Breaking Free, Sam's favorite anti-pornstitution org

[sam]

Breaking Free's founder and Executive Director Vednita Carter is an unsung heroine for women. The work I do writing and speaking about prostitution is peanuts next to the people who provide direct services to prostituted women, and I am in constant awe of their compassion and dedication to the women and girls they serve.

People who know me know that when I die I'd like for friends to donate money to either the off our backs feminists or Breaking Free. -Sam

http://www.breakingfree.net/

Group Raises Awareness About Prostitution
by Heather Brown

St. Paul Experts said the average age a woman enters prostitution in the United States is 13 and one St. Paul group has spent the last 10 years trying to put a stop to it.

Breaking Free is a non-profit group dedicated to ending prostitution. On Monday night, dozens gathered on University Avenue to help the group call attention to the issue.

They shouted chants of "We will not be bought, sold or traded for any price."

Joy Friedman was there. For 20 years, she walked the streets for money, food and drugs.

"At 13, I was out getting sex for love and affection, and that started my seed for prostitution," she said. "This is violence. I don't care what no one says. No girl out there likes this. No one likes to have sex with thousands of people they don't even know."

The group also remembered women who are no longer here. Several people spoke of their friends being killed while involved in prostitution.

One woman told the crowd, "She didn't deserve to die. I love you. Your spirit will never leave."

The group walked along the 800 block of University Avenue in St. Paul because it's a high-trafficked prostitution area. It's also where St. Paul Sgt. Jerry Vick used to work undercover and help women get off the streets before he was killed last year.

His family marched with some of the women he helped.

Vick's sister, Lynn Vick said, "He believed everyone had goodness in them. They were just victims of tragedy."

Victims who many marchers said are almost always forgotten.

"I'm walking for the women that died out here," said Friedman. "I could have been one of those women."

[Andrew]

Thank you. I will be follwing up with this group.