By Elizabeth Lenart | Contributor
New Friends New Life (NFNL) announces that Southwest Airlines and Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) have been named the 2024 ProtectHER Award Recipients. The two award recipients will be honored at the NFNL Annual Luncheon featuring “A Conversation with Camila and Matthew McConaughey,” on Friday, Sept. 20, at 12 p.m., at the OMNI Dallas Hotel. Luncheon co-chairs are JoJo Fleiss and Lisa Rocchio, and honorary co-chairs are Robin and Norm Bagwell.
Created in 2013, and announced in conjunction with NFNL’s annual luncheon, the NFNL ProtectHER awards recognize individuals, corporations, and agencies who support the protection and value of women and girls in the Dallas community, across the nation, and around the world. Past recipients include American Airlines, The Dallas Morning News, The Meadows Foundation, Methodist Health System, and Santander Consumer USA Foundation, Inc.
ProtectHER Award recipient Southwest Airlines, provides financial, in-kind, and volunteer support to NFNL. Whether organizing donations or volunteering at Liberty Street Garden alongside apprentices, Southwest team members serve throughout the organization, wherever they are most needed. Additionally, Southwest supports the mission of NFNL not only through its financial support of programming but also by providing transportation vouchers for NFNL staff to attend and participate in anti-trafficking training efforts across the country, including assisting with travel for presenters at the annual Conference on Crimes Against Women.
“Southwest Airlines team members demonstrate incredible passion for our women and girls, and their positive impact is evident in the faces of our members each time they are onsite,” said Bianca Davis, CEO, NFNL. “We are also grateful for their ongoing financial support and their daily efforts as an airline to disrupt the operations of this horrific industry by educating their staff and equipping them to take action if they suspect human trafficking.”
“At Southwest Airlines, People have always been and always will be our top priority, and we are proud to partner with New Friends New Life in our shared commitment to aid in the rescue, recovery, and restoration of human trafficking survivors within the communities we serve.”
Laura Nieto, managing director of corporate responsibility, Southwest Airlines
“At Southwest Airlines, People have always been and always will be our top priority, and we are proud to partner with New Friends New Life in our shared commitment to aid in the rescue, recovery, and restoration of human trafficking survivors within the communities we serve,” said Laura Nieto, managing director of corporate responsibility, Southwest Airlines. “We know collaboration is the key to making a meaningful impact on this prevalent issue, so we are grateful to Bianca and her team for their leadership as a strong voice for change. Beyond our financial and travel support of NFNL’s programming, we also take pride in our employees’ enthusiasm for putting their Hearts in Action to serve the NFNL community year after year.”
ProtectHER Award recipient Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) has become a treasured partner of NFNL particularly through the national nonprofit’s East Dallas, Highland Park, and Park Cities chapters. YMSL’s members consist of moms and their teenage sons who volunteer together, serving their local communities during the boys’ high school years. The chapters have provided in-kind and volunteer support including cooking and serving meals, assembling and moving furniture, collecting items for holiday drives, and participating in special events for members such as Trunk or Treat. As the recipient of a YMSL Ultimate Gift project, NFNL benefited from the establishment of an official onsite food pantry for its members. YMSL volunteers spent many hours assembling pantry shelves and providing, labeling, and organizing pantry items, which they continue to organize and stock for members. On Fashion Fridays, YMSL moms also serve as stylists for the members assisting them in selecting items from the clothing closet for upcoming interviews or social activities.
“Not only is YMSL helping our women and girls have a dignified human experience while participating in programming, this next generation of boys and young men are learning they can be a part of the solution by helping put an end to the exploitation and objectification of women and girls.”
Bianca Davis, CEO, NFNL
“Not only is YMSL helping our women and girls have a dignified human experience while participating in programming, this next generation of boys and young men are learning they can be a part of the solution by helping put an end to the exploitation and objectification of women and girls,” added Davis. “Working with the young men of NFNL, our women and girls can see firsthand that there are good men out there, which provides a sense of safety and empowerment. Partnering with YMSL gives us hope that the future is brighter.”
“YMSL is deeply honored to receive the ProtectHER award,” said Pam Rosener, YMSL president/CEO and founder. “The work NFNL does to protect and transform the lives of at-risk women and girls is remarkable. “Our work together allows us to further the conversation with our high-school-aged young men, opening their eyes to the realities of human trafficking and exploitation. Through this awareness, they gain a heightened understanding of the value of girls, respect, and consent. Young Men’s Service League is about bringing mothers and sons together through the act of serving others. Our young men see the value of their moms every day but through their work with NFNL they learn so much more about the value of women and girls.”
For more information on the NFNL Annual Luncheon, please visit www.newfriendsnewlife.org/luncheon, email events@newfriendsnewlife.org or contact Chief Development Officer Priya Murphy at 214-217-8652.
The ProtectHER Awards are presented by Thomson Reuters. Luncheon media sponsors are NBC 5/ Telemundo 39and PaperCity.
About New Friends New Life: Founded in Dallas, Texas, in 1998, New Friends New Life (NFNL) restores and empowers trafficked and sexually exploited teen girls, women and their children, and drives awareness of the issue and its prevalence. The agency’s vision is to create a community where women and girls can soar above the limits of their past and achieve their dreams. In 2023, NFNL served 328 members (clients). NFNL also educates the community and works to eradicate the epidemic of sex trafficking through advocacy, legislative reform and strategic partnerships that address systemic causes. In 2018, NFNL opened a drop-in Youth Resource Center (YRC) in partnership with the Office of the Governor to serve trafficked and high-risk teen girls. Since its opening, the YRC has served more than 550 girls. In 2015, NFNL organized its Men’s Advocacy Group to engage men in the fight against sex trafficking and exploitation. In 2024, D CEO Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards honored NFNL as “Organization of the Year” (midsize category). For more information, visit www.newfriendsnewlife.org.
