Crazy Crazy Summer!

So this summer has been INTENSE! We have been back and forth to Utah and organizing all sorts of stuff for Candlelight Serenade (The benefit concert we put on for Child Rescue). It was sooo much work, but at the same time... just so excellent! We had amazing volunteers and help and really put on an awesome show! And we got so much awareness out there.

Child trafficking is such a difficult cause to talk about, but it is very real... right here in North America, so it was great to be able to voice that in a way that causes people to action and not to depression. We had some AMAZING bands! We had Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessionals, Nick Hexum of 311, Relient K, Neon Trees, Vedera, Sherwood, Making April, Priscilla Ahn, Steel Train, Fictionist and Allred, who even wrote a song for the cause that many of the artists came on stage to sing.

Candlelight was such a fun night and definitely the highlight of my summer. I just loved it! Everytime I think about it, it makes me get a little teary-eyed because so many people came together... saw our vision... joined our cause... and helped us on our journey to once again abolish slavery.

Check this out for pictures of Candlelight. or Check out our FB Page. -more pics will be up once I finish setting up our Flickr account.

For ways on how you can volunteer or help out with Child Rescue, check out childrescue.org or contact me.

Guess who's back??!!

Guess who's back... back again... Keshia's back... tell a friend!!

Haha why hello! Long time no blog! I know, I know... it's been far too long... you're probably wondering what's up with me? Where have I been? Why haven't I been blogging? Why don't I love you anymore??!! haha ORRRR I'm not as important as I think I am and you could care less that I haven't been blogging. I choose the prior!

So.. in answer to all your questions... (in the order you've asked of course..) Not a whole lot.. been busy working and doing new things... I've been here, there and around, but mostly right here at home in front of my puter! I HAVE been blogging! Just not here my friends... I know, I know sad but true.. I'll fill ya in later on. And last but not least... Why don't I love you? I DO!!!! I love all of my adoring fans! I just have been ridiculously busy with all sorts of projects and one REALLY big one in particular! But I am trying to come back for good! Really I mean it! I wanna blog and I wanna keep writing. I love to write and I do miss the old blog. So... here I am -back in the flesh... well.. type I guess.

So now that it's later I can tell you all about my busy life and where I have been blogging. But first, I'll start from the beginning.

Nick and I as well as his Bro and Sis-in-law have started a Charity! Our charity is called the Child Rescue Association of North America, or Child Rescue for short. Now, I want to tell you about the charity, but I don't want to make you sad because it's not a happy issue... so I will do my best to tell you some facts so you understand the necessity for charities like this, but not so you get depressed.

Basically, what our charity does is raise awareness and funds to help fight child trafficking. In laymen terms... child trafficking (or human trafficking) is forced prostitution. Children are being abducted from their homes, sold by their families or mislead and coerced into prostitution and treated as slaves. Often their lives and the lives of their families are threatened to keep them in this trade. -basically, without getting into too much detail, that is what we are trying to end.

Lots of you may know that this is a major problem in Cambodia and overseas, but few... very few people realize this is a problem here in North America as well. It is happening right here in the city that I live in and you can be pretty sure it's happening where you live too. As a mother, this terrifies and sickens me, which is why I have chosen not to turn away and pretend it doesn't happen, but to fight and do everything I can to stop this from continuing to happen.

Human Trafficking is the second most profitable organized crime world-wide... with the first being drugs and third being weapon sales. Annually, human trafficking is more profitable than Nike, Google and Starbucks...combined!

How can't I fight?

I know this is a HUGE problem, but ya know what? It only takes one person! (Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Rosa Parks...) I'm not saying that I'm worthy of any of the prestige that those amazing people deserve. No... I'm using them as an example that a single person can make a difference... and Child Rescue is far from a single person.

We have developed an AMAZING team of staff and volunteers and are doing exciting things!

Our first event to raise awareness will be Candlelight Serenade Acoustic Festival, which will happen on Saturday, August 21 2010 at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. This concert is going to be EPIC! Sooo good... the line up is AMAZING! It will include Dashboard Confessional Chris Carabba, Nick Hexum of 311, Third Eye Blind, Vedera, Neon Trees and a bunch more! We're soo excited about this concert and the awareness and funds it will bring to Child Rescue and this amazing cause!

So back to blogging... I have been in charge of websites and the online presence for Child Rescue and Candlelight Serenade, so I have been taking care of Facebook Pages, Twitter, Blogs and whatever other social media we choose. Luckily I've had an awesome partner who's been heading up a lot of the Candlelight stuff leaving me with only half the social media workload! I tell you though, it is all sooooo much work, but I am absolutely LOVING it! I get so excited any time I see that someone has mentioned us or any time I see the ticket sales. This charity is becoming like another child to me... something I absolutely ADORE with all my heart... I crave it! I can't wait to tell people about it and create events and it just makes me soo happy to know that I am helping such a worthwhile cause... protecting our children!

So... that's what I've been up to... busy busy busy! If you'd like to learn more about the charity or the concert here are some links for ya:

http://childrescue.org
http://childrescue.org/blog
http://candlelightserenade.com
http://candlelightserenade.com/blog
http://twitter.com/childrescue_na
http://twitter.com/childrescuecalg
http://twitter.com/candleserenade

Search for both Child Rescue and Candlelight Serenade on Facebook