As we approach the end of 2024, I can’t help but reflect on the past year—and the people and partnerships that drive our work at LCHT. If you’re reading this, that includes you! There is so much to be grateful for: our volunteers, Board Members, community partners, and supporters.
You are the heartbeat of our progress in this movement. Let me tell you about a few milestones in anti-trafficking you made possible this year…
Answering the Call: How Volunteer Hotline Advocates Empower Survivors
This year, two new cohorts of dedicated volunteer Hotline Advocates joined us. They were trained to answer calls and texts on Colorado’s 24/7 Human Trafficking Hotline. Each person committed to 24+ hours of initial training, quarterly meetings, and several monthly shifts. Volunteers collectively cover 31 shifts every week, providing timely responses to calls and texts at any hour of the day or night. They play an essential role in empowering survivors.
“I chose to volunteer to combat human trafficking due to my deep passion for educating others and advocating for this serious and expansive crime against humanity. It is an absolute honor to dedicate my time and energy to support those affected in whatever way I can.”
— New Volunteer Hotline Advocate, November 2024
Volunteers offer a listening ear to someone in crisis. They guide callers to shelter options and connect them to legal and counseling services. When a survivor or individual reporting a tip reaches out for help, they receive empathetic support. They’re also pointed in the direction of any local resources they might need. This is what a local anti-trafficking response looks like!
BREAKING RECORDS! 10,000 Professionals Trained in Anti-Trafficking This Year
One of the biggest milestones in anti-trafficking you made possible this year was training 10,000 individuals in 2024 alone—a record for us! Diverse groups were reached, including healthcare professionals, educators, service providers, and community leaders. More trainings were delivered in Spanish this year. Each person trained strengthened their ability to identify and respond to signs of human trafficking.
Empowering these groups is crucial when it comes to prevention and early intervention. Training enables communities to support survivors more effectively. The more people trained, the more survivors who will receive help to escape their trafficking situation. If you’re interested in getting your team trained in anti-trafficking in 2025, you can book a training session or series here.
Welcoming New Leadership: 7 New Board Members Bring Expertise to LCHT
This year, seven new Board Members joined Team LCHT with fresh energy and invaluable expertise. With diverse backgrounds in areas such as law, policy, education, and immigrant rights, they have already made a tangible impact. Their contribution of time, knowledge, and passion is strengthening our programs and mission.
Our new class of board members has helped implement new processes and navigate leadership transitions in 2024. People who choose to serve on a nonprofit board and give back to missions like ending human trafficking should be celebrated! I deeply appreciate their guidance as we grow.
Standing Up for Workers’ Rights: Joining Forces to End Labor Exploitation in Colorado
The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) is a statewide membership-based coalition. They were founded to improve the lives of immigrants and refugees in Colorado and the United States as a whole. This year, CIRC adopted new strategic priorities through a coalition vote. As part of a broader focus on workers’ rights, LCHT submitted language to address wage theft and labor trafficking. We share a goal to address labor exploitation and create safer, fairer working environments across Colorado.
Team members Kara (far left) and Kristina (far right) with staff at Loving Beyond Understanding (center).
Tackling the Factors Behind Human Trafficking: Root Cause Conversations
This year, we held Root Cause Conversations to discuss the risk and resilience factors of human trafficking—another of our milestones in anti-trafficking aimed at addressing systemic issues. Loving Beyond Understanding, The Center on Colfax, and CIRC were a few key partners in these ongoing conversations. We explored the intersection of human trafficking with LGBTQIA+ oppressions and immigration. The root causes identified are laying the groundwork for future trainings, workshops, and research. These discussions will be turned into actionable steps at the community level across Colorado. Stay tuned!
Centering Survivors in Human Trafficking Reports and Support Systems
I serve as the Co-chair of the Data & Research Task Force for the Governor-appointed Colorado Human Trafficking Council. In this role, I get to connect LCHT’s expertise to statewide anti-trafficking efforts. This year, we conducted a 10-year retrospective on data collection for the Council’s yearly and 3-year snapshots. These efforts paint a picture of human trafficking crimes committed in Colorado, which we submit to the Colorado General Assembly every January.
The report, set to be released early next year, centralizes survivors. It outlines the ways in which someone would report human trafficking, receive services, and possibly pursue a criminal or civil case against their trafficker. We sought to highlight the challenges in such a process, where someone might not be able to move forward or want to move forward. While Colorado has many resources available to support survivors, it can be difficult to navigate the various systems.
As a result, there are far more survivors of human trafficking in Colorado than those who are “counted.” This report aims to capture those challenges faced by individuals and the systems that aim to serve them. I hope it will ensure that survivor voices shape the future of Colorado’s anti-trafficking movement.
Team members Kara (left) and Katlyn (right) at a recent community event in Pueblo, Colorado.
Building Momentum: Thank You for Making Change!
With all our efforts combined, we can create systemic change. We can better serve and protect human trafficking survivors. I’m optimistic for the rest of this year and the next one ahead, knowing that our collective efforts have laid a strong foundation for the work to come.
Thank you for being a driving force in this human rights movement. You are amplifying the voices that too often go unheard. As we look ahead, our commitment to this work remains steadfast. No matter what challenges we face, our collective dedication to a world free from sex and labor trafficking will always guide us forward. Your partnership and belief in this vision are what make this possible. Thank you for standing with us and supporting this critical mission across Colorado!
Want to make an early gift this holiday season? Donate today to make the end of human trafficking in Colorado possible. Your gift will provide resources to survivors, train more professionals, and prevent future cases of this crime, and support us in achieving future milestones in anti-trafficking.