From a humble food cart to an innovative survivor resource center - “The Freedom Loft,” what began as just one food cart has grown into an expansive box lunch and drop-off catering company, fast-casual cafe + bakery, and groundbreaking survivor resource center.
The nonprofit’s new physical location in Downtown Columbus brings its mission closer to those it serves. 123 E. Spring St., a two-story building with offices on the top floor and a restaurant on the ground, will serve as its new headquarters.
Mission
Freedom a la Cart’s primary mission is to empower survivors of human trafficking through job training, employment opportunities and supportive services that allow victims to create a life of independence, self-sufficiency and hope.
Freedom a la Cart’s catering social enterprise, founded in 2011, serves as an important vehicle to provide practical job skills and teach self-sufficiency to survivors of sexual trafficking in Central Ohio. They believe that empowering women by teaching them practical job skills and encouraging them to develop strong work ethics is the most effective way to create a pathway toward freedom.
Survivors gain practical job skills and career development through the food industry in a safe, trauma-free space. These abilities are essential in creating an economic path towards independence for survivors and their children.
Freedom a la Cart also operates a box lunch and catering business in addition to their cafe. These businesses are run by women who were victims of sex trafficking, providing the organization with invaluable sources of income.
Another way Freedom a la Cart empowers sex trafficking survivors is through CATCH Court, a special docket for women who have been victims of human trafficking and are in the criminal justice system. Established by Franklin County Municipal Judge Paul Herbert in 2006, CATCH Court has become an invaluable partner of Freedom a la Cart.
The court program offers women a two-year probationary period during which they must follow a treatment plan that includes drug screenings, counseling and residential programs. Additionally, they are assigned a mentor who offers guidance and support throughout their time in CATCH.
Mentorship is essential for survivor success, and Freedom a la Cart provides its mentors with new participants in the program. These individuals offer unconditional love and friendship, teach new social norms, and serve as a support system.
As a mentor for Freedom a la Cart, volunteers must commit to spending at least two hours per week mentoring others. Furthermore, they should attend mentor training and obtain a background check.
Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-informed care aims to give medical professionals the tools to comprehend better and treat patients who have endured trauma. This can ensure that those affected by trauma receive the support they need in a healthcare setting, while nurses and doctors also use trauma-informed techniques to avoid re-traumatization during the course of treatment.
Traumatic events are unfortunately common in adult life and can impact an individual’s health and wellbeing. They may lead to depression, anxiety or addiction if left untreated; even children may be affected negatively by such traumas if left untreated.
Many individuals with histories of trauma experience symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, such as flashbacks and intrusive thoughts. These effects can significantly diminish quality of life and make it difficult for them to trust others or access professional help when needed.
Therefore, healthcare organizations must provide trauma-informed care training for their staff members. This includes nurses, receptionists, security guards and other employees who deal with patients.
Human trafficking survivors often endure a complex history of abuse and trauma that leaves them vulnerable to emotional, psychological and physical abuse. This increases their likelihood of developing complex PTSD or trauma-coerced attachment, which could make recovering from their trafficking experience more challenging.
In addition to preventing re-traumatization, trauma-informed care also lessens the likelihood that clients will be exposed to practices and services which trigger or echo their past experiences with trauma. These could include taste, smell, lighting or even the physical environment in which a client works, receives services or spends time.
Trauma-informed care aims to create an atmosphere in which victims feel secure and comfortable enough to communicate effectively with their healthcare team, making the medical treatment process smoother and preventing long-term health goals from being achieved.
Trauma-informed care is at the core of Freedom a la Cart’s approach to breaking the cycle of human trafficking. After meeting while working at CATCH Court, founders Hannah and Mandi realized they needed to find ways to do this work differently to have an even greater impact on those affected by human trafficking.
Impact on Local Economies and Workforce Development
Freedom a La Cart is a social enterprise that offers paid workforce training and wraparound services to assist survivors with their recovery journey. They help their clients build confidence, self-fulfillment and practical skills for reentering the workplace. Furthermore, they provide financial literacy, savings match incentives and housing assistance as an incentive to empower women in building strong financial futures for themselves and their family members.
Their success in this area can be attributed to their commitment to empowering survivors and promoting good health and well-being for employees. Furthermore, they demonstrate a desire to assist their community by working closely with the justice system.
They have provided 59 survivors with paid workforce development, with 24 of those individuals moving on to full-time employment within their company. Furthermore, they offer their clients a wide range of wraparound services designed to support recovery from trauma including trauma counseling, life skills training, case management, employment coaching and more.
Offering these services is essential in combatting the root causes of human trafficking. They offer an opportunity to break the cycle of exploitation that pervades our society, as well as providing a localized solution.
Individual or group therapy services can be provided. They must be conducted appropriately and respectfully to raise awareness around human trafficking and its devastating impact on survivors worldwide (Gong, 2015). Furthermore, such efforts serve as a great opportunity to reframe how people think about human trafficking as an issue that needs serious attention (Lancaster et al., 2015).
Education on human trafficking is an integral component of combatting this issue. This can be accomplished in various ways, including direct interaction with Survivors. Such engagements are highly effective and provide a more intimate emotional impact than larger public speaking events might provide.
In Conclusion
Overall, Freedom a la Cart is significantly impacting the lives of survivors of human trafficking by providing them with practical job skills, mentorship, and trauma-informed care. By breaking the cycle of exploitation and helping survivors build long-term independence, the organization empowers these individuals to create a life of hope and self-sufficiency. Freedom a la Cart’s success in workforce development and wraparound services serves as a localized solution to combat the root causes of human trafficking while positively impacting local economies.
Through their commitment to empowering survivors and promoting good health and well-being for employees, Freedom a la Cart offers an inspiring example of how social enterprises can be used to address societal issues. By creating a safe space free from trauma and providing survivors with the tools they need to succeed, Freedom a la Cart is making a tangible difference in the lives of those affected by human trafficking. Ultimately, their work serves as a reminder of the power of community-driven solutions and the importance of supporting survivors on their journey toward healing and independence.
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