Garth Neufeld is recognized with this APA Citizen Psychology Presidential Citation for a Community College Teacher Affiliate for his leadership in social justice and human rights by providing at-risk children with the tools to avoid a life of extreme poverty and work within the sex trade in Thailand.
Neufeld and his wife, co-founded Shared Space For All (SSFA) in 2016. SSFA is a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO), located in Thailand, designed to meet the educational needs of at-risk children. In Thailand, sex tourism thrives and sex work discriminates. Girls from poor families are at risk of dropping out of school to help with family finances. SSFA aims to stop sex work before it begins by providing a safe educational and mentoring space.
SSFA exists to provide education to those who live in Isaan, Thailand, regardless of gender, age or class. They gifted a shared-space facility to the community in order to provide education and opportunity that would not otherwise be available to children in Isaan. SSFA invests in education by providing a physical space for children to learn, and qualified teachers to teach and mentor.
SSFA has served 160 children since its inception, through an after-school tutoring and mentoring program. The program runs five days a week and serves children ages 6-18. SSFA is guided and led by a Thai team. SSFA continues to grow its vision for prevention work in Isaan, with plans to support children who complete high school by offering university scholarships, vocational training, and micro-financing. In this way, children from Isaan will be equipped to take care of their families without putting themselves at risk.
Neufeld is the president of the Board of Directors for SSFA and oversees the work with its domestic and international operations.His efforts involve everything from fundraising to public speaking, to working with individual and organizational partners such as lawyers, accountants, graphic designers, non-profit organizations, NGOs and school districts.