Highlights of HRRC’s Accomplishments:

• Produced an effective media campaign that included multi-lingual billboards, taxi cab signs, airport shuttle sign and mall signs.  The campaign has resulted in a saturation of the Houston Market with the message to Stop Modern Day Slavery.  This message has been successful as Houston leads cities across the nation with the highest number of calls to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline.

• Established a city-wide Human Trafficking Awareness Month, officially proclaimed by the Mayor of Houston for three years.  The 2011 Human Trafficking Awareness Month was our biggest and most successful to date with events ranging from a 5K Awareness Fun/Run, an Anti-Human Trafficking Seder to an Abolitionist Workshop.

• Developed the Look Beneath the Surface traveling art exhibit featuring works by Texas artist who artistically interpreted the stories of survivors of human trafficking. The 65 piece collection has travelled across to the state to locations such as the State Capitol, the City Hall of Houston and Bering & James Gallery.  To host the traveling art exhibit, click here.

• From 2007 — 2010, HRRC has trained over 14,000 people about the issue of human trafficking, including professionals such as law enforcement agents, child protective services and health care professionals who play a key role in identifying potential victims of this crime.

• In 2010, HRRC launched our comprehensive health care training program on human trafficking, called Human Trafficking and the Health Professional:  Look Beneath the Surface and H.E.A.R Your Patient.  The program focuses on educating health care professionals how to identify victims in the clinic setting, how to report and connect victims to appropriate services and law enforcement.

• Co-wrote a 911/Crimestoppers call-taker protocol for handling calls of human trafficking that has received approval from the National Emergency Number Association and is now available to 911 call centers across the country.

• Appointed by the Attorney General of Texas to serve on the state-wide task force on human trafficking, effective January 1, 2010.

Future Goals

• To conduct a Rapid Response Field Assessment on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the Greater Houston Area in order to better understand how to address this issue more effectively.

• Initiate the My Life, My Choice prevention training program to at-risk youth within middle schools, high school, juvenile detention centers, after school programs, etc.

• Build partnerships with community stakeholders to establish a safe house in the Houston are from domestic (US Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents) trafficking victims with long term care options.

• Increase capacity to serve Juvenile domestic trafficking victims (i.e. implement the Facet Funnel, hire additional staff with expertise in working with juvenile victims and develop street outreach campaigns to juveniles).