Ben was familiar with the issue of human trafficking—he had heard about people being tricked and sold into slavery—but it wasn’t until he had the opportunity to visit Nepal, and hear from survivors who had been rescued from trafficking that the issue became unignorable to him. He said his eyes were opened, and he needed to be a part of supporting trafficking prevention work.

Ben has been a member of The Refuge, Ally’s monthly giving community, since 2019. Our staff recently had the chance to sit down with Ben, and hear about his passion for giving, and supporting Ally’s work.

To Ben, “giving and receiving love is the foundation of life.”

Becoming a monthly donor was an easy step for him to take. Even giving $20 a month, is “nothing compared to the life that you can change. And you change that life forever. Why wouldn’t I want to be part of that? That’s an honour. That’s a privilege. I’m glad to be part of The Refuge and I will never change until I die.”

As a passionate supporter of Ally, Ben often invites others to join him in The Refuge. Sometimes he hears, “Well, I just have enough. I don’t have any spare money.” But his encouragement is always that “the dollar amount does not determine who you are. The giving, the generosity, the caring, the compassion determines who you are.”

He encourages anyone hesitant to give monthly to start small. “If you can spare $5, $10, $15—maybe 1, 2, 3 cups of Starbucks coffee,” it can make a difference.

Ben says, “Teamwork is the key to success. You cannot do anything by yourself. You might have some strength that I don’t, but I might have some strength that you don’t. When we collaborate, when we work together, that’s when we can build something so strong, you cannot break it.”

Although Ben would love for everyone to join The Refuge, he’s clear to say, “Don’t do it because somebody told you to. You have to have love and compassion.” And if committing to giving for multiple years feels daunting, Ben says he encourages people “that if you can commit for one year or for a few months—or even one donation, one-time, be part of it. Because you will change so many lives and it ripples.”