In the spirit of Thanksgiving and giving back, I wanted to take a moment to talk about a non-profit dear to my heart- Children of the Night. Giving back to the community is a really important part of our business and 10% of all online sales go to this amazing non-profit organization.

Children of the Night is a shelter in Los Angeles that takes in children from 14-19 who have been victims of sex trafficking. They give these kids a safe place to stay, work with law enforcement to keep them safe and prosecute the pimps, and gives them the education they need to better their lives. Education is the most important part of the program and these kids get individualized schooling to help them catch up with the level they need to be in order to graduate high school and go to college.

This organization inspires me because not only does it give these children a second chance to turn their lives around, it gives them love, hope and the home they either never had or was too dysfunctional to live in. Some of the kids come to the shelter not knowing their multiplication tables and by the time they leave the shelter, they will have their GED. In fact, since it opened in 1978, Children of the Night has proudly sent 100 plus kids to college. No other shelter for human trafficking has had the success that they have in this area.

What touches my heart about Children of the Night is that the founder, Dr. Lois Lee, has taken a really ugly situation, and through her dedication and passion to make a change, has created something beautiful in an organization that has and will give countless underage trafficked victims a second chance to get their lives on the right track and thrive.

Children of the Night is completely self-funded and not only do they give the kids shelter and education, they also encourage wellness/exercise/nutrition, plan fun field trips for the kids and work with volunteers to provide extracurricular workshops for the girls. In fact, every month, 100 Graces hosts a jewelry-making workshop at the center. The kids absolutely love it and it is very empowering and therapeutic for them to be able to make something beautiful for themselves that they have created with their own hands.

Our involvement with Children of the Night has brought so much gratitude and purpose. To find out more about Children of the Night, visit their website at http://www.childrenofthenight.org