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NEWS ARTICLES

Safe House Project in the News 2023-2024

At Safe House Project, we are dedicated to eradicating human trafficking and supporting survivors on their path to freedom and healing. Our mission has gained significant recognition in the media as we continue to make strides in raising awareness, influencing policy, and providing critical services to those in need. Below is the latest press coverage highlighting our impactful work from 2023 to 2024.

Featured Press Coverage

Safe House Project has been featured in numerous media outlets over the past year, reflecting our ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking across the nation. From securing significant funding and grants to participating in high-profile conferences and public discussions, our work is making headlines and driving change.

State's Attorney's Office receives federal grant to combat human trafficking, support survivors

November 2024

The Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office on Thursday announced a new grant-funded initiative that will build on the work of the existing Inter-agency Child Exploitation and Persons Trafficking (INTERCEPT) task force.
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The Frederick News-Post, Md

See Us Now and SHP Unite to Launch "Team Protectors" National Awareness Campaign

September 2024

See Us Now, a student-led advocacy group, is proud to join forces with Safe House Project to launch "Team Protectors," a National Awareness ...
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3WTKR

Legendary tattoo artists converge at new Virginia Beach convention on Coast Live

September 2024

Seven Cities Tattoo Invitational Co-Founders Michael Vasquez and Bobby Johnson join Coast Live ahead of the inaugural convention to discuss how the ev...
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3WTKR

Safe House Project Announces Hope Gala in Charlotte, NC

September 2024

Safe House Project is excited to announce the Hope Gala, set to take place on October 19th, 2024, at the Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina. This gal...
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PR Newswire

Preventing Child Sex Trafficking: What Every Child Caregiver Should Know

September 2024

It can be difficult to imagine a child, especially one you know, experiencing the trauma of human trafficking. Fortunately, there are actions paren...
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Boys and girls Clubs of America

Sixth annual Bon Secours St. Francis Human Trafficking seminar kicks off Friday

August 2024

This year's theme is “Awareness to Action,” encouraging individuals to become informed and engaged to end human trafficking. Organizers said, ...
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WYFF 4

Safe House Project Receives Additional $500,000

August 2024

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Safe House Project is proud to announce that it has received an additional $500,000 in funding from Meck...
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PR Newswire

AHLA Foundation awards $1M in NRFT Survivor Fund grants

July 2024

The AHLA Foundation has granted $1 million to the 2024-2025 No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Survivor Fund grantees, eight community-based organizations...
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Hotel Business

AHLA Foundation Announces Third Annual No Room for Trafficking Summit

July 2024

AHLA Foundation today announced their third annual No Room for Trafficking Summit will take place July 30, 2024, the same day as the United Nation’s W...
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Hotel Online

'My Birth Mother Was Trafficked by Her Mother': Trafficking Survivor Shares

June 2024

Amber Love comes from a long, tragic line of trafficking survivors. "My birth mother was trafficked by her mother, and my grandmother was also tr...
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CBN

Book Provides Comprehensive Solutions to Fight Human Trafficking

June 2024

Human trafficking stands as the greatest public health crisis and fastest-growing criminal enterprise of our time, affecting millions. In response to ...
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PR Newswire

Building A Trusted Nonprofit Brand

May 2024

Nonprofit organizations are essential in providing critical services to vulnerable and underserved populations, as well as in responding to complex so...
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Forbes Nonprofit Council

Safe House Project Revolutionizes Fight Against Human Trafficking

March 2024

In a transformative approach to combating human trafficking in the United States, Safe House Project is revolutionizing the fight against this pervasi...
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PRNewswire

Collective Impact: An Infrastructure For Eradicating Social Issues

March 2024

Walking into his office, letting my eyes fall on the myriad of photographs with former presidents, innovators and legends, I knew it wouldn’t be any o...
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Forbes Nonprofit Council

Survivor of human trafficking shares how her story helps others get out

February 2024

"When I was 13, I met a man on Myspace. It was really something that was really familiar to me. It was something like having an adult show me ina...
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CBS 19 News

Safe House Project Endorses the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act

February 2024

Today, Kristi Wells, CEO of the Safe House Project, a national leader in the fight against human trafficking and in support of survivor recovery, offi...
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PR Newswire

Bloom for Women Launches "Bloom on the Inside"

February 2024

Bloom for Women, an organization dedicated to providing sanctuary and a continuum of care to heal, empower and employ women survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, announces the launch of “Bloom on the Inside”, an in-jail program offering assessments ....
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The Valley Ledger

Safe House Project shares what recovery looks like for victims of human trafficking

January 2024

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Eighty percent of survivors of human trafficking end up being revictimized if they don’t have a safe place to go. This is exactly why Albemarle County Police Department partners with Safe House Project.
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CBS 19 News

Trafficking Survivor Shares Her Story | Prayer Link

January 2024

Brittany Dunn is the Chief Operating Officer of Safe House Project, an organization with a mission to eradicate human trafficking. Amber Love is a trafficking survivor. They shared about how big a problem trafficking is, how not to become a victim and what the public can do to help end it.
Read more...

CBN Prayer Link

Human trafficking forum aims to educate, provide resources: 'We can't do this alone'

January 2024

In a span of one year, from November 2022-23, more than 70,000 sex trafficking ads were posted on a small sample of online sites tracked by local offi...
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Santa Maria Times

Trafficking’s toll: County not immune to ‘heinous’ crime, officials say

January 2024

Human trafficking, which impacts 27.6 million people across the globe, according to the International Labour Organization, is a serious concern in Ven...
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Simi Valley Acorn

Tapping Into The Power Of The Collective For Positive Change

December 2023

Hamas, Hezbollah, Russia, Ukraine, domestic terrorism, anti-semitism, mass shootings, government shutdown, political division and more penetrate every area of our world. How did we get to this point? How did we allow our differences to become bigger than our similarities?
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Forbes Nonprofit Council

The Butterfly Effect And Combating Human Trafficking

September 2023

You’ve likely heard of the “butterfly effect.” This theory was created in the 1960s by MIT meteorology professor Edward Lorenz who “suggested that the...
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Forbes Nonprofit Council

'Light Up The Night Gala' coming to Virginia Beach to raise support for trafficking survivors

September 2023

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Safe House Project aims to help trafficking survivors across Hampton Roads and beyond. Next month, they're holding a “Light Up The Night Gala” to raise money.
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13 News Now

Speedway Motorsports volunteers leave lasting impact at sixth annual Day of Service

August 2023

CONCORD, N.C. (WBTV) - Speedway Motorsports employees put their commitment to community service on full display Wednesday, with more than 50 volunteers lending more than 200 hours of labor to three Cabarrus County nonprofits...
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WBTV

Audacious Impact | Changing the Course of History

August 2023

Human trafficking is an issue that touches every age, race, socio-economic class, and gender. Survivors surround us in our schools and our churches. They pass us in the grocery store and re our customers in local businesses. They are our friends, our neighbors, and our community members...
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Boulevard Magazine

Tackling The Trust Gap

August 2023

In the United States, social justice advocates and nonprofit organizations lead the curve in amplifying the voices of victims of crime and working to ...
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Forbes Nonprofit Council

How Local Groups Help Trafficking Victims Find Hope

July 2023

Though she once walked the streets selling her body, Becky Zeller today hits the streets to help trafficking victims. Not long ago, she found herse...
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Daily Herald

AHLA Foundation Announces $500,000 in Grant Awards From No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund

July 2023

The No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund shows unprecedented alignment by the industry in the fight against trafficking and provides crucial support to survivors on their path forward....
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Hospitality Net

AHLA Foundation Awards $500K in Grants

July 2023

The AHLA Foundation has awarded $500,000 in inaugural No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Survivor Fund grants to four community-based organizations that s...
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Hotel Business

Mainers working to rescue kids from trafficking abroad and at home

July 2023

The National Human Trafficking Hotline, which works with law enforcement and other providers to help victims and survivors, has identified 341 victims...
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News Center Maine

Del. Anne Ferrell Tata on Human Trafficking

June 2023

NTD spoke to Del. Anne Ferrell Tata on human trafficking. She spoke about the organization Safe House Project, which helps victims become trained, healed, and overcome, after experiencing the life of human trafficking.
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NTD News Today

To Eradicate Complex Global Issues, We Must Consider The Full Picture

June 2023

There have been several points in my life where I have found myself stuck in a cycle, moving like Nemo swimming in circles because of his weak fin. In...
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Forbes

14 Essential Components To Forming Mutually Beneficial Relationships As A Nonprofit

June 2023

While a nonprofit organization operating alone is able to achieve important goals, partnering up with an entrepreneur or another organization can significantly increase the impact of the work being done to the benefit of both parties.
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Forbes

Kristi Wells Guest on Emerge The Radio Show

May 2023

Kristi Wells, CEO and Co-Founder of Safe House Project was a guest on Emerge The Radio Show. Kristi shared about Safe House Project and how the community can be better equipped to spot, report, and prevent trafficking.
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Emerge Radio Show

2023 Priority Toyota Charity Bowl presented by WTKR TV

April 2023

The 54th Annual Priority Charity Bowl took place on Saturday, April 15th at S.B. Ballard Stadium. Safe House Project has been selected as one of the b...
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WTKR TV

New opportunities to support Austin children in need during NASCAR

March 2023

For the second year, Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC), the official charity of Speedway Motorsports, will encourage race fans to make a difference ...
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Jayski\'s

Impact of Human Trafficking on Our Communities

February 2023

Safe House Project COO, Brittany Dunn, sat down with Woo Woo of 94.9 The Point to talk about the impact of trafficking on our communities, but more im...
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94.9 The Point

Trafficking Orgs Launch Emergency Operation During Super Bowl LVII

February 2023

Four national anti-trafficking organizations have operationalized a comprehensive human trafficking response team to respond to the influx of traffick...
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CISION

Virginia Explores Ways to Prevent Human Trafficking

February 2023

Experts on human trafficking say the problem is all around us, and a yearlong study in Virginia has sparked several recommendations to combat sex and ...
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WTOP.com

COO, Brittany Dunn, Talks With 700 Club Interactive About Trafficking

January 2023

Human trafficking continues to plague communities around the world. Safe House Project is on a mission to bring hope, freedom and a future to trafficking survivors in the U.S. through education, safe housing and empowerment opportunities.
Read more...

700 Club Interactive

Ranking of States' Response to Human Trafficking

January 2023

WASHINGTON -- Safe House Project, a leading anti-trafficking non-profit committed to eradicating domestic sex trafficking, released their State Resour...
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Cision PR

Dunwoody Urges Human Trafficking Prevention

January 2023

As a City of Freedom since last year, Dunwoody is observing this month as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. A free online tutorial is off...
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

AHLA & AHLA Foundation Honor National Human Trafficking Prevention

January 2023

WASHINGTON – AHLA and The AHLA Foundation are once again recognizing National Human Trafficking Prevention month by participating in the U.S. Departme...
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Hospitality Net

Speedway Children's Charities Grants $15,000 to Safe House Project

January 2023

Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC), the official charity of Speedway Motorsports, has granted $15,000 to Safe House Project to train 24 Austin-area c...
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Speedway Digest

Group raises awareness about human trafficking prevention

January 2023

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. All month long, advocates want more people to learn the warning si...
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Wavy.com

SHP Receives $1Million Endowment from Rob and Karen Hale

December 2022

WASHINGTON -- Safe House Project, a leading anti-trafficking non-profit committed to combating domestic sex trafficking announced Monday that it has received a transformational $1 million gift from philanthropists Karen and Rob Hale through their family foundation, Fox Rock Foundation.
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Cision

Two arrested in Charlotte, indicted on federal sex trafficking charges involving 15-year-old

November 2022

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Newly-unsealed court documents show a 15-year-old girl was sold for sex between July and December of 2021. A new indictment became unsealed Friday, listing two people charged with...
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WBTV

Safe House Project Featured in Cavalier Coast Neighbors Magazine

November 2022

VIRGINIA- The trafficking of humans is considered the second largest criminal industry in the world, surpassed only by drug trafficking. While human trafficking reaps an estimated $32 billion yearly, it is considered a hidden crime....
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Cavalier Coast Neighbors

Novant Health working with SHP to train team members how to spot trafficking.

September 2022

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Human trafficking affects hundreds of thousands of people across the world every year. It’s also happening in your own backyard and in most cases going unnoticed. It’s reported that about one percent....
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WBTV

Novant Health working with SHP to train team members how to spot trafficking.

September 2022

Nearly all victims come in contact with health care; staff learns to spot the signs. Human trafficking doesn’t just happen in New York, Miami and L.A. It’s happening in rural communities and urban centers throughout...
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Novant Healthy Headlines

Williamsburg’s 5th annual Walk For Freedom hopes to be its biggest yet

September 2022

WILLIAMSBURG — Residents and visitors alike are invited to join the fight against human trafficking during the fifth annual Walk For Freedom. The walk — on Oct. 15 — is part of a worldwide event that will see ....
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The Virginian-Pilot

Latishas House Earns Safe House Certification Silver Award

September 2022

WILLIAMSBURG — Latisha’s House, a Virginia-based residential home providing therapeutic and restorative services to survivors of trafficking, was on Sept. 9 awarded a silver level of certification from ...
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WYDAILY

Dunwoody Helps Battle Human Trafficking

September 2022

DUNWOODY, GA, September, 2022 -- Dunwoody recently joined cities across the nation by participating in the City of Freedom March to bring awareness to human trafficking. Earlier this year, the Dunwoody City Council pledged its...
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The Atlanta-Journal Constitution

Minnesota Chapter of PWIMP Hosted Safe Women Seminar

August 2022

MINNESOTA, August 31, 2022 -- The Minnesota chapter of Professional Women in Pest Management (PWIPM) held a Safe Women seminar on Aug. 25 at the Plymouth branch of the Hennepin County Library in Minnesota.
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Pest Management Professional

TSEC Celebrates the Passage of Key Anti Trafficking Legislation

July 2022

WASHINGTON, July 27, 2022 -- Today the Trafficking Survivor Equity Coalition applauded the U.S House of Representatives for their passage of the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims (H.R.6552).
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PR Newswire

House Overwhelmingly Passes Smith’s Legislation to Combat Human Trafficking

July 2022

Ahead of this Saturday’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed critical anti-trafficking legislation—the Frederick Douglass TVPRA of 2022 in a strong bipartisan vote of 401-20.
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U.S. Congressman Chris Smith

Trafficking Victims Prevention & Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022

July 2022

HR 6552 highlight video of Rep. Bass & Rep. Smith bringing bill to the floor. Thank you to all the members of Trafficking Survivor Equity Coalition who helped garner support for this critical legislation.
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Safe House Project YouTube

Safe House Project Brings Awareness to Charlotte for July 30th

July 2022

July 30th is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Safe House Project was glad to honor the day with awareness events and walks in 5 different cities. The Charlotte, N.C. Freedom March was highlighted on WBTV where CEO, Kristi Wells, had the opportunity to speak.
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WBTV

Human Trafficking by the Numbers: The Untold "Other" Pandemic

July 2022

On June 28th, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping the now-notorious sex offender and “globetrotting” financier Jeffery Epstein abuse teenage girls between 1994 and 2004. Of course, the world is now painfully familiar with this...
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WBTV

Georgia Home For Sex Trafficking Survivors Awarded Gold Certification

June 2022

ATLANTA, June 23, 2022 Wellspring Living is the second program in the nation to be awarded a Gold Certification from the national Safe House Certification Review Board, led by Safe House Project. Wellspring Living is a non-profit organization in Atlanta...
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PR Newswire

Governor Glenn Youngkin Signs Legislation to Combat Trafficking

June 2022

RICHMOND, VA - Today, Governor Glenn Youngkin ceremonially signed seven bills that deliver on the Governor’s commitment to enact legislation to combat human trafficking in the Commonwealth and empower survivors. Following the ceremonial bill signing...
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Governor of Virginia

Smith Joins Anti-Trafficking Groups in urging Congress to Advance Bill

June 2022

At a Capitol Hill press conference today, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), an internationally recognized leader in the fight to combat human trafficking, joined trafficking survivors and top anti-trafficking organizations in urging members of Congress...
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U.S. Congressman

Sex Trafficking Myths and Training Opportunities For Your Center

June 2022

Recently, Care Net chatted with Kristi Wells, CEO and Brittany Dunn, the COO of the Safe House Project – an organization committed to battling the issue of sex trafficking in America. Safe House Project's mission is to increase survivor identification...
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CareNet Affiliate Portal

Kentucky Home For Sex Trafficking Survivors Awarded Gold Certification

May 2022

LEXINGTON, Ky., May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Refuge for Women is the first program in the nation to be awarded a Gold level of certification from the national Safe House Certification, provided by Safe House Project. Refuge for Women is a Kentucky...
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PR Newswire

Awareness and Education are Keys to Preventing and Combatting Trafficking

April 2022

Every year, millions of men, children, and women are trafficked worldwide – there are an estimated 24.9 million victims worldwide at any given time.1 Furthermore, approximately 300,000 American children are trafficked every year and only one percent are rescued.
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Ross Education

Safeguarding America: Human Trafficking, How to Protect your Familynd Combatting Trafficking

April 2022

Law Enforcement & Security Analyst, Paul Viollis talks with Ray Horner every Saturday about various happenings around the world. This week, they discussed Human Trafficking; what it is, where it is, what to look for, red flags of traffickers and victims, and more.
Read more...

WAKR

Company Helps Take Down Human Sex Traffickers, rescue victims

March 2022

A Utah County task force recently arrested 21 people and identified and rescued three victims of sex trafficking in large part because of a donation from a local company. The team that conducts these operations is highly specialized and the projects are expensive.
Read more...

WAKR

500 Survivors and Advocates Implore Passing of Human Trafficking Bill

March 2022

A coalition of more than 500 anti-trafficking organizations, corporations, advocates, and survivor leaders organized by Safe House Project delivered a letter to members of the House and Senate today urging them to pass HR 6552.
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PR Newswire

Surviving Sex Trafficking with the Restoring Ivy Collective

February 2022

Dr. Elizabeth Bowman, Executive Director of the Restoring Ivy Collective and Alia Dewess, Vice Chair of the Board at the Restoring Ivy Collective sit down with Elena Russo to discuss being victims of sex trafficking and how they are using their experience to...
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Comcast Newsmakers

How QAnon is Undermining the Fight Against Modern Slavery

February 2022

A dangerous QAnon conspiracy is undermining one of the most important battles today - the one against modern slavery. Listen to this engaging discussion between Andrew West and the co-founder and CEO of Safe House Project, Kristi Wells.
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ABC Radio National

Anti-Trafficking Ministries Now Fight QAnon Conspiracies Too

January 2022

When Alia Dewees conducts seminars about the scourge of sex trafficking and its prevention, there’s one group of people more likely than others to qui...
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Christianity Today

Everlight Solar: A Year of Giving and Growing

January 2022

Finally, Everlight Solar further expanded its initiative to help stop sex trafficking by requiring every staff member to complete certification through OnWatch. OnWatch is a nonprofit organization equipping communities to battle sex trafficking through training programs and courses.
Read more...

Times News Network

Learn The Signs And Help Put A Stop To Human Trafficking

January 2022

Every year, thousands of vulnerable people are exploited for profit in the United States. Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline has received over 300,000 contacts via calls, emails, and online chats and has identified over 70,000 cases of human trafficking in the country.
Read more...

Times News Network

Buy a T-shirt or Jewelry and Help Human Trafficking Survivors

January 2022

January was officially declared National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month in 2010. Julie Whitehead is a local trafficking survivor who was able to escape her trafficker thanks to an innocent bystander who recognized something was happening to Julie.
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FOX 13, Salt Lake City

Dunwoody Declared ‘City of Freedom’ After Work to Fight Human Trafficking

January 2022

Dunwoody has become the second city in the nation to be recognized as a “City of Freedom” for efforts to combat human trafficking...The title is awarded by Safe House Project, a national organization that aims to end domestic sex trafficking and help survivors find help in safe houses.
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Dunywood Crier

Dunwoody Recognized Nationally for Battling Sex Trafficking

January 2022

Dunwoody has become only the second city in America to receive the “City of Freedom” seal from Safe House Project for fighting sex trafficking.This month Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch will issue a proclamation recognizing training and education as important tools to fight sex trafficking.
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Press Archive

2019-2021

Looking for earlier press relating to Safe House Project? Visit our press archive for press from 2019-2021. Click below to be redirected.
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2019-2021

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Press FAQs

WHAT IS SAFE HOUSE PROJECT’S MISSION?

Safe House Project is committed to eradicating human trafficking in the United States by increasing survivor identification, providing emergency services, and expanding safe housing and holistic care for survivors.

HOW CAN I CONTACT SAFE HOUSE PROJECT FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES?

For all media inquiries, please contact our communications team here.

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT SAFE HOUSE PROJECT?

You can view and download our Media Kit, which includes comprehensive information about our mission, impact, and brand guidelines.

HOW CAN I DONATE TO SUPPORT SAFE HOUSE PROJECT?

Donations can be made online through our Donate Now page. Your contribution directly supports our efforts to fight human trafficking and assist survivors.