The American Hotel & Lodging Foundation (AHLA Foundation) has received a donation of $500,000 from the Hyatt Hotels Foundation, and a combined $500,000 donation from G6 Hospitality and Extended Stay America to launch the No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund and expand the hotel industry’s ongoing work to support human trafficking prevention and survivors.
No Room for Trafficking is an AHLA Foundation national awareness program that builds on the industry’s ongoing commitment and work to end human trafficking. No Room for Trafficking is committed to supporting economic stability for survivors of human trafficking, while continuing to advance training and education to prevent human trafficking within the industry.
With the donation from theses companies, and further support from the industry, the fund will be able to equip community-based organizations with the resources they need to engage and support survivors—from direct financial support of their short-term, baseline needs through to career-related support that can empower and equip them on their path forward.
“We are so grateful to the Hyatt Hotels Foundation for its generous donation which will jumpstart the No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund to support career training, employment opportunities, housing and childcare needs of those who have experienced the horrors of trafficking,” said Rosanna Maietta, president/CEO, AHLA Foundation. “The fight against human trafficking has no finish line, and as an industry we will continue to provide cutting-edge resources and support to ensure we are doing all we can to prevent and respond to human trafficking.”
She added, “G6 Hospitality and Extended Stay America have long been committed to eradicating human trafficking and steadfast in their support of the industry’s prevention efforts. Their passion and this generous financial commitment are a huge reason why No Room for Trafficking can continue to evolve and positively impact lives. As chair of the foundation board in 2020, Greg Juceam [president/CEO, Extended Stay America] was instrumental in bringing the No Room for Trafficking campaign under the auspices of the Foundation in order for us to expand our scope and activities. I’m so grateful for his leadership.”
Chip Rogers, president/CEO, AHLA, added, “The hotel industry is dedicated to eradicating human trafficking and doing its part to support survivors. The generous donation provided by the Hyatt Hotel Foundation puts us one step closer to achieving this goal. We are extremely grateful for the continued support of the Hyatt Hotels Foundation as we, as an industry, seek to provide resources and support services for survivors of human trafficking.”
He continued, “Our industry’s long history of combatting human trafficking continues today with this monumental contribution from G6 Hospitality and Extended Stay America. The No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund is now able to support the industry as we seek to provide resources and support services for survivors of human trafficking.”
“We recognize the potential of human trafficking to intersect with the hospitality industry and believe that one of the best ways the industry can combat the egregious violation of fundamental human rights is through efforts like the AHLA Foundation’s No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund,” said Malaika Myers, Hyatt Hotels Foundation. “The Hyatt Hotels Foundation is proud to seed the kick-off donation to the fund and is committed to furthering efforts in this space.”
Rob Palleschi, CEO, G6 Hospitality, said, “This donation redoubles our efforts to better train hotel employees across the industry and provides support to human trafficking survivors. We are grateful to be on the ground floor of building the No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund, and will continue to do everything we can to ensure the hotel industry is supporting, listening to and learning from survivors.”
“In my time as chair of the AHLA Foundation, with unanimous support from our Board of Trustees, I supported and shaped the critical mission outlined by the No Room for Trafficking program. This next phase of added training and survivor support is a natural progression, and we are proud to be providing one of the founding financial commitments to the No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund,” said Juceam.
“Human trafficking is a global societal problem and everyone has to do their part to help combat this crime,” said Ama Romaine, former general counsel/chief compliance officer, G6 Hospitality. “The launch of the No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund is the culmination of several years of hard work by many throughout the industry including AHLAF and my former colleagues at G6 and it is a testament to our collective commitment to providing meaningful support to survivors.”
With this donation, a representative from the Hyatt Hotels Foundation will serve as co-chair of the No Room for Trafficking Advisory Council that will bring together industry executive leaders in thought leadership and action to drive forward their collective efforts to eradicate human trafficking and support survivors. Together with survivors, they will set a framework for the Survivor Fund, as well as identify other areas of innovation and opportunity for the industry’s human trafficking prevention and awareness efforts. Once established, the next phase of the fund will be to disburse critical resources to support survivors.
