Sarah and Paul, IJM Champions from NYC and Long Island, respectively, have been instrumental in organizing Race to Rescue campaigns in New York. For the past few years, alongside other IJM Champions, they have used this campaign to mobilize IJM and non-IJM volunteers to bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking and raise funds to send rescue to the most vulnerable. 

Over the years, they have brought in thousands of funds, and in 2022 alone, NYC and Long Island jointly raise around $8,000! 

Mostly getting the word out by social media and word-of-mouth, Sarah and Paul have been impressed by the response. Sarah recounts: “One reason I love Race to Rescue is that participating in this group activity requires some sacrifice on our part (I am not a runner!), which brings camaraderie and a purpose to the day.” ... “One of our participants two years ago was reading one of our signs that read ‘We run because...’ followed by an IJM stat. He looked around Central Park and said, ‘Most people here don’t know why they are running. It’s good to know that we do.’”

After Jen learned about the problem of human trafficking, she felt compelled to do something about it. With previous fundraising experience and knowing that her area of Grand Rapids, MI had little exposure to the reality of human trafficking, Jen wanted to not just help raise funds but raise awareness as well. 

Jen, alongside a few of her friends, hosted a brunch and IJM Film Screening. Her goal was to raise $10,000 for IJM. At the close of the event, the results shocked her. She recalls, “We found out we raised closer to $14,000. I was just blown away because I didn't expect it to raise $10,000. And we raised over $14,000!” Jen was thankful for the incredible outcome and hopes to do another event in the future having seen how God can work through her community.

For the past several years, Baylor University’s IJM Chapter has brought their campus together to raise funds and awareness for the fight against human trafficking through Threads. Since starting Threads, Baylor’s Chapter has brought in thousands of dollars for IJM. As they approached their 2023 Threads cycle, Madeleine Gould, the Chapter Fundraising Chief, and her fellow officers had high hopes. 

Madeline explains that having brought in $15,000 the year before with the help of a few generous Baylor parents, they were praying that God would match that number again. After starting the event on an early November day, every hour, they saw hundreds of dollars come in. However, as the day was coming to a close, they realized they were $500 short of their goal. Remarkably, in the coming hours and through the night, they learned of more and more donations. In the end, they raised over $15,300 for the fight against human trafficking through the generosity of Baylor students making this one of their most successful years yet.