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In a continued effort to combat human trafficking, the City of Houston Mayor’s Office joined Houston Airports in presenting $40,000 to two local organizations that support survivors of the crime. The donation, funded through corporate sponsors, was presented at Houston City Hall today, Sept. 18, 2024. The donation stems from an initiative launched in April 2024, when Houston Airports hosted a Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness event at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). That event - which gathered more than 300 community leaders, law enforcement officials, businesses and survivors - aimed to elevate public awareness about the prevalence of human trafficking in the Houston area. Houston Airports continues leading the conversation by providing training, resources, and support for its employees and the broader community. “Human trafficking is a hidden crime, and raising awareness is key to fighting it,” said Jim Szczesniak, Director of Aviation for Houston Airports. “We are proud to support these organizations, which are doing life-saving work in our community.” Shield Bearer and The Landing offer a range of services, from emergency shelter and counseling to long-term job training and legal assistance for survivors. The funds will help expand these vital services and support ongoing community education efforts to prevent trafficking. RELATED | Houston Airports leverages technology to help more victims of human trafficking RELATED | Houston Airports works with U.S. Chamber of Commerce to end human trafficking The check presentation featured remarks from Chris Canetti, President of Houston 2026, the World Cup bid committee. Houston Airports is partnering with Houston 2026 to ensure that major events in the city are safe and secure from trafficking threats. Corporate sponsors AECOM, AtkinsRealis, Burns Group, CLEAR, Fronza & Francis, Halliburton, HNTB, Houston First, HPE Aruba, Layer 3 and NOV provided the funding for this donation as part of a broader corporate responsibility effort. Guests include City Council members, members of the media, law enforcement, corporate sponsors and representatives from Houston Airports and the Mayor’s Office on Human Trafficking, Domestic Violence and Human Rights. Houston Airports has been a national leader in anti-trafficking initiatives, having trained more than 60,000 badged airport workers through the Blue Lightning Initiative in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In addition, Houston Airports has engaged over 1,000 community members in training programs aimed at identifying and reporting trafficking. |
