Human trafficking is an evil that is held in place by a complex infrastructure and uses fear, abuse and isolation to hold victims captive. This vile and complicated problem has a solution. And there is hope. Nonprofit organizations like Restore NYC are making meaningful strides in stopping human trafficking. They work with law enforcement agencies, Interpol, and the legal system to do the important work of identifying and rescuing trafficked victims. However, their work does not end there. Once survivors are no longer being trafficked, there is much restoration that is needed so that survivors can not only survive but thrive. Restore NYC's mission includes employment empowerment activities to trauma counseling to legal work to help ensure that survivors can lead safe, autonomous lives.
Here at Peach & Lily, we're heading into year seven of partnership with Restore NYC. Our mission at Peach & Lily is to empower you to transform your skin. But to us, empowerment doesn't stop there. As a company, we believe in proactive giving back and participating in our community to make a difference. And empowering the most disenfranchised in our community is a core part of our DNA.
For over eight years now, we've partnered with Restore NYC by donating cash, raising awareness, running give-back campaigns, donating products, hosting Restore NYC events in our offices, and more. We believe that giving begins even when you're a small organization - there's no need to wait to give. In fact, interweaving giving into our very corporate DNA is what allowed us to continue giving meaningfully as we grew. We had become one of Restore NYC's largest financial donors as we grew. I'm not sure what your personal financial situation might be, but I wanted to encourage you that giving what you can makes a difference. Every drop in the bucket counts - and it counts so much. Huge rivers are created by one drop at a time moving in one direction.
I also wanted to thank each of you for being a part of our community. Without your support and love for our brand, we would not have been able to contribute to the mission to end human trafficking. We have been able to donate over $350,000 in cash to Restore NYC which is the equivalent of 3,500 nights in emergency housing for survivors or 26 years of rent and utilities for survivors in Restore NYC's transitional safe home. These are meaningful contributions and at the other end of this contribution is a brave, resilient survivor. To learn about how to get more involved, you can also visit Restore NYC's website.
On International Women's Day, I wanted to reemphasize our commitment to this cause. We believe in a mission that's more than skin deep and we will keep going until human trafficking stops. We dare to dream big and do big things together.
Thank you again, Peaches.
Wishing you all a healthy and meaningful IWD and 2024, Alicia Yoon, Founder, Peach & Lily
