This year marks the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking’s 20th anniversary, a milestone made possible by people who keep showing up for Colorado’s anti-trafficking movement. As we prepare to kick off our year-end giving campaign called Carry the Work, we are reflecting on those who choose to carry this work forward. From longtime volunteers to emerging leaders, they are the reason that this work continues.
Among them are a group of interns from our Leadership Development Program, a 10-week internship that equips participants with skills, mentoring, and experience to pursue careers in human rights. Three current interns and another from last summer decided to step up as volunteer Hotline Advocates for Colorado’s 24/7 Human Trafficking Hotline.
This is the first time so many interns in one cohort have extended their engagement to become Hotline Advocates. It speaks to their dedication to supporting survivors and making Colorado safer. It’s this type of commitment that keeps our Hotline strong during a critical time, when federal funding cuts pose a significant threat.
Hotline Advocates remind survivors that they’re not alone.
Lauren Holsombeck, LCHT’s Program Coordinator and a Leadership Development Program alum herself, expands on what their commitment means. “At a time when many programs face funding challenges and service gaps, the Hotline remains one of the few consistent, statewide resources available 24/7. It’s a trusted bridge connecting survivors to service providers, law enforcement (when requested), and community-based support.”
The Hotline wouldn’t be possible without volunteer Hotline Advocates. Lauren continues, “Every call and text that comes through the Hotline or textline represents someone reaching out for safety, clarity, or support. It’s our volunteer Advocates who meet them there.”
Advocates do more than just keep the Hotline operating; they raise the standard of care. Lauren explains, “Often, people reach out unsure of what they need or where to begin. Our advocates listen with care, bringing a sense of calm and clarity. They remind people they’re not alone and that help is within reach.”
“In those conversations, there’s often a small but powerful moment of hope that reminds them support still exists and someone is willing to walk alongside them to figure it out. Their dedication ensures people across Colorado receive compassionate, informed, and coordinated support when they need it most.”
Keep reading to meet Sydney, Anna, and Maddy, three interns who are helping to carry the work to end human trafficking in Colorado forward.
Without a new generation of leaders, the anti-trafficking movement could lose momentum. Will you help launch tomorrow’s leaders to carry this work forward?
Sydney: “I wanted to help survivors in the best way I can.”
Sydney Genovese applied for LCHT’s Leadership Development Program to gain a better understanding of human trafficking in Colorado. “It stuck out to me that I would be able to learn leadership skills, which most internships didn’t offer,” she says.
A current intern, Sydney has become aware of the many factors that can make someone more vulnerable to human trafficking. She has also reflected on why she wants to work within the human rights sector.
Sydney took the next step by getting trained as a Hotline Advocate. She shares, “I was inspired to join the Hotline because I wanted to help survivors in the best way I can.”
One thing Sydney has learned through training sessions for the Hotline? “You can never assume what a person needs, even if YOU think it’s right. Always give the survivor the autonomy to decide what is right for them.”
Anna: “I wanted to do more.”
Anna Roberts, another current member of our fall intern cohort, is an international studies major who applied to gain professional experience. She says, “The combination of working alongside leaders in the anti-trafficking movement while receiving education in how to be a sustainable human rights leader is an incredible experience that has made me a better student, advocate, and overall person.”
Reflecting on her experience so far, Anna says, “Everyone at LCHT comes from different backgrounds, but the same passion to end human trafficking. The passion from LCHT’s human rights leaders is infectious, and I knew that I wanted to do more.”
So Anna got even more involved in the fight to end human trafficking by volunteering for the Hotline. “This work is hard, but the built-in support system at the Hotline makes me feel cared for. I know that I can always ask for help or take a step back, and that empowers me to keep advocating.”
A favorite learning? “I realized that my Colorado community rocks, and there are people from all over the state stepping up to advocate,” says Anna. “People come with different experiences and knowledge bases, but the same understanding that they can do something to end human trafficking. This experience has taught me a lot about who I want to be as a future leader and human being.”
Maddy: “I wanted to be someone survivors could turn to.”
Maddy Foster participated in the Summer 2025 intern cohort. She has always been passionate about advocacy and human rights and applied to be part of something that would create real change. During her internship, Maddy contributed to projects like expanding LCHT’s Hotline Resource Directory by finding law enforcement contacts in underrepresented counties.
She reflects, “It felt empowering to know my work could potentially help strengthen connections for survivors across Colorado.” Maddy was mentored by the LCHT team and took away learnings for the next phase of her career. “I learned that leadership is not about having authority, but it is about listening, learning, and uplifting others.”
After her internship ended, Maddy wanted to continue to be directly involved, so she joined a Hotline Advocate training. She shares, “I wanted to be someone survivors could turn to and someone who listens and believes them. Even when it is challenging, I will keep showing up because this work matters. [The challenges] remind me of the resilience and strength of those impacted by trafficking.”
Reflecting on the Hotline training, Maddy says, “I learned that advocacy is about simply just being there, listening, and creating a safe space, which can mean everything to someone in a crisis. Even small actions can have a big impact. Compassion and consistency are at the heart of this work.”
The next generation gives us hope for the future.
As both a staff member and former intern herself, Lauren says that seeing the next generation of LDP interns take on this responsibility feels “full circle in the most meaningful way.” Lauren’s own internship focused on the Hotline, and she learned firsthand how systems, people, and community responses intersect.
She reflects, “Seeing today’s interns step into that same space reminds me why this work matters. They bring curiosity, empathy, and a genuine desire to learn, not just about trafficking, but about what it means to be an advocate in the field of human rights. LDP gives them the framework to think critically about systems and policy, while the Hotline grounds that learning in daily practice and lived experience.”
She concludes, “Watching them grow is both inspiring and humbling. It’s a reminder that this work is generational and continues because people keep choosing to show up, to care, and to act.”
This fight is heavy… but together, we can carry it.
The work of LCHT is bigger than just a few people. It’s the persistence of a movement. It’s a fight for human rights that requires us all to join in. The commitment of people like Sydney, Anna, Maddy, and Lauren shows what it means to carry the work: to take action and to keep going even (and especially) when it’s hard.
As we celebrate 20 years of progress, we are grateful for these leaders in Colorado’s anti-trafficking movement and everyone who helps keep the Hotline strong. As a result, survivors across Colorado know that support is just a call or text away.
This November, LCHT is launching its year-end campaign, Carry the Work, to protect two decades of progress and power what comes next. Your support today will ensure no call to the Hotline goes unanswered and no rising human rights leader goes unsupported. Give now to strengthen the fight to end sex and labor exploitation in Colorado.