Twenty years can make a difference—and in the movement to end human trafficking in Colorado, it already has. 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking. Over the past two decades, advocates, survivor leaders, and community members have transformed the way our state responds to exploitation. This post is part of our series reflecting on the past, present, and future of Colorado’s anti-trafficking movement. Join us!
As the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking celebrates two decades of anti-trafficking work in Colorado this year, we asked our community to reflect on the journey with us. Because this milestone isn’t just about us… it’s about you, the community that has made this work possible. Several board and staff members, volunteers, partners, and supporters shared a favorite story or memory from the past two decades.
Their reflections remind us of the power of collaboration, resilience of survivors, and impact of collective action in the fight against human trafficking. Keep reading to hear their perspectives on the moments that have shaped Colorado’s anti-trafficking movement—and will inspire the work ahead.
Cindy Goldman, former Board Chair and Board Member (2013-2024)
“Having been a volunteer for over half of the 20 years, it’s hard to think of a memory to single out. My time at LCHT literally changed the way I view the world and the people who need our help. I remember fondly our educational sessions to better understand vulnerability to trafficking, like the exercise AJ led at a board meeting in 2015 on privilege. We took a paper clip for various experiences in our lives to help take inventory of our personal privilege in a very physical way.
When I started on the Board, it was shortly after the inaugural Colorado Project had completely wound down. Amanda was the only staff member. LCHT was re-evaluating and deciding how to rebuild. There were uncertain, challenging, and many rewarding times as it grew to be the organization it is today. I’m so thankful to have been part of that growth.”
Dr. Cate Bowman, Former LCHT Partner
“I worked with LCHT in various capacities between 2009 and 2019. I served on an early iteration of The Colorado Project Advisory Board and worked in my capacity at Colorado Legal Services on a grant with LCHT, and Amanda, AJ, and I worked together on the Colorado Human Trafficking Council’s Data and Research Subcommittee.
My favorite LCHT story is one that I’m not sure I had the courage to tell anyone. In 2010, I was working with Amanda and the team on an outreach event in Glenwood Springs. Amanda made sure we were well fed, and we even managed to snag an amazing panelist, the then-Chief of Police of Vail, Dwight Henninger, who was an amazing immigrant advocate and just fantastic. What could go wrong, right?
As we’re leaving, I am just moving along I-70 down the hill into Vail when I am stopped by a Vail police officer. I was about 7 months pregnant and horrified and definitely name dropped that I had just seen Dwight Henninger at a conference, and I was really sorry that I was speeding. I got out of that ticket!”
Sergeant Shanna Michael, Denver Police Department
“I have the honor of supervising the Denver Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit. I have witnessed firsthand the importance of collaboration in this work. Each month, the Denver Police Department receives an average of four human trafficking tips from LCHT. These reports are a vital entry point for investigations, often resulting in the identification of victims and suspects and the initiation of criminal cases.
One particularly impactful tip came in November 2023. A concerned parent contacted the Hotline reporting that their adult daughter was being drugged and held against her will by a sex trafficker and his wife in Denver. The tip was quickly shared with the department’s human trafficking unit and promptly investigated. As a result, four additional victims were identified, all of whom were offered support, resources, and safe housing. Two individuals have been arrested, and the case is now moving through the judicial process.
Our relationship with the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking is a model of what’s possible when we prioritize collaboration, open dialogue, and shared commitment to ending human trafficking. Here’s to 20 years of meaningful change and to the continued fight ahead.”
Sara Nadelman, Former LCHT Partner
“I came to Colorado in the anti-trafficking field and was welcomed by the LCHT team. I found the work that they did consistently well thought out, client-centered, and survivor-centered. They were always advocates for the right thing, and I was so lucky to work with them for so many years.”
Nicole Cervera Loy, Volunteer Hotline Advocate
“My favorite memory with LCHT is whenever we get any news or updates on our tips [to Colorado’s 24/7 Human Trafficking Hotline]; it’s very rare that it happens. We are usually the first step in someone’s journey, not the end, so we don’t usually get feedback on what happened afterward. Anytime I get any remotely positive, helpful feedback that we submitted to police [at the survivor’s request] or assisted, it makes what we’re doing feel very real. One of our tips led to a continued investigation that led to a conviction. That’s really powerful, and it demonstrates how one small part of someone’s journey can change with just a phone call.”
Steve Hannon, Former Board Member
“I joined the LCHT Board in early 2013 and served for about eight years. One early memory for me is when AJ, Amanda, and the team rolled out the initial Colorado Project Report. Later that same year, an event was held on the Auraria Campus, and it was quite impressive. It registered for me what a glue organization LCHT was and is. LCHT’s unique ability to engage with and draw together leaders, organizations, and communities to listen and identify thoughtful approaches to end human trafficking stood out then, and it endures. Of course, in these times of great uncertainty, I think the role LCHT serves is even more vital.”
Lauren Holsombeck, Program Coordinator
“I often think back to when I went through the Hotline Advocate training as a volunteer in October 2020. At the time, I was new to both LCHT and the issue of human trafficking. I was doing my social work internship and was so impressed by the people I met through the experience.
I think back to that training and how far I’ve come and how far the training program has come. Now, I lead these trainings alongside our amazing staff, and it feels like a full-circle moment. In fact, that fall 2020 cohort was our largest yet, and many of those Advocates are still volunteering with us today.”
Kristina Wilburn, Associate Manager, Training and Education
“My favorite story from my time working with LCHT was taking fundraising and donor training with Craig, Cindy, and Amanda. It solidified the fact that I was part of this awesome organization and was able to collaborate on projects with staff and board members. I got a feel for the mission, but also the significant roles that everyone played. Since then, I’ve continued to build those relationships and partnerships and find ways to make sure our work continues.”
Louie Greek, Partner at Truckers Against Trafficking
“I’m a training specialist with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT). One of my favorite memories of working with the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking is co-presenting with Kristina Wilburn to frontline workers at travel centers and truck stops along our roadways. The transportation industry plays a vital role in combating human trafficking in Colorado. TAT is grateful for the partnership and collaboration with LCHT over the years.”
Marla Sutherland, Research Manager
“Before I started as Research Manager, I had the privilege of partnering with LCHT as a provider. I was working in the homeless response system, and LCHT had reached out to do community-based participatory action research with us on the root causes of human trafficking. I felt firsthand what it meant to be a partner of LCHT—the integrity, the care, the value of lived experience, and the drive for social justice and human rights shone through from beginning to end of the research project.”
Alexis Martinez, Hotline Backup Manager
“I’ve been an Advocate with LCHT since October 2020 and a Backup Manager since September 2021. My favorite story since working with LCHT was during the pandemic. There was a really fun art project that some of the Advocates, staff, and Backup Managers did at an art studio. We did pastel paintings of a sunset, and it was so much fun just doing creative things and being social with everybody.”
Katlyn Pryshlak, Hotline and Advocacy Manager
“A story that stands out to me is from our end-of-year event last year in December 2024. What really struck me at this event was that we had about ten of our Hotline Advocates in attendance. These are the volunteers that answer calls and texts on the Colorado Human Trafficking Hotline, and one of them brought her whole family—mom, dad, and siblings.
I felt like this is what it means to be an advocate. It’s not just you that needs to get involved in this issue; it’s every single one of us. All of us need to know more about this in order to care more about this, and then hopefully do something about it. It was such an embodiment of advocacy to bring your whole family to the event with you, not only to show them what you’ve been engaged with, but to invite them into this issue to learn and hopefully become supporters in their own way.”
Rev. Dr. David Goldberg, Former Board Member
“I happen to be an ordained minister in two faith traditions: religious science, the work of Ernest Holmes, and unity, the work of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. In both of those traditions, we frequently sing a chant that says, ‘I cannot do all the good that the world needs, and the world needs all the good that I can do.’ That is what I offer by way of a salute to AJ, to Amanda, and to all who have contributed in any way your time, your talent, your treasure. We cannot do all the good that the world needs, and the world needs all the good that we can do.”
Jen Jachimiec, Volunteer Hotline Advocate, Hotline Backup Manager, and Healthcare Trainer
“My favorite memory with LCHT is the amount of people that we are able to help through the Hotline every year, year over year. I also love that there are so many ways to get involved and stay engaged with LCHT over the years—I’ve been involved since 2017. They continue to push education and training in new and innovative ways, and I’m really excited to still be a part of this program and organization.”
Colleen Devlin, Volunteer Hotline Advocate
“I have been a Volunteer Hotline Advocate since 2019. One of my favorite stories was a few years ago when I received a call from a man who wanted to report something he had overheard at a bar. Now, we were not getting many calls from men at the time, and if we were, they were not reporting perpetrators of trafficking. To someone who might not know that much about trafficking, what this man overheard could have just sounded like a lively boys’ night out. But this caller knew enough about trafficking, and he knew the red flags, and then he knew to call us.
This knowledge never would have reached this caller if it hadn’t been for the years of advocacy that LCHT had done to spread awareness about human trafficking in Colorado. This call is special to me because it represents the moment that I realized that the Hotline was more than just a resource for individuals who had survived past trafficking experiences. It has become a tool that could be used to help prevent future instances of trafficking.”
As we reflect on the past two decades, we are grateful for all the incredible people who have contributed to Colorado’s anti-trafficking movement. We’ve seen the difference that 20 years can make—and you’ve been an essential part of it. Thank you!
Your turn! Did reading these stories inspire you to share your own? Take a quick minute to share a story or memory with LCHT from the past two decades in a video or audio clip. We’re collecting stories throughout 2025, and will be sharing more! Your voice will help honor the impact we’ve made together and inspire the next chapter of this movement.