Every Movement Starts With Someone Going First

Human Trafficking Prevention Month guest blog by Melissa Ice at The Worthy Co.

Every January, we observe Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Hotels hang posters in break

rooms. Training videos get watched. Awareness gets raised. And all of that matters, but let me

tell you what matters even more: what happens after awareness.

Because awareness without action is just information. And information without transformation

doesn't change lives.

Every movement that has ever mattered started with someone going first. Someone willing to

take the road less traveled. Someone who said yes when it would have been easier to say no.

Someone who looked at a broken system and decided their purchasing power, their platform,

their business could be part of the solution.

This Human Trafficking Prevention Month, I want to challenge you to be that someone.

But first, let's dismantle some myths about what trafficking actually looks like in your community.

Forget what you've seen in movies. The women being exploited in your city weren't kidnapped

from mall parking lots or smuggled across borders in shipping containers. According to the FBI,

less than 1% of trafficking victims are kidnapped. Most are exploited by someone they know and

trust: a boyfriend, a family member, a friend. For example, Texas ranks 2nd in the country for

reported cases of human trafficking, which means this isn't a distant problem. It's happening in

the communities where your hotels operate.

The path into trafficking is usually paved with vulnerabilities we'd rather not think about: poverty, childhood sexual abuse, homelessness, systemic racism, aging out of foster care with nowhere to go. These are the overlooked, the forgotten, those society has written off as ‘too far gone. The ones who've been incarcerated and labeled "just a prostitute"...as if she chose to be bought and sold, as if she ever had any true viable options.

And here's what breaks my heart: while I was working my first retail job at the mall as a

teenager, learning to show up on time and build a resume, many of these women were being

exploited. They were robbed of the opportunity to develop those basic workplace skills most of

us take for granted. No wonder they struggle to find legitimate employment as adults.

This is where you, the hospitality industry, have a unique opportunity to go first.

Training your staff to recognize the signs of trafficking is critical. But what happens after you

spot the red flags? What pathways to freedom exist for someone who wants out? Studies show

that 85-95% of victims would change their situation if they could but aren't sure how.

True prevention means addressing the root causes: poverty, lack of opportunity, and economic

vulnerability. It means creating pathways to sustainable employment for those who need it most.

And it means being willing to use your purchasing power differently.

Let me give you an example of what going first looks like.

At The Net, we've served over 2,000 survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation since 2012.

Through our programs, survivors receive case management, counseling, life skills classes, and

support groups. Women do the incredibly hard work of healing from trauma and rebuilding their

lives. But here's what we kept seeing: no matter how much programming you offer a woman,

she can't truly experience freedom if she's unable to secure dignified employment that pays a

living wage.

So in 2018, we went first. We created The Worthy Co., a social enterprise providing employment

and hands-on job training to survivors. We offer training in over 40 different skills and the

opportunity to earn 10 different certifications: manufacturing, wholesale fulfillment, shipping,

logistics, retail management, customer service. Real skills that lead to real careers.

Just last month, one of our women shared something with me through tears that I can't stop

thinking about. She told me she was finally able to move her teenage son, who has Down

syndrome, back into her home. She's so proud that she can provide for him and be the mom he

needs. That's what economic independence looks like. That's what freedom actually means.

We hand-pour candles, because there's something powerful about the symbolism of light breaking through darkness, and create jewelry and other handcrafted goods. Every single item employs and empowers a survivor. When hospitality companies choose to source from social enterprises like ours, they're not just checking a box for their impact goals. They're literally creating the opportunity for a woman to rebuild her life.

But someone had to go first. Someone had to believe that business could be a force for

restoration. Someone had to be willing to invest differently, source differently, think differently

about their supply chain.

This Human Trafficking Prevention Month, I'm asking you to be that someone.

The vulnerable people in your community need dignified employment opportunities right now.

And your purchasing decisions can create those opportunities.

So yes, train your staff. Hang the posters. Raise awareness. But also ask yourself: where are

we spending our money, and who are we employing through our purchasing decisions? Are we

willing to go first? Are we willing to take the road less traveled?

Because at the end of the day, a woman who can provide for herself and her family, who can

bring her son home, isn't just surviving. She's free.

And every movement toward freedom starts with someone going first.

Will it be you?

Shop The Worthy Co. & Empower Survivors

A Note from Procure Impact

Procure Impact would like to acknowledge the hospitality industry’s leadership in the fight against human trafficking and to stand alongside the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s No Room for Trafficking campaign and its ongoing efforts to raise awareness, train teams, and drive real action across the industry—including its updated prevention training.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our existing partner hotels and management companies who have already committed to making a difference by using their purchasing power to support survivor-employing social enterprises. Your willingness to “go first” is creating dignified jobs, economic independence, and tangible pathways to freedom for survivors.

Together, these commitments move awareness into action — and help ensure that business can be a powerful force for restoration.

Shop Our Survivor Made Collection

About the author:

Melissa has been working with different NGOs locally & globally, serving people in poverty since 2002.

She is currently the Founder & Executive Director of The Net, a non-profit that has served over 2,000 survivors of trafficking since 2012. The Net also launched their social enterprise called The Worthy Co., where Melissa serves as Co-Founder and Chief Vision Officer. The Worthy Co, provides formerly trafficked women job training and development through their brick & mortar retail store, candle studio and ecommerce site where 100% of sales employs and empowers survivors.

Melissa was named Fort Worth Magazine’s Best Philanthropist, Fort Worth Business Press 40 Under 40 and Fort Worth Inc’s 400 Most Influential People. She is married to her husband Jamey, fellow entrepreneur, and together they have a few luxury airbnb properties in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Casa De Ice & Casa De Camino.

About Worthy Co:

The Worthy Co. is a Fort Worth-based social enterprise providing dignified employment and job training to survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation. Founded in 2018 as the employment arm of The Net, an anti-trafficking organization serving survivors since 2012, The Worthy Co. was created to address a critical need: without sustainable employment, true freedom remains out of reach.

Survivors hand-pour candles, craft jewelry, and create artisan goods while receiving training in over 40 different skills: from manufacturing and logistics to retail management and customer service. 100% of sales and profits go directly back into supporting the women and their journey toward independence. Every product purchased employs and empowers a survivor, providing not just a paycheck but a pathway to rebuild their lives and provide for their families. The Worthy Co. recently opened a pop-up location at The Shops at Clearfork in Fort Worth.