A bakery and cafe with a superior mission.
The interior of the establishment was more meaningful than the outside of the building could convey. With an abundance of natural lighting, white brick walls, and a rustic peach bench which spanned nearly the length of an interior wall, Freedom a la Cart is as stunning as it is groundbreaking. From the moment I entered, I knew I would come back time and time again. I later learned that the CEO, Paula Haines, specifically requested a trauma-informed interior design; who knew such a thing existed.
I initially assumed Freedom a la Cart was a bakery; it had plenty of baked goods after all. But the establishment is so much more.
What is Freedom a la Cart?
Freedom A la Cart is a nonprofit organization which began in 2008. It beautifully combines fresh, made-from-scratch cuisine with workforce training for local survivors of human trafficking. Patronizing the business is a fantastic way to have a meal and contribute to the restoration of human beings.
Founded by Julie Clark, the business started by bringing lunch to women in CATCH Court, a specialty docket in the Franklin County Municipal Court system. CATCH Court was founded by former Franklin County Judge Paul Herbert in 2009 when he realized it was hard to tell the difference between a victim of domestic violence and a person charged with prostitution. Herbert researched the criminology of prostitution and from there deepened his understanding of human and sex trafficking.
Who Is a Victim?
Identifying sex trafficking victims is part of the battle. Some women appear in court due to drug charges, theft, or solicitation. CATCH Court is meant to break the cycle of incarceration by determining who is a victim, promoting restorative justice and connecting women with the residential treatment programs and the supportive services they need. If a person has been arrested and accepted into the program, they enter a residential treatment program.
While survivors should never be arrested in the first place, it is comforting that there are programs in place to catch, at least some of them, and direct them to help and hope. This is exactly what Freedom a la Cart offers. Its leaders and volunteers noticed that even after completing the CATCH program, participants struggled to get jobs and many lacked a support system.
“We built relationships with survivors and realized that there were gaps in services available to them,” Haines said. “For instance, some needed housing, professional development, GED or jobs assistance, or mentorship. We needed to do more.”
Survivors Shouldn’t Feel Shame
Haines’s journey with Freedom a la Cart began in 2013. She volunteered in the kitchen, and also spent time hauling supplies and serving food. Haines later joined the organization’s board of directors. In 2016, she became interim executive director and soon thereafter assumed the role permanently.
“Human trafficking is a topic that once you learn about it, you want to help address it,” Haines shared with me during a tour of the nonprofit. “It troubles me that women can feel shame and unworthiness based on trauma that has happened to them.”
“We realized that survivors needed more help to overcome the barriers they were facing,” Haines added. “Survivors needed job skills, living wages, a safe place to learn and grow, counseling and more. We knew we needed to find a way to employ survivors so they could earn money and become self-sufficient.”
The Business Evolved
In 2011, Clark purchased a $1,200 food cart on Ebay and began a business serving delicious sandwiches with bold flavors to survivors.
The business has evolved and is now a catering business, a café and bakery, and a champion for survivors of sex trafficking. While it is a nonprofit, it is also a social enterprise with 55% of its revenue generated from the catering, and the café and bakery.
“Many nonprofits that operate as a social enterprise may do so without a financial profit in mind because they’re mission is what is driving them. But we operate with the understanding that we need the business to make a profit to support our programs,” Haines said. The nonprofit hosts a flagship fundraiser each year called Eat Up Columbus. This year the event will be held on July 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Columbus Museum of Art. You can learn more here.
“Patrons love our mission and the fact that we make delicious food,” Haines said. “We’ve always been committed to delicious food. People come because they hear about the mission. But they come back because we deliver an exceptional product, and build strong relationships with customers and survivors.”
How You Can Help
“At Freedom a la Cart, purpose and passion intersect,” Haines concluded. “We appreciate mentors and persons who offer professional development service. We are not training women to stay in food service, but rather encouraging them to dive a bit deeper and think about what they’d like to do. And for many women, they’ve need been asked, ‘what would you like to do.’”
Nonprofits like Freedom a la Cart need support; yours and mine. If you are interested in supporting their work, you may:
- Purchase a ticket for the Eat Up Columbus event;
- Visit the café at 123 E. Spring Street, Columbus, Ohio;
- Order boxed lunch or other catering;
- Donate online;
- Volunteer (listed on the website); and
- Become a mentor.
If you haven’t already planned your visit, I hope that is the next thing on your to do list.
