The holiday season is a time for reflection, gratitude, and giving—a chance to make meaningful connections and share love with those around us. At Made for Freedom, we see this season as an opportunity to celebrate the incredible resilience and strength of survivors of human trafficking and individuals overcoming marginalization.
Through their courage and creativity, these talented artisans craft beautiful, purposeful products that embody hope and transformation. By honoring their journeys, we can make our celebrations even more meaningful.
We invited several of our partners to join us in presenting this 2024 HOPE Gift Guide (Holiday Options that Protect and Empower.) This curated collection of unique, high-quality gifts is designed to uplift lives. Each item is thoughtfully crafted by survivors and those previously marginalized, offering a chance to support their path to healing, stability, and independence. From handcrafted jewelry/accessories and bath and body products to heartfelt home décor, every purchase directly contributes to dignified employment and brighter futures.
This year, we’re thrilled to introduce an exciting new way to give with purpose: the Build Your Own Box (BYOB) feature. With BYOB, you can handpick a selection of meaningful items to create a personalized gift box for your loved ones. It’s not just a gift—it’s a way to share your passion for empowerment and connect the recipient to a greater purpose.
Whether you’re selecting gifts for the holidays or any special occasion, purchasing survivor-made gifts empowers some of the world's most vulnerable, while allowing you to spread joy, spark hope, and contribute to a global movement of compassion and dignity. Together, we can celebrate the season by uplifting those who need it most and making every gift a symbol of hope.
Made for Freedom: Felt Christmas Nativity Set
Our Felt Christmas Nativity Set has quickly become our bestselling home decor item, and it’s easy to see why.
The carefully handcrafted pieces beautifully capture the warmth of the Nativity story, from Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus to a shepherd, the wise men and animals. The set's charming, kid-friendly design makes it perfect for families, while its timeless appeal compliments any holiday decor.
Whether displayed as a centerpiece or used for storytelling, it brings the true spirit of Christmas into your home.
With your purchase of the Felt Christmas Nativity Set, you’re not only adding a meaningful holiday tradition to your home—you’re also supporting a greater cause. Your purchase helps our partner center provide hope and dignified employment to survivors of abuse, exploitation, and trafficking in Nepal. Celebrate the season with a gift that gives back, bringing joy and a lasting impact to those who need it most.
Eden: Resilience Leaf Necklace
Phyu Phyu's journey epitomizes resilience amid adversity. Struggling with her stepfather's abuse and financial strain, she endured unspeakable hardships, including her mother's desperate act of selling her virginity to loan sharks. Encountering the Eden drop-in center marked a turning point.
With compassionate guidance, Phyu Phyu embarked on a healing journey, leaving behind trauma to embrace hope. She rebuilt her relationship with her mother through her transformation, fostering forgiveness and reconciliation.
Today, they savor a life filled with newfound happiness, a testament to the human spirit's resilience and the transformative power of support and compassion in overcoming life's most significant challenges.
The hammered texture of Eden's Resilience Leaf Necklace represents the perseverance of trafficking survivors as they overcome injustice and trauma.
The beautiful 0.75" x 0.5" leaf pendant demonstrates that new life is possible once a survivor enters our program. The pendant sits on an 18" paperclip chain with a 1.3" extension chain. All materials are 18K gold-plated stainless steel.
When you purchase Eden jewelry, you help provide dignified employment to trafficking survivors in Myanmar. Every piece is made and packaged by a survivor, and every piece shares the story of a survivor who has journeyed with Eden.
Elevate People: Woven DiMarco Crossbody
The DiMarco Crossbody has been a long-standing best seller of Elevate People. It offers multiple ways to wear and a thoughtfully designed interior. Now, they've made it woven!
Handcrafted by a talented team of artisans and designed to keep your essentials close at hand, including your cards, phone, keys, and coins.
Purchase with a Purpose: With every purchase of this bag, you're elevating your style and uplifting a team of skilled female artisans in India. Their hands meticulously weave each bag, infusing their expertise and stories into every intricate detail.
Build Your Own Ornament Gift Set
Create a one-of-a-kind gift this holiday season with our Build Your Own Ornament Gift Set, where you can mix and match from a delightful selection of handcrafted felt ornaments and stylish containers. Choose from a variety of intricate, handmade felt ornaments, each crafted with care and skill by survivors of abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. Pair them with an elegant container to make your gift truly memorable.
The more you purchase, the more you save—so you can spread the joy and empower even more lives. Every ornament you buy supports our partner center in providing dignified employment and a renewed sense of hope to survivors. Together, we can transform lives while creating keepsakes your loved ones will cherish forever.
FORAI: Rana Pearl Threader Earrings
Rana Pearl Threader Earrings in 14k gold filled elegantly combine modern style with the timelessness of freshwater pearls. It was named for the daughter of one of their Syrian artisans.
Your purchase brings dignity, empowerment, and community to re-settled refugee women artisans in the St. Louis, Missouri area.
Made for Freedom Foundation: Educational Scholarships
When you donate to the Made for Freedom Foundation, you're not just contributing to a cause—you're investing in the future of survivors. Many individuals who have faced the horrors of trafficking and marginalization are left with few opportunities for healing, growth, and self-determination. By supporting our educational scholarship program, you help break the cycle of trauma and provide a lifeline to those who need it most.
Education is empowerment. It opens doors, creates hope, and offers a path to independence. With your donation, survivors will have access to the resources, skills, and opportunities they need to rebuild their lives, achieve their dreams, and become leaders in their communities.
Donate now and be part of a transformative journey.
Your gift is more than just financial support—it's an act of faith in their potential. Together, we can create a world where every survivor has the chance to rise above their circumstances and live a life of dignity, freedom, and opportunity. Join us in making a lasting impact. Your support today helps pave the way for brighter tomorrows.
Higher Ground Nepal: Deluxe Christmas Felt Decor Package
Empowerment through Art: This heartwarming Deluxe Christmas Felt Decor Package is lovingly crafted by 'At-Risk' women and girls, allowing them to express their creativity and build essential skills.
By purchasing this package, you’re enhancing your holiday decor and supporting a meaningful initiative that promotes empowerment and independence. Together, we can make a difference this season, celebrating the joy of Christmas and the resilience of these talented individuals.
Bukra Project: Eclipse Duo Dangle Earrings
The elegant and eye-catching Eclipse Duo Dangle Earrings offer a striking yet lightweight statement for any occasion. Their airy silhouette and gentle movement capture the essence of understated sophistication.
These earrings capture the hope of a brighter future for our refugee friends as they persevere through challenges while rebuilding their lives.
Bukra Project products are ethically handmade by Syrian refugees in the Middle East who are rebuilding their lives after fleeing the war in Syria. Dignified and empowering employment, like that provided through the Bukra Project, is life-changing for refugees working to overcome exploitative workplaces. Bukra Project is creating employment and business ownership opportunities for refugees in the Middle East.
Touch Nature: Tree of Life Soap - Rest
Rest Soap is one of the most popular among our handmade soaps. The fragrance is made with a Lavender, Orange, and Sandalwood blend, and the soap is naturally colored with Alkanet root. The Rest essential oil blend scent is put together by Josephine Tan to create a fragrance that genuinely brings rest to all its users.
Founded by Jo, Touch Nature pivoted to soap-making from a sewing project after a visitor named Joe suggested the idea. Josephine embraced this new craft, discovering it was more accessible and profitable, enabling her to employ more needy women. This transition allowed Touch Nature to significantly expand its impact, providing sustainable livelihoods while creating beautiful handmade soaps and candles.
Today, the organization embodies its mission to bring "Light Into The Darkness" through its products and commitment to uplifting survivors of human trafficking and struggling women.
Every soap purchase supports human trafficking survivors through economic empowerment, helping them regain financial stability. The survivors of human trafficking also learn valuable skills that help build confidence and restore self-esteem. Making handmade soaps is also therapeutic; this process can be calming and promote emotional healing.
The HOPE Gift Guide (Holiday Options that Protect and Empower) is more than a shopping list—it’s a way to transform lives with every purchase. Featuring beautifully crafted products made by survivors of human trafficking, refugees, and immigrants, this guide empowers you to give with intention. Every item supports dignified employment, educational scholarships, and sustainable practices, creating a ripple effect of hope and change.
From elegant jewelry and stylish accessories to heartwarming home décor, the HOPE Gift Guide offers something meaningful for everyone on your list. Whether you're celebrating the holidays or looking for a thoughtful gift for any occasion, these purpose-driven products are a powerful way to make a difference.
Choose gifts that inspire, uplift, and empower—not just for the season, but throughout the year. Together, we can spread hope, one meaningful gift at a time.
