Inside INnocence Atlanta...

"You're cursed with a good heart," my friend Steven joked, as I threw my bag over my shoulder and headed off to work at Innocence Atlanta.

As I traveled down the busy streets of I-85 my mind drifted back to his comment. Up until today, I sometimes wondered if he was right.

As a recent college graduate desperate to see justice spring forth in my community, I commonly became discouraged as I searched for a "big-girl" job where I could exercise my passion for social issues. Week after week I interviewed and received job offers with extremely diverse companies. I turned down corporate jobs, I held back from taking social work jobs, and for awhile I began to wonder if there were any organizations with a unique passion for the oppressed...

You see, as Steven so poignantly addressed, I was born with a desire to see justice. Although I didn't know it growing up, the people around me noticed it.

They'd raise their eyebrows and ask, "Why is she always standing up for the underdog?"

"What in the world are you doing loving that person...don't you know they are dirty?" they'd question me.

Yes, I knew where they came from. I knew what had been done to them. And yet... my heart absolutely broke for them.
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I went to school for Journalism, and after years of having a desire to reach out to the hurting, I decided to take action. I couldn't wake up complaining about my petty issues when there were real people, young children, being forced into selling their very own bodies without rest.

I realized that I wanted something more than a 9-5 job that didn't challenge me and I couldn't spend my life seeking out everything that comes with the "American Dream" while others were never even given the one thing we boast about most in America: freedom.

Thankfully, I connected with Innocence Atlanta.

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As I walked into the office today, I was immediately thrown into a whirlwind of motion. The days events included interviews, press releases, emails, and conversations with both prevention and recovery programs.

During my lunch break, I sat in the office and overheard passionate words spoken by a member of the recovery team. As she spoke to the young trafficked girl, the idea of life without simple freedom was no longer someone else's reality- it was now mine.

"Beautiful girl, I want to teach you some things," she said.

"I want to teach you that not everything in this world has a cost. You have been under the impression that everything must be paid for, but there are some things that are free. LOVE does not cost you anything," she said.

I waited to hear the young girls response. Silence. A deafening silence indicative of absolute disbelief.

"The ability to CHOOSE does not have a cost," the woman continued, "and FREEDOM does not cost you anything," she assured the young, frightened girl.

Sadly, THIS girl had never heard those words before. To her, life was one big business transaction. With the cost being her body and soul, I imagine she eventually felt as if a dollar sign was all that was left of her. Until now.

The recovery director continued on with her conversation, and we went about business as usual. We addressed some web issues, we talked about upcoming events, and we did what was necessary to create connections between like-minded organizations.

Six o'clock came too soon, and as I reviewed the events of the day, I came to a conclusion about my job: With each event, with every phone call, FREEDOM was being released.

Every fax, every email, all the interviews and paperwork were directed toward a much bigger goal: the changing of a human life. Strangely enough, my "cursed" heart had now allowed me to be an active part in seeing that beautiful, beautiful change....

....and it was only my first day.