British Emmy Award-Winning Actress Julia Ormond Will Speak at New Friends New Life’s Annual Luncheon

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In Dallas, fall is essentially synonymous with Luncheon Season. North Texans gather in ballrooms across the city to support their favorite nonprofits, hear from amazing speakers and, of course, enjoy a delicious chocolate mousse or two. 

This year, New Friends New Life (NFNL) expects nearly 700 people to join them on Friday, November 4 at 11:30 am at the Hyatt Regency Dallas to learn more about the crime — and relevance — of human trafficking.

The event is co-chaired by Katherine Wynne, Kristi Sherrill Hoyl, and Melissa Sherrill Martin, with Matrice Ellis-Kirk and Ambassador Ron Kirk serving as Honorary Co-Chairs.

Julia Ormond, a British Emmy® award-winning stage, film, and television actress who has been fighting human trafficking since the 1990s, will also speak at the luncheon.

In addition to starring in Legends of the Fall, Sabrina, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Che, and many other big-screen hits, Julia Ormond is a longtime activist against human trafficking, promoting international awareness in her role as the first and former United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Goodwill Ambassador Against Trafficking and Slavery. Julia Ormond is the founder of the non-profit ASSET Campaign which is the source of the global legislation the Transparency in Supply Chains Law that requires major businesses to publicly disclose their policies to prevent human trafficking and forced labor in product supply chains.

“Our annual luncheon is our biggest and most significant source of funding for the year as we serve more than 350 women and girls,” Bianca Davis, CEO, New Friends New Life says.  “Attendees will walk away from the event feeling very educated, as well as encouraged that there are things we can all do to end trafficking. One person can make a difference — you don’t know what your voice or your eyes can mean to someone trapped in this industry. Through this luncheon, we hope to not only raise funds but raise awareness and education, so others can step in when needed.”

NFNL is a Dallas-based agency that serves women and teen girls who have experienced sex trafficking or sexual exploitation in our community. It restores the paths and futures of these women and girls by providing assistance across the spectrum, from emotional trauma counseling to legal support (70 percent of the women who come to NFNL have criminal records, often from forced prostitution) to reentering the workforce.

Davis became CEO of NFNL in January 2021 and she says that since then, her focus has been on dispelling the myths around trafficking.

“Many people think women enter the sex industry because they made bad choices or just choose a different path,” says Davis. “In reality, it’s not by choice but it’s because of a lack of choices. Our goal is to reintroduce these women into society and show others that these victims don’t look much different than you, your daughter, or your aunt. It’s not happening somewhere else in the world, it’s happening right here in Dallas.”

According to Davis, the pandemic and shutdown only increased trafficking. Although meet-ups weren’t necessarily happening in hotels or public places, online grooming soared. There was a 40 percent increase in online advertisement purchases across the nation. Because of this increase, NFNL has seen an uptick of women and girls come through their doors already this year — a significant increase for the agency.

When it comes to these women and girls seeking assistance from NFNL, Davis says it isn’t necessarily what you would picture from the movies with a white van kidnapping or someone jumping out of the bushes. Rather, many victims are groomed by master manipulator traffickers who look for a crack in the foundation of girls and women (emotional, backgrounds of poverty or financial need, history of childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence, lack of friendships and love) and then seek to fill it — with safety, love, or other support — before turning violent.

“Parents and families need to know that it’s not stranger-danger in most cases, but it’s usually someone the woman thought she knew and loved,” says Davis. “Pay attention to the people in your loved one’s life and gauge their intentions.”

Looking ahead, NFNL is focusing on three big “rocks” as Davis likes to say — or the barriers women are facing as they seek rehabilitation: legal counsel, education, and employment. And NFNL is already well on its way to addressing these issues, with a new full-time, on-site attorney, bringing education on-site for women to complete their degrees, and developing new employment opportunities for women.

“We know that the longer we can hold a woman’s hand, the more successful she’ll be,” says Davis. “New Friends New Life wants to continue to be her safe space for all the things she needs on this journey.”