07-05-2025
How to support trafficking survivors with jewelry
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Mother's Day is just a few days away, which has a local nonprofit working with a jeweler to make a beautiful, yet meaningful piece.
At Thomas James and Bechtold Jewelry, you'll find no shortage of treasures.
'We've been a long time jeweler. The Bechtold family started in 1902. I took it over in 2018. And we kind of continue the family tradition of actually serving families in the area,' CEO and Owner of Thomas James and Bechtold jewelry, Thomas James said.
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They are continuing that legacy of service by partnering with Call to Freedom to make a special piece that was originally designed by a 9-year-old girl.
'Her mom had come out of a trafficking situation, and she wanted to do something special because they were reunited. And so we came together with the idea to be able to create this necklace initially for last Mother's Day,' Call to freedom President and CEO, Becky Rasmussen said.
Then, the crew at Bechtold Jewelry decided to take it a step further for this Mother's Day.
'We thought, why don't we use that same design?' James said.
To add to the charms 'charm', James is having his high school apprentices work on the pieces.
'They have it cut out with the laser, but it's not done from there. From there they have to the charms have to be actually refinished and polished a little bit. So they have to take care of that. And they're doing it all,' James said.
Buying a piece of jewelry ahead of Mother's Day, that will in turn support trafficking survivors.
'These are real people, that they're mothers, they're daughters of somebody, they're aunts of somebody that are being trafficked. And so I think this really symbolizes the importance of understanding that we need to come together as a community and really support those that are coming out of trafficking,' Rasmussen said.
'We want to make a difference in this world. And we draw that from our faith, and we actually want to make a difference in other people's lives in the best way that we can. Not every not all of us could do what Becky's doing, but we can do this. This is what we can do. And that's why we're doing it,' James said.
One-hundred percent of the proceeds will go towards supporting people affected by trafficking.
Click here for more information on the Call to Freedom Charm.
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