After a Decade of Fighting Human Trafficking, Rescue:Freedom Changes Name to Atlas Free to Scale the Movement Further
Its name and look have changed, but its mission remains the same
KIRKLAND, Wash., July 26, 2022 (Newswire.com) - After a decade of fighting human trafficking, Rescue:Freedom announced that it is changing its name to Atlas Free. While the brand and logo of the organization have changed, the mission remains the same—to accelerate and resource the fight against sex trafficking and exploitation. The updated brand represents a commitment to innovation and holistic strategies that scale the global movement against sexual exploitation.
This change comes after significant global growth for the organization—nearly doubling in size and impact in the last year alone.
"When we began this work in 2012, our primary focus was getting people out of exploitation and into freedom. Quite literally, from Rescue to Freedom. We captured that idea with our butterfly logo, a symbol of transformation, metamorphosis, and new life. As we grew, we quickly realized it wasn't enough to get people out of brothels if we knew there were ways we could prevent trafficking in the first place. So we launched prevention programs. Then we began to see other ways to combat exploitation through policy, education, demand reduction, and so much more. It felt like our programs and impact were outgrowing our name," said Jeremy Vallerand, CEO and President.
"Then we began hearing from survivors that the term 'rescue,' often used to describe helping children, wasn't the best term to describe what it took for adults to escape from exploitation. Rescue can imply that we see ourselves as the hero, the savior swooping in. But many times, it is the survivor who dares to run, to risk their lives to escape because they know that our local partners will be there to support them. Rescue has also been used by some organizations to imply that all it takes to end human trafficking is for a group of superheroes to kick down brothel doors and set everyone free. But we know it takes much more than that," Vallerand said.
Atlas Free is another way of saying free world, which the organization fights for daily. Since 2012, its holistic approach has impacted 635,169 people through aftercare, prevention, outreach, awareness, and intervention programs.
"Changing the name of a global organization is no small undertaking, and we wouldn't do it if we didn't feel like it was an essential step in getting us closer to our mission," said Callie Tybur, COO.
ABOUT ATLAS FREE
Atlas Free is a nonprofit organization building a global movement to put sexual exploitation out of business. Working in 29 countries with over 40 local partners, we unite funders, adventurers, and everyday people with the best local initiatives in the world to maximize impact and dismantle human trafficking. Atlas Free specializes in accelerating frontline solutions and creating resources and tools to take on one of the current most pressing global issues.
Contact Information:
Elena Kunkel, Marketing Director
Phone: (888) 388-1811
Email: contact@atlasfree.org
http://www.atlasfree.org
Source: Atlas Free, formerly Rescue:Freedom