Why Tim Tebow Fights Human Trafficking: ‘We Need to Reach More’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Tim Tebow recounted his first experience combatting human trafficking while sharing what his foundation has planned to fight this evil in the upcoming year.
“I’ll never forget the day my dad called me from overseas and told me he had just purchased the freedom of four young girls from traffickers. I was in my mid-20s at the time and completely unaware [of] human trafficking,” Tebow said. “Even surrounded by a group of good men while on a long-term mission trip, no one around him was willing to step in to help the girls.”
“So my dad, not wanting to leave these girls in the darkness they were in, decided to open his wallet and free the girls with the cash he had on hand,” Tebow continued. “There’s a saying that evil triumphs when good men do nothing. My dad was not going to be the man who did nothing. Had he just stood there silently, who knows where these girls would have been taken and what would have been done to them.”
“Years later, countless more human trafficking victims have been rescued around the world, ever right here in the States, because of the mission that began that day,” he added.
Through his father’s good work, Tebow became aware of the prevalence of human trafficking and the fact that not enough is being done to fight it. When he started his Tim Tebow Foundation, one of the first things Tebow did was set up a leg of the non-profit to combat human trafficking.
In the ten years since, the foundation has reached 30 countries, built 29 safe homes with 27 more currently under construction, led 5 USA-based operations in conjunction with law enforcement and built four USA-based safe houses. Last year alone, these safe houses provided over 8,000 safe nights to those rescued.
“While we are grateful for the impact we have had, I can’t help but feel that we are at a point in history–a point just like the one my dad faced years ago–where we cannot stand silently and passively watch as evil rages on,” Tebow said. “We need to go faster. We need to reach more!”
In March, Tebow testified before Congress, urging them to create a task force to combat human trafficking in America. Through his testimony, he explained how there are thousands of good men and women pouring their lives into fighting human trafficking, but they do not have enough resources or manpower to make a serious dent in the evil. Human trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar business, and those fighting it need serious resources to stand toe-to-toe with traffickers.
Beyond looking to Congress, he also spoke at INTERPOL about the need to protect children from sexual abuse.
“There’s power when we come together and we are honored to work alongside frontline heroes around the world who are doing amazing work to protect child sexual abuse victims,” he wrote.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Tim Tebow testified before Congress about why lawmakers need to fund a rescue team to combat child sexual abuse within our country.
Earlier this week, the former NFL star appeared before a House subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, urging lawmakers to fund a rescue team to rescue the thousands of children currently trapped in a sexual abuse situation.
“I’m fortunate and humbled to be the chairman and the founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation, and we exist to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need,” Tebow began his remarks. “To sum it up, we strive to fight for people that can’t fight for themselves. Why we’re here today is to talk about the MVP…the most vulnerable people. That’s why we’re here today.”
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