Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking

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Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking

The Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking (LCHT) is 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Denver Colorado. Join us!

We are informing social change that eliminates human exploitation. Human trafficking is one of the worst human rights abuses in the world – and it happens right here in Colorado. In 2005, our organization formed as a state chapter of the Polaris Project, a nationally recognized anti-human trafficking organization. At the time, anti-trafficking efforts in Colorado were uncoordinated, isolated, and

insufficient to address the problem. In 2009, we transitioned to an independent 501(c)3 called the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking (LCHT) and positioned our organization as a leader in the state’s anti-trafficking movement. In the 12 years since, our programs have become critical to supporting the people and communities impacted by human trafficking, as well as to the coordination of organizations serving survivors and working to eliminate trafficking. We focus our work on research to inform statewide anti-trafficking efforts, training professionals in positions to detect and/or serve survivors of trafficking, education to raise public awareness, oversight of Colorado’s human trafficking hotline, and development of future leaders in human rights fields. Since 2005, we have provided anti-trafficking training to over 40,000 people, conducted three major research projects to drive action and inform policy, managed the statewide 24/7 human trafficking hotline/text line, grown the resource directory of agencies available to intervene in trafficking situations and serve survivors to more than 300 agencies, and supported 180 interns.

06/05/2026

🙏 Our annual gratitude report is here… and it’s full of the impact YOU helped make possible this year!

A note from AJ Alejano-Steele and Amanda Finger, Co-founders of LCHT:

“2025 was not an easy year.

And yet the work held. It held because our values gave us a clear compass to carry the mission forward.

Our research stayed grounded in lived experience and survivor leadership.

Our training kept reaching the sectors and communities that needed it most through an interdisciplinary response.

Our Hotline stayed open every hour of every day.

And the next generation of human rights leaders stayed engaged in this work long after their program term ended.

And most of all, the work held because of you.”

We’re grateful for every survivor leader, advocate, donor, volunteer, and partner who has been a part of shaping Colorado's anti-trafficking movement.

Read the Gratitude Report to find out just how much we’ve accomplished, together: https://combathumantrafficking.org/about/our-financials/ -report

06/03/2026

Who’s in for pickleball with purpose? 🏓

Stevenson Heywood Mediation & Consulting is hosting a fundraiser benefitting LCHT this Saturday, June 6 from 10 am to 1 pm at Gates Tennis Center in Denver. You’re invited!

You can sign up as a team of two, single player, or spectator. Registration includes light breakfast, mimosas, and the chance to compete for pickleball swag and bragging rights.

You’ll support survivors of human trafficking and help end this crime for good, too. 👉 Register now: https://www.stevensonheywood.com/pickleballfundraiser-combats*xtrafficking

06/02/2026

One of the ways to strengthen support for LGBTQIA+ trafficking survivors is to spread awareness about the unique needs and vulnerabilities this population faces.

Join us on June 10 for a virtual training, held in partnership with Rocky Mountain Equality, exploring the intersection of human trafficking and LGBTQIA+ identities in Colorado.

We’ll discuss:
👉 How traffickers exploit vulnerabilities like unmet basic needs and social isolation
👉 How bias and stigma can impede identification and response
👉 What trauma-informed, affirming support exists locally for LGBTQIA+ individuals

Register now for this important session: https://form.jotform.com/260926501780154

06/01/2026

🏳️‍🌈 Pride Month is an important time to raise awareness about the ways that LGBTQIA+ youth are especially vulnerable to exploitation.

The reality is that young people who identify as LGBTQIA+ are more likely to face exclusion and marginalization than their heteros*xual peers. That vulnerability can make them up to 5 times more likely to find themselves in a s*x or labor trafficking situation.

Right now, we need more resources dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ population specifically in the fight against human trafficking.

05/29/2026

Want to know what’s going on at LCHT? Get it straight from the source!

Sign up for our monthly email newsletter and be the first to hear new stories, volunteer updates, and reflections on Colorado’s anti-trafficking movement: https://mailchi.mp/combathumantrafficking/e-updates

📷: LCHT Co-founders Amanda Finger and Dr. Annjanette (AJ) Alejano-Steele

05/28/2026

to this time last year when we were celebrating two decades of progress at our 20th Anniversary Celebration!

Now we’re celebrating 21 years of work in Colorado’s anti-trafficking movement. It’s the perfect time to remember how far we’ve come together. Since our founding, we’ve:

✔️ Reached more than 85,000 community members with anti-trafficking training
✔️ Conducted 4 major research projects to drive action and inform policy change
✔️ Fielded more than 6,000 calls and texts to the 24/7 Human Trafficking Hotline
✔️ Supported more than 200 aspiring human rights leaders through our Leadership Development Program

That’s a lot of progress. But there’s more work ahead. Thank you for being part of our efforts to end human trafficking in Colorado for good!

05/27/2026

“Where I come from, that was not a metaphor. You cannot hoard warmth, food, or safety. Your support helps create the conditions for real, tangible care that keeps people alive and connected to their worth.”

In our latest blog post, Josie Heyano reflects on what people facing exploitation really need from their communities: not to be “rescued,” but care, belonging, and connection. ❤️

She reminds us that exploitation often mimics care. Preventing human trafficking starts with communities that consistently show up for one another.

👉 Read more from Josie on the blog: https://combathumantrafficking.org/blog/josie-heyano-care-community/

05/26/2026

Stay up to date on the anti-trafficking movement in Colorado by signing up for text alerts from LCHT!

You’ll be the first to hear about:
💬 Upcoming events
💬 Ways to get involved
💬 News and success stories

Register here to get monthly updates from the team: https://combathumantrafficking.org/text

05/25/2026

Do you know what the number one need is from callers to Colorado’s Human Trafficking Hotline? Housing. 🏠

Housing instability and homelessness are some of the leading factors that make survivors vulnerable to trafficking. And those factors also make it harder for them to leave a harmful situation.

05/22/2026

One of the biggest myths about trafficking is that it’s committed by strangers and unknown criminals. But in reality, less than 1% of cases involve kidnapping.

Research consistently shows that the majority of survivors are trafficked by someone they know, including family members and intimate partners.

The nature of these relationships can make it even more challenging for a survivor to leave their situation—and it's why resources like Colorado’s 24/7 Human Trafficking Hotline are so important.

Address

1031 33rd Street Suite #237
Denver, CO
80205

Website

https://combathumantrafficking.org/

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