Hearts of Gratitude

At Freedom we love to celebrate the season of giving thanks. Actually, we love celebrating just about anything. Especially if there is food involved!

Every year we look forward to our traditional Thanksgiving feast prepared for the participants of CATCH. This year we added a second Thanksgiving feast for our beautiful Butterflies (those further along in their journey or no longer in CATCH) and their families. The delicious food is prepared by the loving hands of volunteers and staff, and it’s out of this world!! But the true highlight of both feasts is the time of sharing. Everyone in attendance stands and shares one or two things she/he is grateful for. Here are a few we heard:

I’m thankful for/that …. 
“my sobriety”; “Freedom a la Cart and CATCH Court”; “that I’ve been saved”; “I love myself today”; “my mentor”; “my job”; “this delicious meal and everyone who made it”; “I have a relationship again with my kids”; “the support of my family”; “my new house/apartment”; “my new car and that I don’t have to ride the bus ever again”; “my Freedom Family”; “I’m alive today”; “Judge Herbert saw something in me and accepted me into CATCH Court”; “I was invited to a Butterflies event at a time when I really needed the support in my life;” “I’m going to be starting school at CSCC in January”; “the ladies in the CATCH program bless us (mentors) by allowing us into their lives”; “my mom.”

It was so wonderful to have entire families celebrating together at the Butterflies’ Thanksgiving feast. One of the most memorable moments was when a teenage young man stood up and said:  “I’m thankful for my mom [a survivor] and that my life is really good today. It used to be pretty bad, but it’s a lot better now and keeps getting better. And I  thank my mom for that.”

That’s generational impact. Heartfelt thanks to each of YOU for investing in the lives of human trafficking survivors!

May we all enjoy celebrating the holiday season with an attitude of gratitude.