Three Organizations Honored with “ProtectHer” Awards at NFNL Luncheon Featuring Kevin Costner
Each year, the New Friends New Life (NFNL) honors three organizations dedicated to their mission of restoring hope and empowering women and children who have been sexually exploited and trafficked. This year’s recipients of the prestigious “ProtectHer” award will be recognized at the WINGS luncheon on April 10th, where renowned actor Kevin Costner will be the guest speaker.
The Letot Girls’ Residential Treatment Center serves the youngest victims in the community. Annually, over 9,700 youth, aged 10 to 17, interact with law enforcement in Dallas County. Many of these children have fled situations involving physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Through a collaboration with NFNL, licensed professional counselors are now offering therapeutic support for sexual abuse recovery to high-risk and trafficked girls at the Letot Girls’ Center. Evidence suggests that pairing treatment services with essential community resources significantly improves outcomes for both the youth and their families.
“The girls who have faced exploitation have endured extreme hardship, trauma, and humiliation in their formative years,” said Caren Prothro, President Emeritus of the Letot Center Capital Foundation, who will be receiving the award. “While we cannot give them back their childhood, we can provide a nurturing environment to help them rebuild their lives.”
The Human Trafficking Squad of the Texas Department of Public Safety collaborates with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to implement the Interdiction for the Protection of Children Program. This initiative has trained over 7,000 patrol officers in identifying and helping to rescue child victims from sex trafficking and exploitation, ensuring these children receive the attention they need from well-informed officers.
Sabre, a leading technology company in the travel and tourism sector, established “Passport to Freedom” in 2012 as part of its corporate responsibility program. This initiative aims to combat human trafficking and provide vital support to survivors. The comprehensive program is designed to unite the travel and tourism sectors against child sex trafficking and human slavery.
Additionally, Sabre launched the first scholarship program dedicated to trafficking survivors, facilitating access to post-secondary education and vocational training to enable sustainable employment opportunities.
Tickets for the 12th Annual WINGS luncheon are priced at $175, with various sponsorship levels available. For further details, please visit www.newfriendsnewlife.org or call (214) 965-0935.
“I’ve spent my life refusing to see, know, or acknowledge myself. My lack of knowing my worth…has prevented others from ever getting through. Truly believing in my own value as a person, no matter what I do, say or look like, has been a completely liberating experience for me. Thank you for believing in me, despite my own beliefs, for so long that I can finally open my eyes and see myself.”
– a survivor expressing gratitude to New Friends New Life for the support she received
Kevin Costner: A Brief Biography
Born in Southern California to a manual laborer, Kevin Costner’s early life instilled in him a deep appreciation for the American landscape.
He began his academic journey at California State University in 1973, where after a period of marriage and personal exploration, a chance encounter with actor Richard Burton on a flight inspired him to pursue acting.
Relocating to Los Angeles with his wife, he took on jobs as a truck driver and tour guide while auditioning for roles. After an early appearance in ‘Malibu Hot Summer’ in 1974, he sought more substantial roles and landed parts in films such as ‘The Big Chill,’ and subsequently in the western ‘Silverado,’ where he gained recognition.
In films like ‘The Untouchables,’ ‘No Way Out,’ and the baseball classics ‘Bull Durham’ and ‘Field of Dreams,’ Costner established himself as a heroic figure.
Following successful projects like ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’ and ‘JFK,’ which garnered him a Golden Globe nomination, he starred in the massively popular ‘The Bodyguard’ alongside Whitney Houston.
Costner took risks with character portrayals in movies such as ‘A Perfect World’ and ‘Wyatt Earp,’ before tackling the ambitious ‘Waterworld,’ which did not perform well. However, he found success with the softer film ‘Tin Cup’ and later, ‘The Postman’ in 1997. He continued to star in ‘For the Love of the Game’ and ‘3000 Miles to Graceland,’ before revisiting historical themes with the well-received ‘Thirteen Days.’
His notable work in 2005’s ‘The Upside of Anger’ earned him the San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also starred in ‘Rumor Has It’ with Jennifer Aniston and continued his career with roles in ‘The Guardian,’ ‘Mr. Brooks,’ and ‘Swing Vote,’ among others.
His more recent appearances include ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ (2013), ‘3 Days To Kill’ (2014), and ‘Draft Day’ (2014).
“I think what Whitney (Houston) would say to young girls is guard your bodies and guard the precious miracle of your own life.”
– Kevin Costner, on a poignant moment shared at Whitney Houston’s funeral
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NFNL is proud to present their 12th Annual WINGS Luncheon featuring guest speaker Kevin Costner.
