THREE MAJOR U.S. hospitality firms have donated $1 million to the No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund by the American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation to support human trafficking prevention and survivors, a statement said.
The Hyatt Hotels Foundation donated $500,000 to the fund and the G6 Hospitality and Extended Stay America gave a combined $500,000 to the initiative, AHLA said in a statement.
The fund supports economic stability for survivors of human trafficking. It also provides advance training and education to prevent human trafficking within the industry.
A representative from the Hyatt Hotels Foundation will serve as co-chair of the No Room for Trafficking Advisory Council.
“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, the Hyatt foundation’s chief human resource officer.
“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," said Rosanna Maietta, president and CEO of AHLA Foundation.
The heads of G6 and ESA also were enthusiastic about participating in “No Room for Trafficking.”
“This donation redoubles our efforts to train hotel employees across the industry better and provides support to human trafficking survivors,” said Rob Palleschi, G6’s CEO. “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,"
Greg Juceam, ESA’s president and CEO, said the company is proud to partner with the fund in its next natural phase of added training and survivor support.
“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,” Juceam said. “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.’”
The hotel industry has a long history of combatting human trafficking, said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA.
“With this monumental contribution from Hyatt Hotel Foundation, G6 Hospitality and Extended Stay America,” Rogers said. “’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.”
In April, Red Roof announced a new partnership with anti-child trafficking and exploitation organization ECPAT-USA, donating $10,000 to the organization.
