From donating money to sponsoring organizations, social worker Jeff Anderson is working to end human trafficking around the world with A Cup for a Cause. 

“A Cup for a Cause is a nonprofit that exists to end human trafficking and sexual exploitation. 

We want them to have the life they deserve,” Anderson said. 

Cup for a Cause began in September 2019 while research for the project began in 2015. 

“It finds other great nonprofit organizations doing excellent work in this area and we partner with them to sponsor a project that will allow their effectiveness to grow,” Anderson said. 

In 2015, Anderson saw organizations working to end human trafficking in Europe and wanted to help them. 

“Currently, we’re sponsoring two organizations in Europe in order for them to be able to purchase their own safe houses,” Anderson said. 

Safe houses are places for survivors of human trafficking to live in order to find healing, restoration, and get back to living independently.

“Safe houses are pretty expensive. We are looking to raise $125,000 for our project in Romania and $250,000 for our project in Spain,” Anderson said. 

The organization, which is now in its second year, began when Anderson was in a coffee shop. 

“In 2016, I was thinking about how much money it would take to purchase a safe house, realizing I wasn’t very rich myself. Then I realized that I had enough money to pay for my cup of coffee. I thought to myself, ‘If many of us were willing to give up a cup of coffee once a month, donate that money strategically to help survivors, I bet we could do a lot of good in this world.’ And so the dream started to become a reality,” Anderson said. 

A Cup for a Cause currently has four board members and four volunteers. 

“I have the privilege to provide direction and leadership to such an amazing team. A Cup for a Cause could not exist without such kind-hearted and capable people that donate their time to make it possible,” Anderson said. 

Anderson hopes to keep doing A Cup for a Cause until human trafficking is gone. 

“It would be wonderful if someday human trafficking and sexual exploitation were completely gone from this world. Until then, we’ll fight to make that dream come true,” Anderson said. 

The organization is continually looking for donations to help victims of human trafficking. 

“There are a lot of people out there that need help. Feel free to join us if your heart beats for the children, women, and men that have been exploited in this way,” Anderson said. “If your heart beats for someone else, please consider how you can show them their value.” 

Donations are accepted through the website http://acupforacause.org/donate or by contacting [email protected].