The University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors and Steptoe LLP praised Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the county’s Task Force on Human Trafficking, and the County Council for passing groundbreaking legislation aimed at combating sex and labor trafficking in the county through procurement law. The legislation, passed unanimously on July 2, 2024, makes Prince George’s […]
In August 2024, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Representatives Glenn Ivey (D-MD), David Valadao (R-CA), and Delia Ramirez (D-IL) introduced The Continued Presence Improvement Act to strengthen protections for human trafficking survivors in the U.S. This bill aims to reduce survivors’ vulnerability to further exploitation and to […]
For the second consecutive year, the SAFE Center has been selected by the American Hotel and Lodging Association Foundation (AHLA) as a national grant recipient to expand its program in partnership with Marriott International to train human trafficking survivors nationwide for careers in the hospitality industry. In 2018, Marriott International and the Global Fund to […]
he SAFE Center’s Founder and CEO, Susan Esserman, is featured in articles highlighting a recent human trafficking case in Maryland. Esserman discusses how transportation hubs can facilitate human trafficking. She highlighted that the SAFE Center, which primarily serves Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, has assisted more than 400 sex and labor trafficking survivors and their […]
Source: AHLA Foundation| July 19, 2023 WASHINGTON (July 19, 2023) – The AHLA Foundation announced $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 […]
Source: Marriott International | July 27, 2023 In recognition of World Day against Trafficking in Persons on July 30, Marriott International and the University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment Center for Human Trafficking Survivors (the SAFE Center) today announced the nationwide expansion of Future in Training (FiT) Curriculum that seeks to equip […]
Source: Maryland Today| July 27, 2023 Marriott International and the University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment (SAFE) Center for Human Trafficking Survivors will expand a program to prepare survivors of human trafficking for hospitality careers. The national rollout of the Future in Training (FiT) Curriculum will span 11 metropolitan areas throughout the continental United States and […]
Source: AHLA Foundation| July 19, 2023 WASHINGTON (July 19, 2023) – The AHLA Foundation announced $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 […]
Source: El Tiempo Latino/DCist| July 19, 2023 In 2021, there were just over 300 proven cases of human trafficking reported in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. But experts consulted by El Tiempo Latino say that’s a drastic undercount. Among Hispanic communities, labor and sex traffickers tend to be family members, neighbors, or friends of their […]
Source: University of Maryland School of Social Work | April 12, 2023 With April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) interviewed Jatnna Gomez, LBSW (She/Her). Jatnna is the Director of Equity and Community Engagement at the University of Maryland’s SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors, and we discussed the importance of the month and how we […]
