Those racks of clothing filling Ben Brown are not the result of some spontaneous garage sale—they are the result of a campus-wide event known as Threads. Every year, the Samford University chapter of the International Justice Mission (IJM) collects unwanted clothes and repurposes them into a pop-up thrift shop. All proceeds made go towards the IJM, an organization with the mission to stop human trafficking.
“Our three pillars as a chapter of IJM here on campus are prayer, advocacy, and fundraising,” Secretary Lauren Franks said. “All of our events are centered on one of those pillars, and this one in the fall —Threads—is fundraising.”
The effort to raise both monetary and material donations spread outside of Samford’s campus, to the broader Birmingham community.
“Our college ministry at Mountain Brook Community Church recently did a clothing swap, where we donated all of the clothing we collected to IJM for Threads,” senior Meghan Gardner said.
Such efforts serve as a testimony of the impact and importance the International Justice Mission has.
“Human trafficking happens a lot more silently than most people realize,” Franks said. “Most people aren’t aware of it until it happens to them, or someone they know.”
Threads not only does good for those impacted by the profit raised; it does good for Samford students, whether they are involved with the event or not, as it brings awareness and an opportunity to serve without even leaving campus.
“IJM is the largest Christian anti-human trafficking organization., and they have chapters all across America,” Franks said. “They seek to not just save those in danger, but to equip local authorities with the means to end human trafficking in the future.”
Threads will be an ongoing event happening October 28th and 29th on Ben Brown Plaza. To support the International Justice Mission in their cause, go and invest in the event itself, either by purchasing a piece of clothing or making a small monetary donation. Every dollar raised will go towards the IJM’s mission of ending human trafficking all over the world.
Staff Reporter
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