Description
Rescue:Freedom International exists to empower the rescue and restoration of those in sexual slavery, and prevent exploitation before it begins.
History
Our story began 19 years ago in Mumbai, India when our founders, David and Beth Grant, partnered with K.K Devaraj and team members from Bombay Teen Challenge to rescue children suffering in sexual slavery. In 1997, they launched their first aftercare safe house, where rescued children could experience hope and healing. Motivated by a deep conviction that everyone is created with inherent dignity, and a belief that Jesus taught those who follow him to be committed to justice, compassion, restoration, and redemption, they began a journey that would change thousands of lives forever.
David and Beth launched a church-based initiative called Project Rescue in order to mobilize support for their work. With that support in place, they soon expanded to Nepal, Bangladesh, and Moldova.
As their initiative continued to grow, so did global awareness of human trafficking. In 2006, Beth was asked to develop an international curriculum that would train caregivers of trafficking survivors. David and Beth founded a small, U.S. based non-profit called Project Rescue International, and working in partnership with a global coalition called FAAST (Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking), they published the Hands that Heal curriculum in 2007. It has since been translated into 13 languages and is one of the most widely-utilized training tools in the world for the aftercare of sexual slavery survivors.
In 2012, with a continually growing awareness of human trafficking issues worldwide, Jeremy Vallerand joined the team and led the charge to turn Project Rescue International into a fully-operational organization that could build support across the U.S., and facilitate expansion in the U.S. and around the world. Together with David, Beth, and a passionate board of directors, Jeremy changed the name of the organization to Rescue:Freedom International, and opened their headquarters in Seattle, Washington.
At first glance, Rescue:Freedom International is a young organization, but our story is much older than our name. Simply put, itÂ’s a young infrastructure built around one of the longest-running and most established anti-trafficking efforts in the world.