10 Ways to Free Slaves on Christmas (Or Any Other Day)

Christmas is a day for us to be thankful for the many wonderful things in our life, like family and friends who love us, and an opportunity for us to relax and enjoy some company. But it's also a day to remember people who are not as fortunate as we are, and that includes those who are spending Christmas in slavery. Here are ten simple suggestions for things you can do to help end human trafficking, today, without ever leaving your home -- it doesn't matter if the stores are closed and Uncle Ted is still sleeping off his fourth slice of pie on the sofa. Ten things you can do right now to end human trafficking are:

10. Talk to your family and friends about human trafficking. When Uncle Ted wakes up, tell him about your passion for ending modern-day slavery. Ask him if he's ever heard of it, thought about it, or read about it. You can get some good introductory information here. Talk with the people you celebrate with about what human trafficking is and what you can do to help fight it. But probably don't wake Ted up before he's ready. You know how he gets.

9. Email, Update, or Tweet trafficking. Send out a message about what you are thankful for, and one remembering people who aren't as fortunate. People who aren't free, aren't with loved ones, aren't able to leave their bad situations. Simply putting the message out there can do a lot to raise awareness that human trafficking exists, and that we can stop it.

8. If you can bear it, shop more. By the time Christmas day rolls around, I'm usually pretty shopped-out. But if you're undaunted by the possibility of a consumption coma, check out the Change.org gift guide and get yourself what you really wanted for Christmas -- change. Maybe you can re-gift the Cuisinart and soy candles?

7. Take Action at Change.org. The End Human Trafficking community at Change.org has a number of online actions you can take to end human trafficking, from preventing child prostitution to buying fair trade goods. You can take action here.

6. Pray for people living in slavery. If you incorporate prayer into your Christmas celebration, consider praying for all those living in slavery around the world. It has been thousands of years since the early Christians were targeted as slaves, but the powerful are still exploiting the weak. Today, people of all ethic groups and religions are vulnerable to human trafficking. Consider including them in your prayers.

5. Donate to an anti-trafficking organization. Consider making an online donation to an anti-trafficking organization. Some Christian organizations like Salvation Army have anti-trafficking programs, as well. Your gift will help light the way for victims recovering from slavery and prevent more people from being enslaved.

4. Write a letter. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, or to a blog site or online news site, about why human trafficking is an important issue to you this time of year. Should modern-day slavery be an issue all Christian people fight against? What about all people of faith? What can you encourage your community to do to take a stand against human trafficking?

3. Read something. Whether it's a book, an article, or a blog post (like the fantastic ones at humantrafficking.change.org), read about modern-day slavery until you learn something new. Knowledge is the power to free slaves.

2. Agree to volunteer. Sign up to volunteer at a local anti-trafficking organization. If there isn't one near you, then find out if your church works with populations vulnerable to human trafficking like immigrants, women, and children. You could make a huge difference in someone's life.

1. Plan a fundraiser. Anti-human trafficking organizations are in desperate need of financial support, and a fundraiser helps dollars go further. Use your personal interest and skills to get your community involved. Are you a talented baker or mechanic or aerobics instructor? Think about how your skills can be used to raise money to help human trafficking victims.

There are dozens of ways you can light the way for human trafficking victims this Christmas, and these are just ten suggestions. You do have the power to end human trafficking and to give all people living in and at risk for modern-day slavery a merrier future. Merry Christmas.

Photo credit: scazon