Freedom Gems

02/10/2021

Winter favorite. ❄️

18k gold plated stainless steel chevron earrings. Hypoallergenic; lead and cadmium free with nickel content less than 100 ppm. Dimensions 2.5” l

02/03/2021

Rest In Peace Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger. Thank you for your sacrifice and passion to end child exploitation and trafficking. To the other 3 who were wounded in this operation, our prayers are with you.

11/20/2020

It’s Extraordinary Give 2020! We will donate 100% of our proceeds to North Star Initiative. They are a local initiative dedicating to providing a safe place for victims of trafficking.

11/10/2020

Remembering all the strong little girls in our prayers today.

“I am strong because I tell the cops about the other girls who are being hurt like I was. I can’t leave them there.” - Sabrina, 8 years old.

Sabrina’s testimony in court led the police in Central America to be able to find 3 other survivors who were being exploited, ages 10, 12, and 13. Sabrina’s testimony also helped police find 2 American predators who were living in the country and who were unknown to the police up until that point.

All of these survivors are now safe and receiving survivor care. Our team calls Sabrina “Little Wonder Woman” because of her immense courage and bravery. One small, but courageous voice led to the liberation of more survivors.

We are 3 weeks away from Giving Tuesday, and we have some exciting surprises! Stay tuned.

10/30/2020

Sometimes traffickers don’t fit the profile we want to give them. They don’t all look like monsters. The boxes we create to dehumanize them are actually an effort to make it easier for our minds to understand the desperate evil involved. We will keep donating to Operation Underground Railroad as they face the hard truths to set people free.

The most vile and diabolical trafficker I ever talked with while undercover was actually a strikingly gorgeous young woman from a small town in Latin America. I looked into this woman's eyes and saw that she had no soul, as she negotiated the freedom, health and perhaps even the lives of precious young children as cooly and calculatingly as if she was bartering the price of a sack of potatoes or a bag of rice ("it weighs this much, costs this much, will do this and that...etc").

However, over the next few weeks something gut-wrenching and ironic happened...this woman pulled out of our agreement because she said that her six-year-old daughter had fallen seriously ill and needed immediate hospitalization in the capital city. It was so hard to square the fact that this evil woman who was grooming and trafficking young girls was also a loving and caring mother of a young child. Our police contacts confirmed that the woman was telling the truth and that her daughter had been admitted to a hospital.

With the original operation was called off, the police asked us if we’d like to stay and support following another lead. The O.U.R. Ops Team stayed to support the investigation, which ultimately resulted in another successful operation, where two survivors were rescued and three traffickers were arrested. During this operation, a 16-year-old survivor was rescued, and she later shared information with police that resulted in 12 additional rescues and 6 arrests.

- O.U.R. Operator

10/22/2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people in trafficking situations and in prostitution are likely facing worse violence and abuse than ever. The U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline is here to help.

10/13/2020

RESCUE UPDATE: Five children, from ages 13 to 16, have been rescued in our newest undisclosed location. Three were lured into exploitation through job offers on social media.

Our rescue agents found one of the girls during her first few nights in the bar. We freed her before anyone got a chance to abuse her!

10/09/2020

What are some skills that survivors need to create a new life for themselves?

• Education
• Job-skills
• Life-skills, such as financial and household management

If you feel led to contribute to a survivor's chance at successfully building a new life, you can donate through the link below!
Thank you in advance!

http://ow.ly/eYAi50xIY6P

10/08/2020

Survivors of human trafficking need so much more after they are rescued. Our prayers are with the aftercare teams that work to bring trust, humanity, and beauty back into their lives.

Every time the O.U.R. Aftercare Team walked into “Jasmine’s” aftercare home in Central America, they noticed a change in her. Over the course of a year, these changes were subtle – maybe it was a bigger smile, new glasses, or a change in her countenance.
Every time they spent time with her, she was more and more kind to others, slowly softening the tough exterior she brought to the aftercare home.

Jasmine didn’t come from an easy background and quickly developed a toughness to survive. When she was young, a gang lured her in and began trafficking her to local community members and other gang members. Jasmine’s mother eventually caught wind of what Jasmine was doing and wished for part of the profit. Instead of rescuing her daughter, she began selling Jasmine in the bar she owned. After all of this, Jasmine survived and was rescued.

During the court process, Jasmine’s social workers found an aunt that she could safely live with. When it came time to say goodbye to her fellow survivors and friends on her last day in the aftercare home, she began to cry. Her tears were met with an audible gasp around her, because none of the girls or staff had ever seen her cry, even through therapy.

After all that Jasmine had been through, she had come to a point where she felt safe enough to cry. Everyone in the aftercare home embraced her and supported her through her tears, and they all celebrated her accomplishments and future.
Part of the healing process for many survivors of human trafficking is learning to feel safe and loved after experiencing trauma.

We value these moments of hope and light. Jasmine lives with hope and love, walking on her path to healing from the trauma she endured for so many years.

10/05/2020

This is the kind of news we like to see. Prayers for the survivors as they undergo the daunting process of healing and discovering freedom.

A collaborative human trafficking sting operation between 23 agencies has resulted in 46 arrests and the rescue of five victims.

10/02/2020

“Rescuing is not the end of the mission.”

As a newlywed, Jennifer was trafficked far from her home in West Africa to the Mediterranean. We can only imagine the heartache she felt as she was exploited for months, missing her husband, and discovering she was pregnant with their child.

After suffering much, Jennifer decided to run away to escape the horror that her traffickers put her through every day. But that was not the end of her agonizing trial. She was sent to jail, and her baby sent to an orphanage, due to a lack of documentation to prove where she was from, and who the father of the baby was. Now, after escaping, she had to worry about what may be happening to her baby as she sat in jail. There were many unjust laws working against Jennifer.

O.U.R. worked alongside other partners to help her through this complicated process gathering the necessary documentation to prove her innocence and help her return home. We are thrilled to say, Jennifer and her child were finally allowed to return home.

Jennifer recently reached out to O.U.R., letting us know she might soon be evicted from her home. Her landlord had physically hit her when her rent was late, and she was terrified to face him again. Even more terrifying, was the fear of being on the streets with her precious child. We are thankful she knew she could contact O.U.R. Aftercare for support. We were able to help Jennifer and her baby, and she is now still safe in her apartment. Our team continues to follow up with her to ensure her safety.

Jennifer has a dream to design clothes and learn how to sew. Besides helping with her rent, we were able to get her started in some business classes, to help her meet her goals. We look forward to watching her flourish!

One of the many goals of O.U.R. is to make sure survivors are never exploited again, and receive the care necessary to go back into life safely, and securely. Rescuing is not the end of the mission. When a survivor has a need, we want to do all we can to be there, helping, and lending support however we can.

Survivor care is just the beginning...the real heroes are the actual survivors. It is their strength and courage that leads them into a life of freedom, and a testimony to encourage others.

09/18/2020

The Allure cuff bracelet in brass will go beautifully with those charming fall outfits you're pulling from the back of your closet. 🍂🍁

Every Freedom Gems piece brings hope to a survivor of human trafficking.

https://www.freedomgems.com/store/allure-cuff