The last year has been one of both transition and transformation for Breaking Free. With help from generous donors like you, we have supported 308 people as they establish stability and gain renewed hope for their future. We have also started the bittersweet process of finding a new space and saying goodbye to University Avenue after more than two decades. This decision was made with insight from our Board, community, and people we serve and is part of our shift to a more responsive program model - connecting with people where they are, with the help they want.
What is unchanged is our commitment to remaining an essential resource for survivors of trafficking in our community. The crucial role Breaking Free plays is best illustrated in the words of survivors like Flora, our Community Outreach & Engagement Administrator and former client:
I want to share with you a deeply personal journey from the depths of darkness to a life of purpose and hope. In my early years, I faced unimaginable challenges and at the age of 14, I was thrust into the horrors of human trafficking, robbed of my innocence and forced to navigate a world of unspeakable abuse and exploitation.
I was 18 when I first crossed paths with Breaking Free and it was a ray of hope that pierced the darkness engulfing my life. They introduced me to a supportive community and planted seeds of hope within me. However I wasn’t quite ready to water those seeds and again found myself caught in a vicious cycle of abuse, homelessness, and trauma where the prospect of a better life felt like an impossible dream.
Everything changed when I was given another chance, and this time a child was involved. I knew I had to fight for my own freedom and break the generational curses and traumas that had plagued my family. Breaking Free became the cornerstone of hope and freedom for me. They provided me with supportive housing, comprehensive programming, and unwavering advocacy and I started to see those seeds of hope flourish. Breaking Free gave me a chance to heal and ignited a fire within me to break the cycle of abuse and empower others to find their own freedom.
Our community needs Breaking Free! No other organization can reach the people we do or provide the compassion, care, and understanding that comes with shared lived experiences. We hope you will donate today and help us ensure that people experiencing trafficking will continue to receive the support they need to find hope and freedom.
Warmly,
Lori Quist
Executive Director
