The Fierce Freedom Podcast

Reaching Into the Cracks of the Foster Care System

It has been estimated that 60-90% of all child sex trafficking victims have histories in the child welfare system. So what happens when the very systems designed to protect children fall short? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Margie Barilla — advocate, speaker, and CEO of Barilla Consulting — to discuss the urgent realities facing vulnerable youth in the United States foster care system and the critical connection between system involvement and child human trafficking risk. In this important conversation, we take a deeper look at the realities many vulnerable youth face within the foster care system and how instability, trauma, abuse, neglect, and lack of support can increase the risk of exploitation and child sex trafficking. Lastly Margie explains how her organization Barilla Consulting is working to "push for immediate protections, advocate for systemic reform, and ensure that no child is abandoned to a dangerous environment." If you'd like to learn more or support the work she's doing, visit: https://www.barillaconsulting.com [https://www.barillaconsulting.com]

Supporting Survivors Through Art, Awareness & Advocacy

In this episode we're joined by two guests from The Bridge to Hope in Menomonie, WI. Angie McIlquham, Director of Sexual Assault Victim Services and Kat Brogan, Sexual Assault Advocate & UW-Stout Campus Advocate. Together, they'll talk about their work supporting survivors in the Chippewa Valley. Both Angie and Kat also share how they got involved in advocacy, the realities of underreporting, and how trauma-informed care helps survivors navigate complex systems while maintaining dignity and self-efficacy. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, The Bridge to Hope is hosting creative, community-centered events all month long—including art initiatives like decorating denim in honor of Denim Day on April 29th—inviting community members to take a stand with survivors. 💛 Learn more, get involved, and view upcoming events at thebridgetohope.org.

Breaking the Silence and Reclaiming Power

In this powerful episode, we talked with JoDee Neil - former crimes-against-children prosecutor, civil litigator, and fierce advocate for survivors - to explore the realities of sexual abuse, disclosure, and healing. JoDee brings a rare and critical perspective shaped by both her legal career and her own lived experience as a sexual assault survivor. Now the author of Outcry Witness: A Former Prosecutor's Guide to Healing and Justice After Sexual Violence - she sheds light on what it truly means to speak up - and why disclosure is not a single moment, but a complex and courageous process. Together, we unpack barriers, and breakthroughs surrounding abuse and survivor healing - and why this moment in history presents new opportunities for truth, justice, and healing transformation. Learn more about JoDee Neil and her work: https://neilnowlegal.com/about-jodee/ [https://neilnowlegal.com/about-jodee/] Purchase her book Outcry Witness here [https://www.amazon.com/Outcry-Witness-Prosecutors-Healing-Violence/dp/1965766196].

Camille's Story: Part 2

In Part 2, Camille shares her journey of rebuilding after a life threatening experience of attempted trafficking and grooming, and how she began to untangle her faith and reclaim her voice. She also reflects on what healthy, boundaried "neighboring" looks like and how she now instigates a grace-paced movement rooted in dignity, agency, and justice — equipping communities to recognize red flags and walk alongside survivors with wisdom and care.

Camille's Story: Part 1

In Part 1 of this episode, Camille LaLond — trauma-informed mentor — shares how her vulnerabilities were exploited and culminated into a situation of grooming and attempted trafficking cloaked in spiritual authority. Camille provides valuable insight on how abusers in faith settings operate in plain sight and utilize tools of manipulation, coercion, and spiritual abuse.