Dive Brief:
- The AHLA Foundation announced last week that it has awarded $500,000 in its inaugural No Room For Trafficking Survivor Fund grants to four organizations.
- The recipients include Safe House Project; Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking; Restore NYC Inc.; and the University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom and Empowerment Center for Human Trafficking Survivors.
- The NRFT Survivor Fund is an initiative of AHLA Foundation’s No Room For Trafficking awareness program. Earlier this month, the foundation announced the formation of an advisory council of hotel industry leaders to support industry-wide anti-trafficking efforts.
Dive Insight:
A large percentage of human trafficking — particularly sex trafficking — occurs in hotels, motels and other lodging, according to Protect All Children from Trafficking USA. AHLA Foundation’s No Room For Trafficking program has combated the issue with awareness campaigns and training programs for years, but has ramped up its charitable giving recently.
The NRFT Survivor Fund launched last year and has since grown its coffers to $3.4 million. AHLA Foundation matches contributions to the fund up to $5 million and has an overall goal of $10 million in total contributions by the end of this year.
“The No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund shows unprecedented alignment by the industry in the fight against trafficking and provides crucial support to survivors on their path forward,” said Anna Blue, president of AHLA Foundation, in a statement. “By investing in organizations leading on the front lines of survivor support, the collective impact of the industry can help break the trafficking cycle and make a positive difference in the lives of survivors.”
AHLA Foundation announced the 2023 grants as part of its NRFT Summit at the Park Hyatt in Washington, D.C.
The grants will support specific projects that promote survivors’ stability and self-sufficiency. At Safe House Project, grants will support its emergency services program. BEST Alliance funds will go toward its Safe Jobs Collaborative, which connects employers with job-ready survivors or individuals at risk of being trafficked. Restore NYC Inc. will use funds to support its Economic Empowerment Program, which supports women preparing for careers. And the University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors will apply funds to its “Future in Training” Hospitality Job Readiness Program.
AHLA Foundation’s newly launched NRFT Advisory Councill is led by co-chairs Joan Bottarini, Hyatt Hotels’ CFO, and Farah Bhayani, general counsel and chief compliance officer at G6 Hospitality.
