a year-end gift or joining our Lighthouse Collective as a monthly donor. The work of protecting freedom and dignity needs you.

I am excited to announce that the Board of Directors has committed to a matching donation of up to $35,000 for all contributions made by the end of the year. We hope this will encourage you to give to our important work. Please know we consider it a privilege to be able to match donor funds in this way.

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As a reminder, we can process non-cash gifts such as stocks, real estate, and business interests. Please reach out to John Nehme, our CEO, at john@alliesagainstslavery.org to discuss these options if you are interested.

With gratitude on behalf of the entire Allies team,

Tim O'Hara