WTI Magazine #33    2014 June, 4
Author : National Center for Missing & Exploited Children      Translation by:

Ahhh "Italia" ... when Americans think of Italy our hearts warm with thoughts of picturesque landscapes, rolling hills, tantalizing food and wine, rich history and culture, and of course feelings of abundant love and joy. Certain areas of the United States embrace the rich culture of Italia on the local level such as "Little Italy" in metro New York City and of course in Upstate New York, the Greater Rochester Region is well known for its rich Italian heritage.

Rochester has one of the highest populations of Americans with Italian heritage in the United States and enjoys a frequent and rich cultural exchange between the region and Italia as a whole. Many of our residents prioritize visits to their homeland as a way to reconnect with their Italian heritage and also as a way to bring the culture of Italia back to their homes and communities within the U.S.

New York is home to many international corporations including Kodak, Xerox, Bausch and Lomb, and Constellation Brands. It is also home to wonderful non-profit organizations that provide great support and assistance to its citizens nationwide and internationally for a wide number of critical issues including health, wellness and the prevention of victimization to adults and children. One of the most notable non-profit organizations in the United States is the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children works to help prevent child abduction and exploitation; helps find missing children; and assists victims of child abduction, their families, and the professionals who serve them.

The numbers are staggering:

• Every day in the United States alone, 2,200 children are reported missing.
• NCMEC has received over 2.5 million reports of online child pornography and has reviewed 108 million photos and video of child sexual abuse from around the world
• 1 in 7 children ages 10-17 are sexually solicited online.
• 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys will be sexually victimized before age 18
• Child Sex Trafficking and International Child Sex Tourism is at epidemic proportions
• NCMEC operates the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC)

These are worldwide problems that affect children and families of every country and culture. Through NCMEC and our sister organization the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children ( ICMEC) we are able to partner with 118 countries worldwide and the International Police (InterPol) to protect children and rescue them from sexual abuse, commercial sexual exploitaion and child pornography. We also work diligently to stop worldwide child sex trafficking and child sex tourism. By supporting and helping NCMEC you empower us to help make your children safer. 

Our History
The tragic abduction and murder of 6-year-old Adam Walsh in 1981 brought national attention to the issues faced by the families of missing children each year. Local business and community leaders responded by forming the Adam Walsh Child Resource Centers in 1984 in the states of Florida and New York. The Adam Walsh Child Resource Centers merged with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in 1990 to become the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children/Regional Offices.

As an organization, we have been well known for our work in finding missing children for 30 years both nationally and internationally, however we are less well known for the amazing accomplishments we have enjoyed through our CYBERTIPLINE and Child Victim Identification Programs (CVIP), which work to rid the internet of predators and which seek to save children from the horrors of sexual exploitation and child pornography. It is through these state of the art programs and our grass roots abduction and sexual exploitation prevention education programs that we have the best chance to truly protect children and create a safer world for our future.

We offer:
• Child Safety and Prevention Education
• Missing Children's Case Assistance to Law Enforcement
• Targeted Poster Distribution Nationally and Internationally
• Child Victim Identification Program services
• Law Enforcement Technical Assistance Services & Training
• Child Sex Trafficking Training and Assistance

NCMEC functions with the support of privately raised funds, enabling us to offer our complete and wide array of services at no charge. We support these services through multiple signature special events taking place in different cities across the United States. Our longest running and largest event is our Annual Dinner Gala Auction taking place in Rochester New York known this year as "Dish it Out: A Tour of the World Celebrity Chef Competition"

We will host this huge gala on Saturday November 8th 2014 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center and will feature hundreds of silent auction items, 20 unique and intriguing live auction items, world class cuisine from a variety of different cultures and of course Italia will be represented in food, music and wine. In addition, we want to feature a special trip to Italia as a signature Live Auction item this year and we are confident it will be a huge hit as our affluent Italian American community will be excited for such a special opportunity.

To learn more about the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children please visit www.missingkids.com and to learn more about our amazing Dish it Out gala please visit www.dishitout.org. Come join us for a special night of world class cuisine and help to protect children across the world as we celebrate the rich culture and food of Italia.

Ciao !!!!!