Free 2 Fly History
OUR STORY
Building a Legacy
Every organization has a history. Ours is really a story of women whose lives have been transformed through the faith, generosity, and support of an incredible community. What began in 2014 as a small dream has grown into a program helping women build lives beyond crisis.
Our story began in the winter of 2013 when Hailey Johnston, our Founder and CEO, started to dream of a way to support, nurture, and empower women in need in her community. Hailey gathered other women who had the same passion and formed Free 2 Fly’s first Board of Directors. Over the next year they started forming a program that would assist women who were coming out of a variety of situations such as homelessness, addiction, crisis pregnancy and more.Â
Hailey paired her love of sewing and her passion for helping women and Free 2 Fly was born. In April 2014, Free 2 Fly officially introduced its vision to the community. Later that year, we hosted the very first 'bird & barn' fundraiser. What began as a small gathering of local makers became much more than a fundraiser, it became a community of people choosing to invest in women rebuilding their lives.
In January 2015, we opened our first official office and workspace in downtown Cleveland. Just one month later, we welcomed the first woman into our program, transforming Free 2 Fly from a vision into a life-changing reality. Every bag sewn and every paycheck earned represented more than employment; it represented hope, dignity, and the opportunity to build a different future. That same year, Joanna Ivey joined the team as Creative Director, helping shape not only the products our customers love today but also meaningful work opportunities for the women in our program.
By September 2016 more women joined the program and demand for our handcrafted products grew, our original space quickly became too small. Opening our first storefront wasn't simply about having a retail location, it created more opportunities, introduced customers to our mission, and allowed our community to experience the impact behind every product firsthand.
By 2018, trusted community organizations began referring women to Free 2 Fly, allowing us to reach women from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances. These partnerships strengthened our ability to walk alongside women long after the initial crisis had passed, providing them with financial, emotional, and spiritual support to get them on the path to sustainability.Â
Later that year an opportunity presented itself to purchase a building around the block from our current location. What once served as a storage facility would soon become a place where women could discover hope, purpose, and sustainable independence.
Purchasing this building was a major step of faith for our organization, but we knew this was an opportunity only God could have orchestrated. There were rental apartments on the top floor that were occupied. Because of the rental income, we realized that that would allow our organization to be able to pay the monthly mortgage & expenses on the building. With that plan in place, we knew we would next need to raise the construction expenses to be able to restore the space. Â
Launching the "Forever Home" Capital Campaign in January 2019 wasn't simply about renovating a building. It was about creating a permanent place where women could find meaningful work, healing, and community for years to come. We set a goal of $150,000 to get it move in ready. Over the next year our staff, board, women, and volunteers worked around the clock to fundraise, clean, and restore the building. Â
In February 2020, Free 2 Fly officially moved into its "Forever Home." More than a new address, it represented the faithfulness of God, the generosity of our community, and a lasting investment in the women we serve.
Today, Free 2 Fly is about far more than handcrafted products. It's a place where women discover confidence, develop practical skills, receive counseling, build meaningful relationships, and create sustainable futures. Every milestone in our history has been driven by one purpose: helping women move beyond crisis and into lasting independence. While we're grateful for everything God has done over the past decade, we believe the best chapters of our story are still ahead.
Every woman who joins our program, every customer who shops with purpose, every volunteer, donor, and community partner becomes part of what we're building next.Â