CLEVELAND

A New Chapter, Rooted in Community

Cleveland has always been a city of grit, reinvention, and community. In February 2026, Freedom a la Cart began a new chapter here, launching long-term supportive services for survivors of human trafficking across Northeast Ohio.

Why Cleveland Needs Long-Term Support

In Ohio alone, nearly 29,000 people are trafficked each year. Cleveland is home to remarkable organizations providing crisis intervention, treatment, and short-term recovery. But when that emergency care ends, survivors are often left asking: what’s next?

Trauma doesn’t end with the crisis. Complex barriers, from housing to employment to health, continue long after short-term programs end. Without ongoing support, community connection, and easy access to resources, survivors often find themselves struggling to obtain and keep a job, secure stable housing, and remain sober. That’s the gap Freedom a la Cart was built to fill.

Our Cleveland Commitment

For 15 years in Columbus, we have walked alongside survivors as they rebuild their lives, not with cookie-cutter programs, but with real opportunities shaped by listening to their voices. In Cleveland, we bring the same proven model: long-term, trauma-informed wraparound support that meets each survivor exactly where she is. Our approach spans five key areas of independence: work, money, housing, relationships, and health.

At the heart of this model is our Butterfly Community, a survivor-centered network offering lifetime access to wraparound care, community connection, and long-term support for survivors rebuilding lives rooted in dignity and freedom. Together, Butterflies support one another as they move steadily toward lasting independence.

How We Show Up for Survivors

  • Trauma-informed support groups
  • One-on-one, survivor-led case and resource management
  • Community outings and peer connection
  • Legal referrals and expungement support
  • Resume building and workforce development skills
  • Budgeting support and financial assistance
  • Housing referrals and stabilization support
  • Referrals to trauma therapy
  • Parenting class partnerships
  • Tattoo removal or cover-ups for branding
  • Advocacy and individualized, trauma-informed care

The Impact We’re Building On

85%

of survivors served have increased their earning power

74%

live in stable and independent housing

74%

have made progress toward a personal or professional goal

333

survivors were active in the Butterfly Community in 2025

We are bringing that same commitment to Cleveland.

Looking Ahead

Cleveland’s chapter is just beginning. In the years ahead, we will expand our workforce development social enterprise into Northeast Ohio, creating paid job training pathways and deepening the community-based support that makes our model work. We are actively building relationships with Cleveland partners, employers, funders, and community champions to shape what that looks like locally.

Together, we can write Cleveland’s next chapter of strength, healing, and freedom.

Get Involved

Reach out: info@freedomalacart.org

Support our work by clicking here.

Stay connected: follow @freedomalacart and visit freedomalacart.org.