Embrey Family Foundation to Fund the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Amanda Finger
Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking
Office: (303) 295-0451
Media@CombatHumanTrafficking.org

COLORADO ANTI-TRAFFICKING EFFORTS RECOGNIZED FOR INNOVATIVE APPROACH
Embrey Family Foundation to Fund the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking

(DENVER, CO) November 17, 2010—The Denver-based Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking (LCHT) announced today it has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Embrey Family Foundation to launch an unprecedented, national study of promising practices in the anti-human trafficking field. To be piloted in Colorado, the project will provide states with a critical tool to assess strengths and gaps in anti-trafficking efforts.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to spearhead this collaborative process, which will involve multiple agencies and experts. Currently, no national campaign exists to guide states, cities, and communities in addressing human trafficking,” said LCHT Executive Director Amanda Finger. “We believe Colorado is an ideal place to pilot this ambitious project. Not only is it a source, transit, and destination state for human trafficking, it also has a vibrant anti-trafficking movement.”

A decade after the passage of federal legislation to combat human trafficking, the Colorado Project to Comprehensively Combat Human Trafficking (Colorado Project) will document successful strategies to prevent human trafficking, protect survivors, punish traffickers, and build key partnerships (4Ps) between social service agencies. LCHT will conduct its research in concert with statewide leaders from multiple fields, including Dr. AJ Alejano-Steele, Professor at Metropolitan State College of Denver; the Denver Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Denver attorney and anti-trafficking advocate Patricia Medige; and Lauren Croucher, Human Trafficking Project Director with the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance.

The Embrey Family Foundation champions the well-being and rights of all people by supporting programs that advance human rights, healthy communities, education, and artistic creativity.

“As a foundation, we invest in projects that take an innovative approach to critical social issues and look for systemic solutions that accelerate long-lasting change,” stated Gayle Embrey, Vice President of the Embrey Family Foundation. “We support programs that seek to solve complex social issues and believe the Colorado Project represents a paradigm shift in the anti-trafficking movement by utilizing such a collaborative model that can be replicated by other states.”

Human trafficking represents a severe form of exploitation (labor or sexual) of another human being, such as pimping, domestic servitude, and migrant farm worker abuse in fields, among many other forms. While the area of evidenced-based research on human trafficking is nascent, the crime is considered the second largest criminal industry worldwide, reaping billions of dollars in profits.

For more information, please visit LCHT’s new website, www.combathumantrafficking.org, or contact Amanda Finger at (303) 295-0451.

About Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking
LCHT is committed to combating human trafficking at a local and global level through community-based research; awareness and education; leadership development; and collaborations. Since 2005, LCHT has trained more than 10,000 community members, law enforcement, and social service providers. To learn more, visit www.combathumantrafficking.org.

About the Embrey Family Foundation
Based in Dallas, Texas, the Embrey Family Foundation donates to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in both Texas and Colorado. In addition, the Foundation gives larger grants around the United States for its Mission Without Borders initiative. LCHT’s grant for the Colorado Project is part of this initiative to address systemic change at the national level in the area of human rights. For further information on the work of the Embrey Family Foundation, visit www.embreyfdn.org.