A Call to Action for National Human Trafficking Prevention Month Here’s the hard truth: human trafficking isn’t a distant issue affecting only faraway places. It happens in every state, and yes, it affects your community—including the hotels and resorts where you work and stay.
Last May, at Thistle Farms (a Procure Impact Vendor), eight women survivors of trafficking graduated from their two-year employment program. Eight lives were transformed by the dignity of work and economic independence, job skills development, counseling, and community. Every purchase of their beautiful spa products opens the door for more women to enter the program.
At Procure Impact, we believe in the transformative power of employment. As a company founded on the principle of creating job opportunities for underestimated populations, we know that sustainable, meaningful employment is key to the healing process for survivors.
As we observe Human Trafficking Prevention Month this January, we also understand that professionals in the hotel industry have a unique opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of survivors of exploitation. Let’s talk about it (and then let’s do something about it!).
Understanding the Reality of Human Trafficking in the Hotel Industry
Human trafficking is more complex and often hidden from plain sight than we might realize. It’s not always about dramatic abductions or transporting victims across borders, as Hollywood often portrays. The majority of trafficking situations involve psychological coercion by individuals the victims know and trust, often in communities they are familiar with.
Hotels are, unfortunately, part of the ecosystem. They are often used by traffickers to exploit vulnerable individuals. Unfortunately, many hotels are unaware of the signs of trafficking, or they don’t know how to respond effectively when they do encounter potential victims. The truth is, survivors of trafficking don’t choose this life—they are often driven to it by a lack of better options, such as housing instability, food insecurity, or a history of abuse.
The AHLA Foundation's No Room for Trafficking Program: A Model for Action
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation is doing tremendous work in combating human trafficking through its No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) program. In 2021, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received over 10,359 reported situations of trafficking involving 16,554 individual victims in the U.S. Sadly, these numbers likely represent only a fraction of the actual cases. Polaris Project highlights that human trafficking is often far more pervasive than we realize.
The NRFT program brings together the hospitality industry’s long-standing commitment to eradicating human trafficking and focuses it on collective efforts to meet today’s challenges.
How the Hotel Industry Can Make a Lasting Impact
The hotel industry has a crucial role to play in combatting human trafficking. As a hospitality professional, here are a few ways you can make a significant impact:
1. Recognize the Signs of Trafficking
It all starts with awareness. Train your staff to recognize the red flags of trafficking—such as controlling behavior by a guest, signs of physical abuse in an individual, or unusual patterns of hotel bookings—and equip them with the knowledge to report it.
2. Support the NRFT Program
Engage with the No Room for Trafficking program. This program provides essential resources for your hotel to join the collective fight against trafficking. By using the training resources and attending the events, you’ll be better prepared to identify and act when you spot signs of trafficking.
3. Create Safe Job Opportunities for Survivors
Support survivors by sourcing products made by those rebuilding their lives. Through Procure Impact’s survivor collection, you can access high-quality goods created by survivors who receive not only dignified employment but also wraparound care and services on their journey to financial freedom.
Employment is more than a paycheck—it’s a critical step toward independence and healing. By partnering with vendors who empower survivors, you’re helping them regain stability, confidence, and a brighter future, while adding purpose to your business.
4. Advocate for Systemic Change
Help break down the root causes of trafficking, such as poverty, lack of affordable housing, and barriers to education or employment. Advocate for policy changes that address these systemic issues and provide resources for those most at risk of exploitation.
5. Support Survivor-Centered Programs
Participate in or create programs that provide survivors with the training, mentorship, and support they need to thrive in the hospitality industry and beyond. Your business can be part of a larger network of support that uplifts and empowers survivors to live fulfilling, independent lives.
A Future Where Survivors Thrive
At Procure Impact, we believe that employment is a pathway to freedom for survivors of trafficking. Through initiatives like the AHLA Foundation’s No Room for Trafficking, the hotel industry has a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of this important work. By joining the collective effort to elevate, educate, and empower, we can help create a world where trafficking survivors can thrive—not just survive.
As we observe Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we encourage you to take action. Together, we can make a difference by supporting survivors, creating opportunities, and working to eradicate human trafficking in our communities.
About the Author
Jen Collins
Co-Founder & President, Procure Impact
Jen is a dynamic leader with expertise spanning real estate, hospitality, social impact, and wellness. A seasoned executive with experience in for-profit and non-profit organizations, she has a proven track record in strategy, operations, and community development. Before founding Procure Impact, Jen held leadership roles at LISC and Georgetown University's Beeck Center, advising on deploying capital to underserved communities. A former Division 1 athlete, mindfulness instructor, and youth empowerment advocate, Jen brings a holistic approach to leadership and impact. She holds a degree from Cornell University, where she played Women’s Varsity Basketball.
Connect with Jen: jen@procureimpact.us
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