Freedom a la Cart
Freedom a la Cart empowers survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation to build lives of freedom and self-sufficiency.
Impact Area: End Human Trafficking
B2B: Yes
B2C: Yes
Tax Deductible: Yes
We believe that women who’ve been exploited through the commercial sex industry should be empowered to gain freedom through personal and economic independence. So we’ve created a safe place of restoration where survivors can heal, learn and grow as they prepare for sustainable employment and reintegrate into our community.
What began as a single food cart to help survivors overcome barriers to employment has evolved into a bustling box lunch and drop-off catering company, a fast-casual café + bakery, and a first-of-its-kind survivor resource center -- “The Freedom Loft.” The new Freedom a la Cart Café + Bakery brings fresh, from scratch pastries + breakfast + lunch + locally roasted coffee to downtown Columbus. Dine-in, patio seating, takeout and downtown delivery is available.
Each purchase from Freedom a la Cart provides paid workforce training and wraparound services like trauma counseling, financial literacy, savings match incentives and housing assistance to local survivors of sex trafficking. Our results are self-sufficient women who are earning their first paycheck, opening checking & savings accounts, getting their driver’s license, buying a car, moving into their own apartments, going to college and regaining custody of their children.
With an overall commitment to healing, stability, empowerment and self-sufficiency, Freedom a la Cart provides supportive services to over 400 unduplicated survivors each year. Over the past five years, 80 survivors have received 86,000 hours of paid workforce development training, of which 83% have NOT received any new criminal charges.
