Restoring Survivors of Human Trafficking
Freedom a la Cart
Survivors of human trafficking need to learn nutrition management and job skills.
Raised on beef jerky and orange pop, on crack and heroin, survivors of human trafficking have never experienced three meals a day, a family dinner, education on the four food groups, knowledge about locally grown and organic foods, let alone exercise or tobacco-free living. Freedom a la Cart and doma International are teaching women with the worst health problems in the world – HIV, TBI, Hepatitis - how to garden and to shop and cook responsibly and healthfully. Our team of survivors is now gardening, eating whole grains and vegetables, and forming new, healthy dietary habits to replace those that formerly consisted entirely of fast food and other junk foods. Hummus, for example, is a whole new world to them… and they love it! Even drinking purified water is something their unaccustomed to. With our assistance, survivors now eat to feel good and properly nourished, not just to stave off hunger. Tobacco is not permitted, and they are swimming, exercising, and walking everywhere!
Now, Freedom a la Cart and doma International are ready to take this nutritious journey a further step with its team of survivors. We’ve launched a mobile food cart called Freedom a la Cart: a social enterprise in which the women learn to cultivate relationships with local farmers and to cook, eat, and sell healthy foods. We have a team trained and ready to go, and we’ve already enjoyed a number of successful public showings. The women are learning to prepare, cook, and serve delicious, nutritious food to eager customers. There is a growing ‘buzz’ about Freedom a la Cart, with write-ups appearing in two local papers, three respected blogs with high viewership, and a public Facebook page with a strong following! Our menu items are made from locally grown, organic food that’s donated by local organizations and community gardens we’ve partnered with. We continue to grow our network of partners in Columbus, which currently includes the Franklin County Municipal Court, Columbus Police Department, three women’s recovery centers, The Ohio State University, and the local human trafficking task force!
Freedom a la Cart operates within access to downtown businesses and within a 3-mile radius of where our team of survivors used to “work.” Armed with our competitively priced, delicious food coupled with the opportunity to educate through the cart and our survivors, we know that current prostitutes, dope boys, and other members in surrounding communities will CATCH on to the buzz.
We are committed to helping women in Franklin County who are victims of human trafficking. Through our guidance and support, we will help reduce chronic disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and visits to medical professionals within this exploited population. Furthermore, as these ladies become educated and begin working for this social enterprise, they will become the nutrition experts we send back into the community to educate their families, friends, community centers, schools, and even street prostitutes about their own personal success stories.
Follow Freedom a la Cart on Twitter and Facebook, and request us to cater or show up to your next event! Catering Options
doma International and Freedom a la Cart are proud partners of the Women's Fund of Central Ohio. We are grateful for the generosity and support of the WFCO.
