Volunteer Testimony: Laura
By Laura Kissane, My Life My Choice volunteer
When you are younger, it is easier to get involved with the things you are passionate about. I started an organization in college that helped raise awareness and funds for anti-child trafficking and exploitation efforts. It was easy for me to find a group of likeminded people to support this initiative when I was stuck on a college campus filled with people trying to get involved, hold leadership positions, make new friends, etc. However, when I graduated college and tried to find an organization that allowed me to continue the fight against trafficking and exploitation outside of an educational institution, it was almost impossible. Websites were years out of date, organizations didn’t have volunteer opportunities, and some places just simply never responded. After about a month of disappointing research and outreach, one of my mentors sent me a video link to an event at which Audrey Morrissey (Co-Executive Director of My Life My Choice) spoke on a panel. After hearing Audrey’s passion for the work that she does and extensive knowledge of this multi-billion dollar illegal industry, I ran to www.mylifemychoice.org and truly felt like I found my place to get involved. My Life My Choice works every single day for a vision of a world where no child is bought or sold and has unique survivor-led programs and initiatives to support this. I clicked on the “Join the Fight” button, filled out the short form, and never looked back.
Soon after I “Joined the Fight,” a member of the My Life My Choice development department popped up in my inbox. They needed assistance with a clothing drive; for every pound of clothes donated, a certain dollar amount would be given to My Life My Choice. I jumped at the opportunity to help because I was so excited to finally get involved with an organization that I was searching for, for so long. Alongside the development team, a volunteer leader, myself, and a few other volunteers joined together to take on this project. The folks we worked with at My Life My Choice were incredibly organized and professional. They made sure that we all felt safe and comfortable with the process, given that this was during the height of the pandemic, and provided us with everything we needed to succeed. Oh, did we succeed! Pictured below is a photo from just one of the volunteer’s donations. We raised a lot of money, donated a lot of clothes, and had an absolute blast in the process. Not only did we all get to help out a great cause and learn more about My Life My Choice, we also got to form new connections and direct our energies somewhere other than COVID stress.
After this great experience, I stayed connected with the development team in the hopes of assisting with more events and initiatives for My Life My Choice. I reached out when I was planning a community service event for the interns at my job. A member of the team presented multiple volunteer opportunities to us and their passion for the work was truly palpable.
Volunteering with My Life My Choice has been an experience that I hope everyone who has a vision for a world where no child is bought or sold gets to experience. If you are passionate about this vision, there is a place for you to make a difference at My Life My Choice and meet likeminded, hard working, passionate people along the journey. Join the fight today!