Lutheran Social Service and Cherish All Children Event Aims to End Demand for Sexual Exploitation

Cherish All Children, a service of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, will host a community event designed to create greater awareness and understanding about how to raise young men to be their best selves and end demand for sexual exploitation.

Raising Healthy Boys and Young Men: Ending Exploitation will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 26 at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, 1605 Eustis Street, Saint Paul.

While everyone is welcome, male youth, young men and parents and caregivers are especially encouraged to attend this free event. It will feature discussion from community leaders about how individuals can create change in their society and help raise a healthier generation of men. Event attendees are encouraged to register for this event at www.eventbrite.com by searching “Cherish All Children.”

This event takes place in January to mark National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Last year’s event drew 100 attendees, including Senator Amy Klobuchar.

“We all have a role to play in helping to raise the next generation free from exploitation,” said Joy McElroy, Director of Cherish All Children for Lutheran Social Service. “A big part of this role is raising boys and young men into healthy and respectful relationships. The messages boys receive about masculinity in our culture and online world often keep them from being their true, authentic selves.”

This year’s event will feature comments and presentations from:

• Noelle Volin, Men as Peacemakers’ Don’t Buy It Project
• Ethan Levin, Macalester College Athletes Against Sexual Violence
• Andy Jolivette, Detoxifying Masculinity Group
• Shelley Smith and actors, Chain Reaction Theatre
• Joy McElroy and Monica Jones, Cherish All Children

Cherish All Children is a service that educates, equips and engages churches and communities to prevent child sexual exploitation and trafficking. The initiative, founded in 2006, joined Lutheran Social Service in 2017.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota began in 1865 when a Lutheran pastor and his congregation opened an orphanage for children near Red Wing in southeastern Minnesota. Today, with 2,300 employees and 8,000 volunteers, Lutheran Social Service supports one in 65 Minnesotans through services that inspire hope, change lives and build community. Statewide, the organization seeks to foster safe and supportive homes for children, restore health and wellness in families, empower people with disabilities to live the lives they imagine, and promote health, independence and quality of life for older adults. For comprehensive information about the work of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, visit www.lssmn.org.