Breaking Free

Happy National Kitten Day from Breaking Free!

Today, we’re sharing a softer side of our team with a very special introduction. Meet Archie, the beloved cat of our Advocate Manager, Ingrid.

Our team does meaningful work every day. Behind that work are real people, real lives, and the small sources of comfort that help carry us through.

For Ingrid, one of those sources of joy is Archie.

We’re grateful for the compassion our advocates bring to this mission. We’re also grateful for the pets who bring a little extra comfort, warmth, and happiness along the way.

Happy National Kitten Day to Archie and to all the furry friends who make life a little sweeter.

Today is National Tell the Truth Day.

Truth matters. It helps bring hidden issues into the light. It helps communities understand what survivors face. It helps us move from awareness to action.

At Breaking Free, we know that truth must be met with care. Survivors deserve to be believed. They deserve support without judgment. They deserve safety at every step.
Today, we honor the courage it takes to speak truth. We also honor the quiet strength of those who are not ready to share their story.

Healing begins with safety. Change begins when we are willing to listen.

You made it halfway through the year!

That alone is worth celebrating.

Maybe this year has been beautiful, maybe it has been heavy, or maybe it has been a little bit of both.

Wherever you are today, we hope you remember this: progress counts, hope matters, and new beginnings are still possible.

The second half of the year is waiting with so much possibility!

Tomorrow is the big day!

We are so excited to welcome golfers, sponsors, partners, and supporters to Breaking Free’s Drive for Change Golf Tournament on June 5 at Oak Glen Golf Course in Stillwater, Minnesota.

Thank you to everyone who registered, sponsored, donated, shared, and helped make this first annual golf tournament possible. Your support helps further Breaking Free’s mission to end s*x trafficking and s*xual exploitation while supporting survivors through housing, advocacy, prevention, education, and healing-focused services.

Event details for attendees:

Location:
Oak Glen Golf Course
1599 McKusick Road N
Stillwater, MN 55082

Parking:
Parking is available onsite at Oak Glen Golf Course.

Schedule for the day:
10:00 AM — Golfers arrive, register, visit the range, pick up lunch, and the silent auction opens
11:15 AM — Welcome and Breaking Free introduction
11:30/12 AM/PM — Golfing begins
3:30 PM — Golfing ends and happy hour begins
4:30 PM — Dinner begins and silent auction remains open
5:30 PM — Breaking Free program
5:45 PM — Live auction and auction winner announcements
6:00 PM — Event ends

Attendees will receive lunch at check-in and dinner following golf. The event will also include a silent auction, live auction, and opportunities to support Breaking Free’s survivor-centered work.

We can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow for a meaningful day of golf, community, and impact.

We are honored to highlight the work of Tom, an artist, storyteller, educator, and advocate whose anti-trafficking artwork will be featured at MSP Airport from June 1 through the end of November.

After 30 years in education, Tom continues to have a commitment to learning, storytelling, prevention, and community through his art and advocacy. Guided by his faith, Tom became involved in anti-trafficking work after his pastor invited him into the movement in 2018. Since then, his heart has been especially drawn to survivors because of the isolation and lack of community so many experience.
His work also extends into prevention and demand reduction through his men’s ministry, where he focuses on educating men about the harm caused by commercial s*xual exploitation.

Some of Tom’s main anti-trafficking pieces will be shown at MSP in Concourse C, including Trauma and Treasure, which were created in collaboration with Breaking Free survivors. This exhibit will run from June 1st through the end of November.
Tom sees himself as a storyteller. His goal is not for the work to be perfect or to be considered a masterpiece. His hope is that people will stop, engage, ask questions, and see the artwork as a call to action.

We are deeply grateful for Tom’s partnership, his heart for survivors, and his commitment to using art as a way to build awareness, compassion, and change.
If you will be traveling through the MSP Airport during the exhibit, please consider taking pictures or video, posting on social media, and tagging “Witness Arts.”