Freekind

Thank you to Tori J Jones, Community Engagement Manager at Freekind, for your presentation on "Human Trafficking" at last Thursday’s Pink Bag Lunch on November 14th. Tori shared valuable insights about human trafficking misconceptions, important education, and emphasized the power of prevention. She also highlighted the vital work Freekind does to support individuals on their journey to freedom. To learn more about Freekind and their efforts, visit www.freekindva.org. A special thank you PBMares, LLP for being the event sponsor and to our ambassadors Carla Mutone, Sally Sheard, and Tanika Vasquez for joining us at this event.

Thank you to Lauren Martínez and WAVY-TV 10 for covering this important topic. In light of recent headline news related to the arrests of music producer Sean Diddy Combs and CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Mike Jeffries, your coverage could not be more timely. Human trafficking in our community isn't what many people think it is. That's why Freekind invests so much time in community awareness and engagement, like our upcoming Celebrate Freedom fall gala. Click the link below to watch the full news segment. https://lnkd.in/eQm8tYXa For more information about Freekind, visit freekindva.org. To purchase tickets to the gala on Nov 2nd, visit freekindva.org/celebrate.

“Dwell: Anchored in Hope. Sustained in Community” was the impactful theme of this year’s Entrusted Conference, capturing the essence of our shared journey as both individuals and as a collective. Our Prevention and Survivor Empowerment teams were privileged to attend this transformative event. Leaving feeling inspired and empowered, we are more committed than ever to educating others about human trafficking, preventing the exploitation of future generations, and restoring a sense of hope and belonging for those on the path to freedom. In a world of uncertainty, we believe in the power of kindness to connect people to the resources and programs that provide help, not harm. During the conference, we had the opportunity to educate kinship and adoptive families on the intersection of human trafficking and foster care, as well as strategies caregivers can use to ensure the safety of youth. A special shout-out to Medy Cook, Kathy Selfridge, and Ashley Pettus for their support and assistance at the Freekind - VA resource table throughout the weekend. Their contributions were invaluable in furthering our mission. A huge thanks to the entire #EntrustedConference2024 team for making this possible! We’re also grateful to all the families and organizations that attended our breakout sessions. We look forward to next year!

At Freekind we do a lot of training and awareness. As I do a lot of work with criminalized survivors today I am very excited that we are co- presenting with Regent’s Center for Gobal Justice at the Speciality Docket Training Conference on Identifying Human Trafficking Victims in Specialty Dockets. Awareness and training is so important in identifying and getting the appropriate services for survivors who find themselves trapped in the criminal Justice system.

Thank you Caroline Purnell for attending this conference on behalf of Freekind! We appreciate your passion and drive in doing your part to help prevent our next generation of youth from being exploited!

Freekind is honored to once again receive a grant award from Virginia Law Foundation (VLF). With their generous support, Freekind can improve access to justice for more survivors of human trafficking in our Commonwealth. This year, we join VLF in celebrating 50 years of their support for initiatives and nonprofits across Virginia who play a role in upholding the rule of law, expanding access to justice, and enhancing law-related education. Thank you @VLF for all you do to invest in world where every Virginian has access to justice and our communities are healthier because of it. Congratulations to all of our fellow award recipients, with a special shout out to our friends Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia and Regent University's Center for Global Justice.

We want to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to our incredible community partners at IFMA Hampton Roads. Thank you for selecting us as your charity of choice for this years’, Spring Charity Golf Outing! ???? Special shoutout to all the amazing sponsors who helped make this event a success, Sleepy Hole Golf Course for hosting, and to all the talented golfers that participated! ????♀? Including the lucky winner of the business card drawing, Bill Bertone with TK Elevator Corporation! We hope you enjoy your new hat! Through your support we can spread awareness throughout the community and continue our efforts to help survivors while they're on their journey to healing and freedom. #FreekindVA #IFMAHamptonRoads #Charity #GolfTournament #CharityOfChoice #EndHumanTrafficking

We're grateful for organizations like?Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Foundation,?NetworkPeninsula?and others who help champion nonprofits like Freekind in our community. “As of 2022, nonprofits generated $86.9 billion in revenue and employed over 275,000 people in Virginia, representing one quarter of public service workers and close to 10% of the Virginia workforce. In fact, the nonprofit sector is the country’s third largest employer.” Nonprofit Allies of Virginia https://lnkd.in/eyWJyzic

Congratulations to our friends at THRIVE Peninsula, Inc. on the ribbon cutting of their new space in Newport News, Virginia. It was a great example of how nonprofits can partner with public and corporate organizations to create something more impactful than any one of them could do on their own. The Peninsula is a better place because of Angela York, the staff, and volunteers of #THRIVEpeninsula.

Thank you Sarah Chakales for sharing the news about our partnership with Henrico County Public Schools to help protect youth from exploitation. Freekind applauds Mark Brandenburger and HCPS for their commitment to equipping and empowering the next generation. If you are interested in learning more about the Prevention Project program or want to know how to get it in your school, visit prevention-project.org https://lnkd.in/dBYTqsVH Jeannine Chewning Virginia Department of Education