One of the most important things Free NOLA provide is on-going awareness and training, a key ingredient in the fight against sex trafficking. Most of the year was spent on getting back to a “new” normal; we were still able to assist 2-victims with resources, many others with referrals and assistance in locating long-term restorative care. 

Webinars, training events and supportive events were done with a focus on staying safe; both for the hosts and participants. This provided people the opportunity to attend a training session where they did not have to be physically present. Zoom became so popular that many organizations continue hosting these webinars/training sessions even after the need was over.

During 2022 over 300-in-person participants were trained on domestic human sex trafficking. Students, health care practitioners, businesses, civic groups, church members, hospitality industry, trucking industry, law enforcement and the general public all received instruction on what domestic sex trafficking looks like, but more importantly how to recognize it and what to do and who to call for help.

Free NOLA has signature outreach events that occur on an on-going basis. These are volunteers going to the venues where we would actually encounter a victim; very few organizations are willing to go to these establishments, but this is where we find the most success. As demonstrated, the total number of people reached through outreaches = 18,900. Each person touched introduces them to the opportunity to begin a journey of freedom.