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Kidnapping survivor shouts on viral Instagram, ‘Stop scrolling!’ as she reveals faces of missing Americans

Source image: https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/kidnapping-survivor-shouts-viral-instagram-stop-scrolling-reveals-faces-missing-americans

“Stop scrolling. I need your help.”

With these six words, Alicia “Kozak” Kozakiewicz is doing everything she can to help those who are missing be found.

Kozak, a motivational speaker and internet safety expert in Raleigh, North Carolina, was 13 years old when she was lured from her Pennsylvania home and kidnapped by an online predator before he transferred her to Virginia, Kozak told Fox News Digital.

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Kozak, 35, credits her “miraculous” rescue to the work of her missing person poster that at the time was seen across the U.S.

“I want to help share that miracle with others and give others the chance of that miracle,” Kozak shared.

Alicia Kozak missing poster

Kozak was just 13 years old when she went missing from her Pennsylvania home before she was found with the help of her missing person poster (shown here). (The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)

Kozak uses her online platform to share the posters of missing individuals who may not be getting as much news coverage as other cases.

“Every missing person deserves media attention,” said Kozak. “Unfortunately, sometimes that isn’t feasible and the stories that are told are likely to be limited.”

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“Through the ‘Stop scrolling!’ videos, we’re able to give the missing person a greater chance of being seen and recovered,” she added. 

“You never know who’s going to have that one right tip.”

Alicia Kozak stop scrolling

In honor of Missing and Unidentified Persons Awareness Month in May, Alicia Kozak shared 30 missing persons posters in the hope that more people would see the posters. (@itsaliciakozak)

In 2002, Kozak was raped and beaten before FBI agents stormed the property where she was held captive on Jan. 4 – four days after she was declared missing. 

Her attacker, whose name she will not mention, reportedly served at least 17 years before violating the terms of his parole, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

The man is no longer in prison, Kozak said.

Since she was set free, Kozak uses her experience to try and help save the lives of others. 

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In May, which was Missing and Unidentified Persons Awareness Month, Kozak — with the help of her boyfriend Eric Lind — used her platform to launch a “Missing Persons Challenge.”

Each day, Kozak was uploading new videos of missing persons to her Instagram and TikTok, where she has a combined 265,000 followers. She encouraged users to circulate the missing persons’ posters in the hopes of bringing them home.

Kozak said that thanks to social media, users have the power to share these posters with millions of other people across the globe “in seconds.”

“I was one of the lucky ones, but we don’t have to leave it to luck.”

— Alicia Kozak

In the comments section of Kozak’s poster videos, people are trying to ignite conversations about her posts, even sharing their favorite colors or their pets’ names. They’re doing anything they can to increase viewers and the number of shares.

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“It’s about engagement. People want to help that video be seen by others,” Kozak said.

Kozak has spoken with family members of those she’s highlighted over the past month, and some have reached out to her asking to make a video of their loved one who is missing.

“One of the most important things is hope — and what I really wish is that these posters provide that hope and that support to that family who has maybe been working to get that story out there, and they feel helpless,” said Kozak. 

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“It is one of the most helpless situations to have somebody be missing,” she continued. 

“You don’t know where to go, you don’t know where to turn and often the media doesn’t listen.”

Alicia Kozak with boyfriend

With the help of boyfriend Eric Lind, Kozak has been sharing videos on Instagram and TikTok and including different posters of missing people. (Alicia Kozak)

When it comes to missing persons, people may make assumptions as to why a person is missing and end up believing that “they are somehow less worthy of being found,” Kozak said.

“Every missing person deserves to be found,” she added. 

“It doesn’t matter what their background is [or] what they’ve been struggling with. If anything, it’s more of a reason to be concerned.”

Kozak recently shared the poster of a missing person who was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, Kevin Eby — and interviewed his wife and son on her YouTube channel.

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In the video, she asked the family what people can do to help find Eby and what they should be looking for, in his case.

Since Kozak first shared Eby’s poster and spoke with his family, Eby was found — but not alive.

missing persons videos

For the month of May, Kazak highlighted missing persons by sharing their missing persons’ poster. Kozak said she’d like to continue the efforts in featuring the faces of missing kids and adults whose cases may not be receiving as much media attention as others. (@itsaliciakozak)

“I always celebrate [the stories of] the one’s that are brought home safely. I take a moment and just feel that joy,” Kozak said.

“And when somebody is found deceased, I take a moment of silence,” she added.

While Kozak may never have met those who were missing, she does feel impacted by their stories after communicating with their families, she said.

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“It can be really heavy … but that’s part of being an advocate,” she noted.

message from missing persons family

Kozak received a text from the parent of one of the individuals’ photos she shared earlier this month who was found deceased. She shared the text with Fox News Digital. (Alicia Kozak)

Kozak said that while not all stories have a happy ending, families just want an answer, or at least hope.

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“What kept me going was that I knew my family loved me and I knew they were looking for me,” Kozak shared.

She went on, “I knew they were going to do anything and everything to find me and I held onto that hope and I held onto that love — and that’s what got me through it.”

“Somebody somewhere was the last person to see the missing person. Somebody somewhere has the answers, and we can bring those answers to light.”

— Alicia Kozak

Hope prevailed as Kozak was brought out of her nightmare and reunited with her family.

“It wasn’t until my dad hugged me that I knew I was saved and nothing and no one would hurt me again,” Kozak stated.

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Kozak remembers her dad saying, “If we could duplicate that hug all over the world there would be no more wars.”

Alicia Kozak

Kozak hugged her father after she was reunited with her family — and she remembers her day saying, “If we could duplicate that hug all over the world there would be no more wars.” Here, Kozak is photographed with her parents, Mary and Charles Kozakiewicz, after FBI agents rescued her from her captor. (Alicia Kozak)

Kozak said, “That hug was so powerful. It was safety, it was security, it was a miracle.” 

Kozak started sharing her when she was just 14 years old – one year after being rescued. She said it’s been her purpose as she was “given a second chance at life.”

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“If my poster was not out there I do not believe that I would be here today,” she added.

kozak speaking at event

Kozak has been an advocate for missing persons since she was 14 years old. She speaks across the country and works alongside organizations such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. (Alicia Kozak)

Kozak has testified before Congress in hopes of passing “Alicia’s Law,” which provides “a dedicated steady stream of state-specific funding to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces,” according to her website. 

Alicia’s Law has been passed in at least 11 states.

She also founded the “The Alicia Project” as a way to promote “internet and child safety awareness, advocate for missing and recovered persons and battles against child sexual exploitation and human trafficking.”

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Kozak has worked alongside the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), but she credits her boyfriend, Lind, for his help on the “Missing Persons Challenge.”

“He has helped me with this more than I could have ever asked,” Kozak said.

“I find it beautiful how the people commenting connect over shared hope. Hope is powerful when magnified.”

— Alicia Kozak

Lind has been the editor on Kozak’s TikTok videos and Instagram Reels – making them extra engaging for audiences.

Many of their videos have been seen by hundreds of thousands of people with the goal of tracking down the missing.

“I find it beautiful how the people commenting connect over shared hope,” Kozak said. “Hope is powerful when magnified.”

Alicia Kozak

Kozak believes there is a direct correlation between the amount of missing persons recovered and their very public poster. (Alicia Kozak)

Fox News Digital was unable to track down up-to-date statistics on the success rates of missing person posters being the key to tracking down missing or unidentified people, though Kozak said she feels the visual is effective in many ways.

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“I do believe that there has been a direct correlation between these videos and several of these missing people returned home,” Kozak commented.

message from parent

“I do believe that there has been a direct correlation between these videos and several of these missing people returned home,” Kozak commented. Here, a parent thanks Kozak in a private message for bringing attention to their missing loved one’s case. (Alicia Kozak)

Kozak’s advice is for everyone to have a decent photo of a loved one handy.

“Please make sure that you have a clear current photo and that’s not to say something bad is going to happen to you family member or that they will go missing, but it’s really good to be prepared so you can put the best information out there,” Kozak explained.

It is estimated 460,000 children are reported missing each year.

— National Crime Information Center

Missing person posters have been circulating since the National Child Safety Council initiated the “Missing Children Milk Carton Program” in December 1984.

The Library of Congress considers Etan Patz to be the “first missing child on a milk carton.”

As technology improved, posters are now more visible outside of milk cartons, police stations or storefront windows.

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In 2015, the National Crime Information Center, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, estimated around 460,000 children are reported missing each year.

Alicia Kozak split

Kozak will continue to make more videos in hopes of recovering more individuals and reuniting them with their families, she said. (Alicia Kozak)

Kozak realizes she cannot help find every single child or individual who goes missing, but she’s determined to try.

“Somebody somewhere was the last person to see the missing person,” she said. “Somebody somewhere has the answers, and we can bring those answers to light.”

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“I was one of the lucky ones, but we don’t have to leave it to luck. We can all take action and help.”

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/kidnapping-survivor-shouts-viral-instagram-stop-scrolling-reveals-faces-missing-americans

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Sunday brunch frittata featuring garden-fresh vegetables: Try it this weekend for family and friends

For many American families, the arrival of Sunday is the time to slow down a bit, attend church services, catch a sporting event, work around the house or visit with family and friends. 

Another quintessential part of the day for millions of people is enjoying Sunday brunch

If you’re looking to create a budget-friendly Sunday brunch dish with a bit of flair for your family and friends, a chef based in Philadelphia shared his choice pick that you can make at home. 

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Use this shopping list and step-by-step guidance to whip up a tasty homemade Sunday brunch dish without much fuss or muss.

Let’s dig right in!

‘Everything but the Kitchen Sink’ Frittata by Thomas Harkins of Bank & Bourbon, Loews Philadelphia Hotel

If you have leftovers you’re looking to repurpose, this Sunday egg-based dish could be a winner. 

Thomas Harkins, executive chef, Bank & Bourbon — located in the Loews Philadelphia Hotel in Philadelphia — recommended making his “Everything but the Kitchen Sink Frittata.” 

eggs cracked into bowl

You’ll need 12 whole large eggs for this Sunday brunch recipe from Thomas Harkins. To start, whip the eggs in a bowl and set them aside.  (iStock)

He told Fox News Digital that he loves making this on Sundays using leftovers from the night before — and anything from his garden that he has on hand at the time.

Ingredients

12 whole large eggs

2 tablespoons butter

Corn shucked

Tomatoes, medium-diced

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Green beans chopped

Green bell peppers medium-diced

¼ cup salsa, store-bought

Leftover protein, usually steak or chicken or salmon, medium-diced

¼ cup cheese (the chef usually has goat cheese or cheddar cheese on hand)

Different kinds of peppers

This Sunday brunch recipe calls for green bell peppers — as well as other healthy vegetables and ingredients.  (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Directions

In a 10-inch nonstick pan on medium flame, add butter until it melts and coat the pan.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Whip eggs in bowl and set aside.

Add all of the vegetables and the pick of proteins that you have on hand and want to use.

Cook until hot on the stovetop all the way through. 

Add beaten eggs. 

Stir in with mixture to incorporate. 

chef Thomas Harkins

Thomas Harkins is executive chef of Bank & Bourbon at Loews Philadelphia Hotel. The historic hotel is across from the Pennsylvania Convention Center and located in the heart of Center City, within walking distance of the Reading Terminal Market, Independence Hall, Philadelphia Museum of Art and Barnes Foundation, among other popular attractions.  (Loews Philadelphia Hotel)

Place in oven and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until eggs set. 

Add cheese on top and melt. 

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Take out and gently place a 12-inch plate on top and invert it to get the frittata on the plate. 

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Top with your favorite salsa — and cut into 8 pie-shape pieces. 

Enjoy!

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.

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Underage drinking dangers: These are the states with the highest rates of teen alcohol use, study finds

A new study done by addiction recovery resource Addiction Treatment Magazine has revealed the states that have the highest and lowest prevalence of underage drinking.

Researchers looked at the number of young people between the ages of 12 and 20 who had consumed an alcoholic drink within the last month and had participated in binge-drinking, which is classified as consuming four or more drinks in one sitting, according to a press release on the publication’s website.

The data was drawn from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) based on the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

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The study determined that the state of Vermont has the highest prevalence of drinkers between the ages of 12 and 20 in the U.S., according to the release.

Nearly 25% of minors in the state had consumed alcohol, and more than 14% had participated in binge-drinking. 

Teens drinking

A new study has revealed the states in the nation that have the highest and lowest prevalence of underage drinking. (iStock)

Other states with high rates include Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.  

In Rhode Island, nearly 22% of young people between the ages 12 and 20 consume alcohol monthly, and 12% of minors consume four or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting, the study found.

In New Hampshire, 20.6% of people between the ages 12 and 20 had consumed alcohol in the last month. 

The share was 20.4% for Massachusetts. 

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Rounding out the top 10 are the states of Oregon, Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado, Maine and North Dakota.

At the other end of the spectrum, Mississippi has the lowest prevalence of underage drinking, with only 9.7% of underage people consuming alcohol. 

It also has the lowest binge-drinking rate, at only 5.4%, according to the study. 

College drinking

One possible reason that Vermont has topped the list is that it is a rural state with many colleges and universities — the highest number per capita of any state — said a clinical director of addiction services.  (iStock)

Utah is the second-lowest, at 11% for alcohol consumption and 6.8% for binge-drinking among the underage population. 

Coming in at third lowest is North Carolina, where 11.3% of underage people consumed alcohol in the last month.

Alabama is also on the lower end at 12%, followed by Arkansas at 12.3%.

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Rounding out the lower 10 are Indiana, Georgia, Idaho, Tennessee and Texas. 

“It’s no secret that underage drinking is a major concern in the United States, as it can pose several significant risks to the well-being of young people, including health risks, impaired judgment and the risk of dependency and addiction,” said a spokesperson for Addiction Treatment Magazine in the release.

Teens drinking

Overall, the findings indicate that the use of alcohol in young people continues to be a concern, said Tuell of the Lindner Center of HOPE in Ohio. (iStock)

“These findings provide an intriguing insight into where underage drinking is the most prominent throughout the country, with Vermont coming out on top. While progress has been made in reducing underage drinking rates, it is still a matter of concern, and ongoing efforts are necessary to address this issue and protect the health and safety of young people,” the spokesperson continued.

Dr. Chris Tuell, clinical director of addiction services for the Lindner Center of HOPE in Ohio, was not involved in the study, but said he wasn’t surprised by the findings.

“A parent’s position on underage drinking is paramount and is one of the strongest protective factors against underage drinking.”

“The Northeast has had a history of higher rates of underage drinking for the past 20 years,” he told Fox News Digital in an interview. “There continues to be no definitive reason why these rates are the way they are.”

One possible reason for Vermont’s topping the list, he said, is that it is a rural state with many colleges and universities — the highest number per capita of any state.

young people drinking beer outside

“The research is crystal-clear that early alcohol use before the age of 15 raises the risk of lifelong problems of addiction and alcoholism,” warned Dr. Chris Tuell, clinical director of addiction services for the Lindner Center of HOPE in Ohio.  (iStock)

Overall, the findings indicate that the use of alcohol in young people continues to be a concern, Tuell said.

“The research is crystal-clear that early alcohol use before the age of 15 raises the risk of lifelong problems of addiction and alcoholism,” he warned. 

“Early alcohol use — drinking at age 14 or earlier — [means a] 7 times greater risk for developing an alcohol problem than someone who begins drinking at age 21.” 

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Other possible reasons for the high rates in some states may be related to how the packaging of alcohol is geared toward youth, such as flavored drinks, and the association of alcohol use with sporting events, the expert noted.

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“This promotes alcohol use in young people as a necessary part of having fun,” Tuell said.

“A parent’s position on underage drinking is paramount and is one of the strongest protective factors against underage drinking,” he also said.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

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Coffee quiz! How much do you know about the can’t-live-without-it drink?

National Coffee Day is September 29 — and millions of people have recognized the special occasion. 

But no matter what day it is or what season of the year, how well do you know the popular drink that many people consume all year long? 

Test your knowledge in this fun and engaging lifestyle quiz all about coffee!

Mobile app users: Click here to play the quiz!

Have you taken our fall quiz yet? Click here to play it!

To take even more quizzes from Fox News Digital, click on this link.

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