WASHINGTON, D.C. – Polaris Project, a leading organization in the global fight against human trafficking and modern slavery, today congratulated Sylvia Mathews Burwell on becoming the new Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination by a 78-17 vote. The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC), which is operated by Polaris Project, is partially funded by HHS. The NHTRC hotline has received reports of more than 15,500 cases of human trafficking in the U.S. since December 2007 through phone calls, texts, emails, and online tip forms.
“Polaris Project congratulates Secretary Burwell on her confirmation, and we look forward to working together to serve an even greater number of victims through the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline,” said Bradley Myles, CEO of Polaris Project. “Secretary Burwell and HHS play a vital role in the fight against human trafficking. The NHTRC hotline is a lifeline for the hundreds of thousands of women, children, and men who are exploited for profit inside the United States. We invite Secretary Burwell to visit the hotline and meet its staff, and we urge her to prioritize the response to human trafficking throughout the Department.”>
The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) is a 24-hour national, confidential, multi-modal hotline and resource center serving the United States and U.S. territories. Its mission is to provide human trafficking survivors with access to critical support and services to get help and stay safe, and to equip the anti-trafficking field with the tools to effectively combat all forms of human trafficking. Experienced hotline specialists provide around-the-clock crisis support and connect human trafficking victims to safety, shelter, and other life-saving resources. The hotline also receives tips of suspected human trafficking cases and provides information, training, and technical assistance to diverse audiences. Click here to access 2013 hotline data.
The NHTRC is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as private donors and supporters including Google, Humanity United, the Greenbaum Foundation, Salesforce, and Palantir. Polaris Project has operated the NHTRC since December 7, 2007.
People can receive help or report a tip of suspected human trafficking by calling the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or by sending a text to Polaris at “BeFree” (233733).
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About Polaris
Polaris is a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery. Named after the North Star that guided slaves to freedom in the U.S., Polaris acts as a catalyst to systemically disrupt the human trafficking networks that rob human beings of their lives and their freedom. By working with government leaders, the world’s leading technology corporations, and local partners, Polaris equips communities to identify, report, and prevent human trafficking. Our comprehensive model puts victims at the center of what we do – helping survivors restore their freedom, preventing more victims, and leveraging data and technology to pursue traffickers wherever they operate. Learn more at www.polarisproject.org.
