History 

Freedom to Thrive was created as a response to the growing recognition of the prevalence of human trafficking in the southeast. The need for a collaborative effort to raise awareness for the purpose of victim identification and to advocate for needed policies and resources inspired volunteers to participate in forming a multidisciplinary coalition. Freedom to Thrive is a program of SENetwork which has been providing support for Rescue and Restore efforts; training for providers, law enforcement and other community partners; and, capacity building assistance for coalitions and grassroots movements as a Federally funded grantee  of  The Office of Refugee Resettlement since 2006. In May, 2009, SENetwork received funding to support Rescue and Restore Coalition activities in the Greater Birmingham area and one outcome from that funding is the creation of Freedom to Thrive. Freedom to Thrive serves as    a volunteer coalition made up of law enforcement, social service providers and individuals committed to eliminating human trafficking in the Greater Birmingham area. 

Mission

To eliminate human trafficking in the Greater Birmingham area. We engage in our mission through raising awareness, increasing collaborative service, and advocating for needed policies and resources.

Impact 

• Increase capacity current service provision resources to serve HT victims
• Identify service gaps and strategies for filling them
• Increase the capacity of community members to support anti-trafficking efforts and victims’ services
• Promote passage of state laws analogous to TVPA and appropriations to implement
• Support federal appropriation efforts to implement domestic aspects of TVPA