Open Mic Night returns to Freedom a la Cart, benefits sex trafficking survivors

Freedom a la Cart, a cafe dedicated to helping survivors of sex trafficking, is hosting another Open Mic Night this winter. Credit: Courtesy of Paula Haines

From the outside, Freedom a la Cart may seem like a typical coffee shop, but behind the scenes, the cafe does a lot more than serve coffee. 

Since the business’s inception over 10 years ago, the Freedom a la Cart staff has been dedicated to assisting survivors of sex trafficking in the Columbus area, according to its website. Following its first event Wednesday, the cafe will host another Open Mic Night Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in partnership with the Black Women Rise Poetry Collective. 

“It’s always a really positive atmosphere,” Dorie Sessoms, the business’s Open Mic Night coordinator, said. “I’m very happy when people come in, especially when they get on the mic and express themselves. No matter where they come from, it doesn’t make a difference. We support it.”

Sessoms said all different forms of expression are encouraged at the Open Mic Night, and many past events have featured poetry readings and musical performances. 

“We’ve got people singing opera, we’ve got people wanting to sing a spiritual song or rap, and so many other avenues,” Sessoms said. “Different cultures all come together, and it’s just a good way to connect.”

According to the Freedom a la Cart website, supporting sex trafficking survivors goes beyond providing a safe space.

“We love giving women the tools they need to become self-sufficient and take care of themselves,” Paula Haines, CEO of Freedom a la Cart, said. “It’s really about approaching things with the mindset of that saying: ‘If you can teach them how to fish, you feed them for a lifetime.’ ”

Freedom a la Cart equips women with tools through many different areas of service. Through its outreach programs, the organization identifies these women and provides essential items, such as coats and toiletries, to help them get back on their feet, Haines said. 

The workforce and life skills development program provides the women with job coaching, trauma counseling and financial literacy classes, as well as employment opportunities at Freedom a la Cart, Haines said. 

“We’re not just training women for the food industry,” she said. “We’re giving them their first job and helping them figure out what the next step is.”

The epicenter of the operation is the cafe itself, where counseling services and support group meetings are provided, events like the Open Mic Nights take place and survivors run the shop, Haines said.

“It’s such a wonderful opportunity for customers to understand that when they purchase a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee, they’re providing a job for a woman who has experienced sex trafficking in our city,” Haines said.

Freedom a la Cart offers group tours of the cafe for those interested in learning more, as well as educational sessions on human trafficking, Haines said. She said recognizing the importance of education can help to combat the many misconceptions about sex trafficking.

“A big misconception is that sex trafficking is happening in other countries, but it’s not happening here,” Haines said. “When I started as a volunteer, I didn’t really understand what human trafficking was. Becoming educated made me realize this is really happening right here in Columbus.”

Open Mic Night is free to attend, but donations are encouraged. Food and drinks will be available for purchase, and all proceeds will go toward Freedom a la Cart. All Open Mic Night attendees must wear masks and will be as socially distanced as possible during the event, Sessoms said.