Learn about our commitment to designing self-funded programs and how your contribution helps accelerate our work.
— OUR MISSION —
We believe that lived experience must inform change.
We are leading the change-makers in our community and across the nation to end commercial sexual exploitation (CSE). Our sex trafficking research is used to reduce demand, convict traffickers, and decrease barriers for marginalized populations through evidence-based services.
— AVERY BY THE NUMBERS —
— TRAINING & COURSES —
We offer introductory and intermediate training sessions that educate on the realities of sex trafficking in the United States, as well as custom and advanced sessions for those already well-versed in the basic issues of domestic trafficking.
— OUR SERVICES —
Our direct services are focused on economic empowerment through entrepreneurship. We empower survivors to break the cycle of poverty; as a result, they can eliminate financial vulnerabilities and risk factors for re-exploitation.
— CARE PACKAGE PROGRAM —
We send dozens of curated care packages to survivors in our network each month. This program builds relationships with victims and survivors by establishing trust and demonstrating consistency through a harm reduction model.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE: There are so many ways individuals and organizations can partner with us and help expand our impact. The number one way you can support our work is simple...
Looking for Free Our Girls?
After strategically planning how we make the biggest impact for individuals, our community, and the culture, Free Our Girls is now The Avery Center. Same staff, same passion, same services—new name.
If you love our work, tell the world! Stories from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community. Help raise visibility for our work through GreatNonprofits.
— IN THE NEWS —
The Past 10 Years – And The Next 10
Thursday, December 1st, 2022 was uneventful—normal. It was everything I had been working towards for the past decade.
You see, ten years ago – Saturday, December 1st, 2012 - I lay on a thin mat in a holding cell in Eagle County Jail in Vail, Colorado, curled up under the scratchy, standard issue blanket. I had just been arrested for the 11th time that year. As I lay there trying to fall asleep for even a few minutes, I wrestled with the reality I was facing: I would die and my children would lose their only parent, or I would go to jail and serve time, and lose custody of my children and they would grow up in the system.
As I reflect on the past 10 years of growth and healing, I also look forward to the future and to sharing my next steps with you. My time in the sector is nowhere near complete. But my time dependent upon and working around my victimization is.
— FEATURED REPORT —
OnlyFans: A Case Study of Exploitation in the Digital Age
Though the OnlyFans online social platform became wildly popular in early 2020, it has been around since 2016. This rapid rise to fame corresponded with the 2020 COVID-19 widespread shelter orders and layoffs that disproportionately impacted young people employed in the service industry. By November of 2020, OnlyFans’ revenues for the year were $400 million, up 540% from 2019.
Today, OnlyFans is a household name, and a debate rages on about how the platform will be held accountable for exploitative and abusive content bought and sold on the site.
Subscribe to our research email list to download your copy of the OnlyFans report and stay up-to-date on all reports from The Avery Center's survivor-centered sex trafficking research.
Our Monthly Care Package Program
Every month, we send dozens of carefully-curated care packages to survivors in our network. This program is integral to building relationships with victims and survivors by establishing trust and demonstrating consistency through a harm reduction model.
We've found that individuals we send packages to are far more likely to reach out for help when they're able, than those not receiving care packages. Learn the program's history and see opportunities to support this work.
— WHO WE ARE —
We're a dynamic group of survivors, researchers, full-time staff, and volunteers, and there's never a dull moment working on our team. We value independent thought, autonomous self-starters, and anyone excited about making a difference.