Pay it Forward | a short film by Veterans

simple submission for discussion board

 Just to document - 

Proverbs 31 8-9 Speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable. Speak out in order to judge with righteousness and to defend the needy and the poor.

Script 

January 18, 2026

Environmental issues often dominate global conversations, but another crisis is unfolding quietly within our own borders; one that intersects with human rights, food security, and the ethics of the American supply chain. As Human Trafficking Awareness Month brings renewed attention to exploitation, recent headlines involving JBS Foods in Greeley, Colorado highlight just how deeply labor trafficking and child labor violations have become embedded in parts of our food system.

JBS Foods, the nation’s largest meatpacking processor, recently agreed to provide $4 million to support individuals and communities harmed by unlawful child labor practices. This follows a major investigation released in fall 2025 that uncovered troubling recruitment tactics and labor violations.

Investigators found that JBS Human Resources representatives used TikTok and other social media platforms to recruit primarily Haitian and Mexican migrants—promising fair wages, safe housing, and a better life. The only requirement: get to Greeley, Colorado.

On January 13, JBS entered into an agreement committing to hold its supply chain, contractors, and service providers accountable for illegal child labor. The company also pledged to launch a targeted advertising campaign to raise awareness about unlawful labor practices.

The broader picture is even more alarming. In fiscal year 2024 alone, federal investigators identified over 4,000 children working in violation of federal child labor laws, with more than 1,000 open investigations still underway.

JBS has issued statements emphasizing new HR leadership, updated recruitment training, and collaboration with labor organizations to ensure compliance. They assert that they do not charge workers for transportation, medical screenings, or housing, and that allegations of unsafe living conditions are “unacceptable and upsetting.”

Yet the tension remains: consumers are paying more for meat than ever, while companies like JBS—whose brands include Just Bare Chicken, Swift Pork, and Certified Angus Beef—continue expanding operations and reporting strong financial performance. In the third quarter of 2025, JBS reported $22.6 billion in revenue, a 13% increase from the previous year.

And JBS is not alone. Tyson, Smithfield, and other major processors have faced investigations and complaints related to labor violations and immigration enforcement.

All of this raises a difficult question:

How can the U.S. maintain a stable food supply when the jobs that sustain it are low-paying, dangerous, and increasingly filled by vulnerable migrant workers?

Food insecurity remains one of America’s most pressing challenges. Yet the system designed to keep grocery shelves stocked often relies on people with the fewest protections—those living in the shadows, those desperate for work, and too often, children.

Nonprofits and advocacy groups urge consumers to “vote with their wallets,” supporting local farms and ethical producers. But for many Americans—especially those in cities or living paycheck to paycheck—local, sustainable protein simply isn’t accessible or affordable.

This is the uncomfortable truth:

Our food system is built on contradictions—feeding the nation while exploiting the vulnerable, promoting American agriculture while depending on migrant labor, and celebrating abundance while millions remain food insecure.

So where do we go from here?

We cannot solve these issues overnight, but we can take meaningful steps:

- Stay informed. Awareness is the first line of defense against exploitation.

- Support organizations fighting labor trafficking and advocating for worker protections.

- Ask questions about where your food comes from and how companies treat their workers.

- Engage in local and national conversations about food policy, immigration, and labor rights.

- Share stories like this one to keep pressure on corporations and policymakers.

Call to Action

If we want a food system that is ethical, sustainable, and truly secure, we must demand it.

Not just with our wallets—but with our voices, our advocacy, and our willingness to confront uncomfortable truths.

Change begins when ordinary people refuse to look away.

References 

Release, I. (2025). JBS to fund $4 million towards preventing illegal child labor, supporting victims. National Hog Farmer, http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-journals%2Fjbs-fund-4-million-towards-preventing-illegal%2Fdocview%2F3166382100%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8289

Harvey, S. (2024, Sep 30). US union accuses meat giant JBS of human-trafficking violations. Just - Food Global News http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fwire-feeds%2Fus-union-accuses-meat-giant-jbs-human-trafficking%2Fdocview%2F3111075274%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8289

Workers allege abuse at JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley. ‘Who is supposed to get better living conditions? Us or the cows we are killing?’ By Haylee May

·

Sep. 26, 2024, 10:04 https://www.cpr.org/2024/09/26/greeley-meatpacking-human-trafficking-abuse-union-investigation/

Airplane Kindle

Lately, I have been enjoying find books on Kindle. The more you read, the more they offer you titles you may like.

The Light She Gave by Chuck Weber - A very sweet tribute to his wife of 33 year. She battled brain cancer for  four years.  Review

Shunned by Linda A Curtis  - a memoir of leaving a cult and find her own peace. Her family goes for years not speaking to her and always hopes she comes back to Jehovah before Armageddon.  She finds peace, love, and light.  Author Website

and finishing  Redeemed  by Penny Lane  - a memoir of a stolen childhood.  author website

14-Day / 327km Wilderness Trip at the Canada/USA Border - Quetico PP

 

What a great documentary.

I am motivated to do more paddling.

Sister Monica Clare

 A Change of Habit by Sister Monica Clare.

Loved every minute and read it over the weekend in Cape Town.

I think there are more people out there like her than one would think, but life just gets complicated..

Her Website

Community of ST John

publisher

The soulful, hilarious memoir of a chronic people pleaser who surprised everyone in her life by abandoning an unfulfilling career and marriage to join a convent—and learned how much we stand to gain when we fully embrace our authentic selves

“A Change of Habit follows the arc of Sister Monica Clare’s career with irreverence and sincerity. . . . Her book [confirms] the warmth—and fragility—of her new community.”—The New York Times

More Details

The Heathens by Mia McKenzie

 Listened to this audiobook in 24 hours.

Apparently, I had added it to my Libby list 6-7 months ago.  I have no idea how I heard about it.

Love it.

Review

from the publisher labeled as Historical Fiction

LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL AND THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE • A CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Dear Lord, please forgive me for the sins I’ve committed. And for the one I’m still planning to commit tomorrow. Amen.

Where do you get an abortion in 1960 Georgia, especially if your small town’s midwife goes to the same church as your parents? For seventeen-year-old Doris Steele, the answer is Atlanta, where her favorite teacher, Mrs. Lucas, calls upon her brash, wealthy childhood best friend, Sylvia, for help. While waiting to hear from the doctor who has agreed to do the procedure, Doris spends the weekend scandalized by, but drawn to, the people who move in and out of Sylvia’s orbit: celebrities whom Doris has seen in the pages of Jet and Ebony, civil rights leaders such as Coretta Scott King and Diane Nash, women who dance close together, boys who flirt too hard and talk too much, atheists! And even more shocking? Mrs. Lucas seems right at home.

From the guests at a queer kickback to the student activists at a SNCC conference, Doris suddenly finds herself surrounded by so many people who seem to know exactly who or what they want. Doris knows she doesn’t want a baby, but what does she want? Will this trip help her find out?

These Heathens is a funny, poignant story about Black women’s obligations and ambitions, what we owe to ourselves, and the transformative power of leaving your bubble, even for just one chaotic weekend.

Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe

I finished listening to the Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis on audio - it was just four hours.

lovely...

Love the book dedication:

My Dear Lucy,  

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result, you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say but I shall still be, 

 your affectionate Godfather, 

C. S. Lewis

Mutts and Mistletoe

 I found this book while traveling across the country in October. I figured I would try the Christmasy-Hallmark movie kinda book for a change.

It is fluff but also very easy  - Natalie  Cox writes romantic comedies and has several Christmas books.

Mutts and Mistletoe is pretty good - and passing it to a friend in SA - no need to make the transatlantic trip home.

She also owns a small independent bookstore in London Ink84 bookshop.co.uk