One Story, Many Voices

As author, social worker, and expert on courage and vulnerability Brene Brown said, “Courage is contagious. Every time we choose courage, we make everyone around us a little better and the world a little braver.” The experiences shared in One Story, Many Voices, are heartbreaking, infuriating, and often beyond our understanding. However, they are also stories of courage, resilience, and vulnerability that have the power to make our world a little braver as Brene Brown said. Each story shared is an opportunity for the reader to better understand a child who has survived sex crimes while learning how to advocate for children in healthy and trauma-informed ways.

Thanks to a collaborative team of survivors, law enforcement officers, health professionals, mental health professionals, and educators, One Story, Many Voices gives readers effective strategies to protect children from sexual predators. Written with educators in mind, One Story, Many Voices provides illuminating insight to any reader into childhood trauma as a result of sexual abuse while giving them tools to create safe spaces for children experiencing traumatic stress. One Story, Many Voices will leave readers feeling connected, inspired, and empowered to join in the collective fight to make our communities a safer, kinder, and more equitable place for our children. 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Laurie Sammons is a passionate educator who invested 45 years of her career as an elementary teacher, secondary English teacher, district curriculum specialist, youth center director, gymnastic coach, reading specialist, and adjunct college professor. For the past 15 years she has been a national consultant for a premier professional development company delivering site-based training to administrators and teacher teams all across the United States and in eight foreign countries.

The major focus of her work has included strategic planning, collaborative leadership, and best practice instructional strategies employed to engage students across academic disciplines, age groups, and varied cognitive abilities. In addition to writing several educational publications, she is co-author of the book Handbook for Unstoppable Learning (2018) and a contributing author of a book written by gerontologist Lori Campbell, Awaken Your Age Potential; Exploring Chosen Paths of Thrivers (2012).

Through Laurie’s intimate work with youth and families as a Youth Center Director, teacher, and participant on numerous missions in developing countries, she and her family have been keenly awakened to the many acts of sexual exploitation, bullying, suicide, and other matters of domestic violence, which led to the writing of this book.

“I’ve always known I would use my childhood story to reach out and help children who are at-risk of sexual exploitation.” - Christy Ivie

Christy Ivie founded Christy’s Cause in 2015 and leads the organization, bringing over 15 years of experience in strategy development and operations management in both profit and nonprofit sectors. Her experience has given her expertise in strategic planning, project management, construction management, business coaching, business startup, and business turnaround.

“I’ve always known I would use my childhood story to reach out and help children who are at-risk of sexual exploitation,” Christy said. “I am excited to be a part of a unique and growing nonprofit organization that brings hope to an otherwise desperate and dark situation.”

Christy is passionate about life and exudes hope and positivity. Her life motto has become “freedom fighter,” which she lives out through the vision of Christy’s Cause. 

Christy’s Cause works to eradicate child sex trafficking and exploitation through education, awareness, restoration projects, and justice initiatives.