Arielle Curry

Who is Arielle?

 

Arielle Curry is the Director of Anti-Trafficking for the Salvation Army in Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

 

 

From a young age, she remembers having strong compassion towards people. 

 

 

“I remember being six and seeing a homeless person and breaking out in tears. I just felt it so deeply. I know now that was very much how God wired me.”

 

 

Arielle went to Gordon College as an education major. One day, when asked why she wanted to become a teacher, she wrote “’I want to interact with teenage girls who have had hard lives.’ As I’m writing, I was like, ‘I wrote nothing about education here.’” Around this time, Arielle first learned about human trafficking.

 

 

“I was like, ‘This is insane that this happens in modern day.’ It was happening in the U.S. It was happening in Philly, where I was from. I couldn’t believe it. This fire was ignited in me. I was reading, researching, watching documentaries – anything I could get my hands on. Now I know it was because this has always been my purpose that God had for me.”

 

 

She soon transferred to Eastern University’s social work department. A week before graduation, she met a woman from the Salvation Army who came to speak about trafficking and a new program. “I was like, ‘I want to intern with you. Tell me what you want. I will be that.’ 

 

 

They were looking for a macro social work intern. 

“I knew I was going to get my masters, but I literally chose my concentration based on what they needed. That was 2012.”

 

 

In 2013, with $100,000 in student loans, Arielle accepted a $12-an-hour, part-time job. “You know when you just have a peace – like, this is what you’re supposed to do? Now fast-forward to 2020, I’m the director of all our end-trafficking programs. It’s cool to see God’s hand in my life and how He calls the unqualified.” 

 

Arielle passionately went on, “He’s looking for an obedient heart and someone who’s willing to step out in faith. Trusting in God’s goodness and sovereignty is so important.”

 

 

“Starting out as an intern, to part-time case manager, to full-time case manager, to coordinator, to manager, to assistant director to director — I’m supervising people twice my age. This doesn’t make sense. God’s power was shown in that. The Bible talks about His power showing through in our weakness.” 

 

 

“Working with survivors of trafficking, specifically women who have experienced serious, severe violence, sexual abuse and rape — the most horrific things you can imagine — is what I feel called to do. To bring awareness that we have this preconceived idea of who is the face of trafficking, of who it affects.”

 

Human Trafficking

Arielle, Educate Us on Trafficking.

 

 

 

When asking Arielle to talk about human trafficking, this Philadelphian, social justice hero jumped right in. 

 

 

 

“It’s not a poor person issue, it’s not an urban issue, it’s not a race issue. It literally affects everybody. If we want to prevent it, we have to understand it. It doesn’t affect certain communities, it affects everyone. 

 

“It’s not traveling overseas and smuggled into a van. Sure, that happens, but the way it presents in our communities looks different.

 

 

“It may be a juvenile meets someone on social media and is just complaining about their parents. This individual will swoop in like, ‘You don’t deserve that. Your parents don’t understand you. Come with me. We’ll go get you clothes. We’ll get your nails done.’ It’s this promise of a better life.  

 

 

“They’re manipulative, and this is their career. It’s a $32 billion industry. They take this seriously. They’re presenting as boyfriends. They’re getting the individual to run away, so for all intents and purposes it looks to law enforcement like a teenager who is running away. But they were coerced to run away. 

 

 

“And then this person in the first week will wine and dine them — take them to wherever. After a few weeks is what’s called the breaking in stage where they start to break them in to get ready for the life. After that, it’s what you anticipate in terms of trafficking. I would say that sort of this boyfriend-like behavior with juveniles is what we see the most. 

“We see a lot of women who are in their 30s, 40s in trafficking who started out as 13, 14 year olds being conditioned and now are in trafficking as well. It’s hotels, online back page, and escort services, it’s even exchanging sex for a place to say. To be trafficked, you don’t have to be moved. That’s a misconception with the word trafficking. You can be trafficked in your home and never leave. It has nothing to do with movement or across state lines or anything like that.”

 

 

 

“It’s easy for our heart to get pulled when it’s a 13-year-old in trafficking — it’s horrific, it’s terrible. But I find that people’s perspective is very different when it’s a 30-year-old woman in prostitution. But the reality is it’s this pipeline that continues.

 

 

 

How Do We Fight It?

 

 

 

“Unfortunately trafficking probably will exist in five years. I would love to see our system and communities better understand it so they can prevent it. Prevention and changing our laws are going to impact this.

 

 

 

“As long as there’s a demand for sex – just to be blunt – trafficking will exist. It’s easier to sell a person over and over again versus drugs, you use once and it’s done. 

 

 

 

“That’s a really big paradigm shift a lot of us in the movement are pushing for – let’s look at the culture and the demand for sex. It’s hard when we have the mentality boys will be boys. I want to dropkick people when they say that because that’s not an appropriate thing to say about, ‘Oh, he’s at a strip club. He’s looking at porn. He’s buying sex.’ 

 

 

“Until we start to look at the demand and who’s buying sex, we can’t address the issue. We can’t only address this side with the women. We have to look at it in its entirety. 

 

 

“If someone’s not buying sex then girls aren’t being bought and sold. If there’s a demand, they’re going to keep putting them out there.”

 

 

 

Living Purposefully 

The Basics 

 

 

“Living purposefully means living out who God created you to be. I don’t think we are truly living in our purpose until we can answer these questions: Who is God? Who has He called me to be? 

 

 

“It’s easy in today’s society to try to mirror or mimic what we see in others. The older I get, the more I understand that I’m different than somebody else, and that’s beautiful. I’m going to do the most good and I’m going to be the most purposeful when I can understand and live that out.

 

 

“We know we’re made in the image of God, so our identity can only be found in Him and should only be found in Him. If we don’t understand God and His identity, how can we really understand ourselves or Him?  

 

 

The Foundation 

 

“I live an intentional, purposeful life, and not just because of what I do. It’s really easy to say someone has purpose when they have a platform or someone is purposeful when they have a big role. It has nothing to do with that.

 

“A lot of the foundations I laid earlier in my life in my teens and early 20s is setting me up for continuing to be intentional and purposeful. Had I made very different decisions a decade ago, I would not be where I am, and it’s not because of me. It’s trusting God and my relationship with Him.

 

 

“I had a great family, it just was different. My parents are split up, so I could have very easily ended up in a different place. But God used relationships and friendships to put me on the path, to point me to Him. Had I had different friend groups, it would have been, given my home life, way easier to be in a really different place.

“Once I had that example, I was like, ‘That’s what I want in my life.’ I started to go after what I saw in them. So when I say what I chose a decade ago really set me here is seeing those friendships and relationships and then wanting that (what they had) for myself and choosing that for myself. I eventually took it on as my own. The decisions we make early in life have an impact. It’s not, ‘Oh I’ll deal with that stuff when I’m older.’ No, deal with that now.

 

 

 

The Journey 

 

“Is purpose going to fall upon me? Am I going to get the courage and the bravery to just step out? I wish that’s how it happens, but that’s not how it happens. It takes us being courageous and brave – which we get from God and the Holy Spirit, but I think it takes us taking that step. Obedience is not comfortable at all.

 

 

“Sister, you need to start moving. In our spiritual life, it’s easy to stay stagnant out of fear or limitations, but God will guide you. You’ve got to take that first step. If you want to start to understand what your purpose is, start moving. The Holy Spirit living in you will guide you if you’re heading in a wrong direction. He’s walking alongside you. He’s going to guide your steps, but He can’t guide your steps if you’re not doing anything. 

 

“’God, I know you called me. I’m terrified, but I trust You.’ He’s going to walk alongside you, but He also wants a willing servant.  

 

“Even if you make poor decisions along the way or mess up, He still sees your heart. There are times a parent has to discipline, but it doesn’t mean less love. He’s a good Father and He does love and care for us. I always encourage women: be obedient and take that step. 

 

 

“We’re called to a life of greatness. It doesn’t mean that I’m not going to have trials and pain and mundane seasons, but as a Christian, we’re called to live boldly, have it be joy filled and to have it be purposeful. Those are parts of who God is. It’s easy to settle into the day to day of things because we get comfortable, and it’s scary to step out into that place of obedience.

 

 

 

“It’s so important to have a tribe or sisterhood of women around you who are not living the mundane life. I’m not saying my friends are the president of the United States or jet setting, but they’re living purposeful, joy-filled, intentional, passionate, beautiful lives. One is a school counselor. One is a teacher. They’re being so obedient and faithful with what they’ve been given. 

 

 

“We are called to be stewards of what God has given us.   

 

The Bigger Picture 

 

 

“It’s not about what you’re called to do, it’s about how you do it and your heart behind it. Our main purpose as Christians is what? To go find others and make disciples of Him. 

 

 

 

“We were looking at a verse Sunday that says the pain that we experience is not for us. It’s to use it for other people. I’m getting goosebumps right now — it’s very evident that God’s heart is — it is for people. It’s for others. It’s not for keeping it to ourselves — the gifts He gives us, the pain you go through.  

 

 

 

“That’s what God’s heart is — to use our pain, our suffering, our triumphs, our skills, our passions, our purpose for other people, for His kingdom. God didn’t call us to live these inner, mundane lives. It’s not for ourselves. It’s to point back to Him. Everything we do is for Him.

 You are called to a life of purpose and intentionality, but pray about it. We can’t have a relationship and know God’s heart and hear Him if we’re not keeping that line of communication open. 

 

 

 

“If you’re unsure what that looks like or what your purpose is, pray about it. Also surround yourself with likeminded women who will encourage you in that and point things out in your life that maybe you don’t even see. A lot of people can see things in us that we can’t even see yet. Surround yourself with people who can encourage you in that. 

 

 

 

Community and Purpose

 

 

“Have those genuine friends who call you out when they need to but also pour into you when they need to. God designed us to be in community with one another. Be surrounded by a solid community of women — and not just, ‘I have a boyfriend.’ That’s lovely, but there’s something powerful about having other women around you. I say the same thing to men. It’s so important to take time with friendships because friendships refresh our soul is what the Bible says, right?  

 

Final Charge

 

 

 

Be obedient with the little, and step out in faith. Better understand who God is and His heart. Be in the Word, be praying.