Breaking Free

09/11/2026

A little behind the scenes at Breaking Free 💜

Our team comes together regularly to plan, strategize, and coordinate our work so we can move forward together. Everyone at the table brings different experience and perspective, and every role is important to our mission.

No one person does this work alone. It takes a team committed to supporting survivors, strengthening our programs, and learning from one another.

Visit our website to learn more about what we are working on and how you can get involved.

https://www.breakingfreemn.org/

09/01/2026

Happy Library Card Sign-Up Month! 📚

Libraries are welcoming spaces where people can connect and find valuable community resources. We are grateful for the libraries that display Breaking Free resource flyers, welcome us for tabling events, and help make information and support more accessible.

Breaking Free advocates can also help survivors get a library card. Talk to your advocate to learn more!

This month, we are celebrating libraries and all the ways they help our communities grow and thrive. 💙

08/25/2026

It's free to be kind.

Financial donations help Breaking Free provide critical services to survivors of trafficking and exploitation, and we hope everyone will consider supporting our work. We also know that donating is not possible for everyone. Kindness, empathy, and advocacy are all meaningful forms of support too.

You can show kindness by listening without judgement, believing survivors, respecting privacy and choices, challenging victim blaming language, learning about trafficking from trusted sources, and sharing Breaking Free with others.

Even a simple act of compassion can help create a community where survivors feel seen, respected, and supported. During Be Kind to Humankind Week, we invite you to consider how you can make kindness part of the way you support survivors everyday.

08/18/2026

Breaking Free was also featured on WCCO & CBS News Minnesota as part of their coverage of the alleged Medicaid fraud scheme connected to s*x trafficking in Minnesota.

Heidi Klug, our Senior Grants and Training Strategist spoke about the significance of the situation and the reality of what s*x trafficking looks like in our communities.

We are proud to be trusted by the media and our community members as a resource for information on s*x trafficking.

Watch the video and read the article below.

A 30-year-old man charged in a Medicaid fraud scheme is linked to several people accused of running a s*x trafficking operation in Hennepin County, Minnesota, according to court documents.

08/18/2026

Yesterday afternoon Breaking Free was interviewed by KSTP on the realities of s*x trafficking in Minnesota.

Our Senior Grants and Training Analyst Heidi Klug spoke with Chanel 5 Eyewitness News about the shared vulnerability in our home state of Minnesota.

Thank you to KSTP for bringing attention to this important issue.

Watch the full interview below.

Advocates say a high-profile case involving an assistant Anoka County attorney is drawing new attention to how widespread s*x trafficking is across Minnesota.

08/18/2026

A special thank you to the Whole Foods Market Edina team for supporting Breaking Free! Your generosity helps us provide essential supplies, resources, and ongoing support to survivors as they build safety, stability, and independence.

Community partnerships like this make our work possible. If you are interested in supporting Breaking Free, visit our website to view our current donation needs and Amazon Wishlist: www.breakingfreemn.org/general-5

Your gift can create a path to freedom.

08/17/2026

Breaking Free will be featured on KSTP 5 Eyewitness News tonight at 5:30 p.m. Tune in to hear Heidi, Breaking Free’s Senior Grants and Training Strategist, discuss what trafficking can look like in our communities and what each of us can do.

https://kstp.com/live-video/

https://www.breakingfreemn.org/

07/30/2026

Online fraud may not always be what it appears.
Around the world, trafficked people are being forced to carry out cyber-enabled scams under coercion, violence and fear. Many are first targeted through deceptive job advertisements and promises of legitimate employment.
The 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons campaign, “Trapped Behind the Scam,” brings attention to the human exploitation hidden behind these operations.
We can all help by learning the signs of trafficking, being cautious of suspicious job opportunities and sharing information from credible sources. If you suspect someone may be experiencing trafficking, contact local authorities or an anti-trafficking helpline.
Every person deserves freedom, safety and dignity.
💙 Be aware. Learn about human trafficking and its root causes.
💙 Be alert. Know the signs. Trafficking can happen at work, online, in schools, during travel and within personal networks.
💙 Be responsible. Consider whether the goods and services you purchase may be connected to forced labor or s*xual exploitation.
💙 Get involved. Learn about anti-trafficking efforts in your community and encourage others to get informed.
💙 Be compassionate. Listen to survivors, challenge harmful assumptions and support organizations providing survivor-centered services.
Breaking Free provides housing, advocacy, healing services and critical resources for survivors of s*xual exploitation and trafficking. Your support helps create pathways to safety, stability and long-term healing.
Learn more about the global campaign at www.unodc.org/blueheart. Learn more about us at https://www.breakingfreemn.org/ Read the Trafficking Report at https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/glotip.html

07/12/2026

A heartfelt thank you to Whole Foods Market for supporting Breaking Free clients with generous donations of snacks and hygiene supplies.

We want to give special recognition to the Whole Foods Market Maple Grove location for their incredible donation of snacks. Their support will help provide comfort and care to the individuals we serve in a very tangible way.

We are also so grateful to the Whole Foods Market St. Paul location and the Whole Foods Market on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis for donating snacks and hygiene supplies for our clients.

These everyday essentials matter. They help meet immediate needs. They support dignity. They remind the individuals we serve that their community cares.

Thank you, Whole Foods Market, for showing up with such meaningful generosity.