International Justice Mission (IJM) is a global organization that partners with local justice systems around the world to build safe communities that protect at-risk individuals from violence. ACU’s IJM Chapter spreads the message of IJM to the student body through chapels, volunteering, and fundraising. 

“I got into it because of the Christian aspect,” IJM president Jessica Edo said. “I feel like God calls us to be people who love others who might not have the same opportunities and positions as we do.”

Edo is a senior from Dallas, Texas, majoring in Biochemistry. Her parents are Nigerian, so she has learned from their experiences how prevalent human trafficking is in African countries. 

“So just understanding the implications of that, I wanted to bring justice to people going through it,” Edo said. 

Ashley Burpee, a senior middle school education major from Keller, Texas, is in charge of preparing the messages for IJM chapels. She got plugged into IJM her freshman year and has been an officer since her sophomore year. 

“You don’t need to be a specific major that’s designated to human trafficking or trying to fight human trafficking, or just any kind of social justice in general,” Burpee said. “You can be any kind of major, and you can be in any career path and you can still bring justice to everybody.”

In chapel, Burpee strives to give a biblical view of justice and discusses how students can bring justice into their personal lives.

Towards the end of March, IJM ran a pop-up thrift shop called Freedom Threads, which has been going on for several years. People donated clothes, which were then sold in the campus center. The funds raised were donated to IJM’s main chapter.

To end the semester, IJM is hosting a panel event with representatives from the Abilene Police Department and the criminal justice department. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn information about human trafficking in the Abilene and Dallas areas.