The AHLA Foundation has awarded $500,000 in inaugural No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Survivor Fund grants to four community-based organizations that serve human trafficking survivors.
The 2023 NRFT Survivor Fund grant recipients will provide and promote resources to build survivors’ stability and self-sufficiency—from childcare and housing to transportation, career training and employment opportunities. The 2023 grantees are:
- Safe House Project, Emergency Services Program
- Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST), Safe Jobs Collaborative
- Restore NYC Inc., Economic Empowerment Program
- University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom and Empowerment (SAFE) Center for Human Trafficking Survivors, “Future in Training” Hospitality Job Readiness Program
The NRFT Survivor Fund is a first for the hospitality sector. It launched last year, expanding upon the hotel and lodging industry’s efforts to support trafficking survivors. Since its launch, the fund has grown to $3.4 million. As part of its continued commitment to combatting this issue, AHLA Foundation is matching NRFT Survivor Fund contributions up to $5 million (with an overall goal of $10 million in total contributions by the end of 2023).
“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, AHLA Foundation. “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.”
The NRFT Advisory Council, which includes executive leaders from across the hotel and lodging industry, announced the grants as part of the NRFT Summit at the Park Hyatt in Washington, DC. The event highlighted the hotel industry’s critical efforts in the fight against human trafficking and featured a keynote address from U.S. Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Cindy Dyer.
