LOVE 146

They never knew her name.

They never knew her age.

They never knew what she wanted to be when she grew up.

All they knew was her number.

146.

On a trip to Southeast Asia in 2002, Rob Morris, Desirea Rodgers, Lamont Hiebert and Caroline Hahm created Love 146, an organization dedicated to ending child sex slavery and exploitation.

Standing in a brothel to learn first hand about the atrocities and tortuous life of over 1.2 million children who are trafficked annually, Rob Morris, President and co-founder of Love 146, described the scene among “the usual group of ‘customers’” waiting to bid on the little girls.

While the blank-faced children stared at the playful cartoons on the TV screen in front of them, one girl stood out from the rest. Rob writes that this girl’s eyes, full of life and hope, stared beyond the TV directly into the one-way mirror where Morris and “the usual group of ‘customers’” were “hiding.”
The number pinned on her red dress was 146.

Since Rob was undercover at this point, he could not help 146 or the other girls escape. However, that brothel in Thailand has since been raided and the children have been rescued—146 was not among them.

Although nothing except her number is known, 146 has inspired a movement to aid those victims of sexual exploitation through aftercare and preventative services at Love 146’s Round Homes.

Designed in a circular shape, emphasizing safety, love, and growth, Round Homes provide holistic care for trafficking victims. And children are now given a second chance at life both physically and emotionally.

As Love 146 was just getting off the ground in 2002, Rob received a letter from an individual who ran a large organization in Cambodia. She wrote about a major problem that repeatedly occurs when Americans respond to crisis situations.

They don’t think. They react.

Rob took this consideration to heart and expanded Love 146 through thoughtful research and has focused on raising awareness to provide prevention services in vulnerable populations and aftercare services for survivors.

Love 146 has indeed found its niche and its fans. The movement is picking up momentum in governments and communities around the U.S. and is helping to renew children’s lives around the world.

146’s stare of helplessness and hope will never escape Rob’s mind. Has her message reached yours?

Please visit love146.org for more information.

(Love 146 is focused on ending child sex slavery and exploitation.)