July 30, 2026
Source: Marriott International
The SAFE Center’s Chief Operations Officer and Chief of Staff, Heidi Alvarez, participated in “Human Trafficking in the Hospitality Industry: Turning Awareness into Action,” a panel discussion at Marriott International’s global headquarters that brought together leaders from across the hospitality industry to explore efforts to prevent vulnerability to trafficking and expand job training and employment opportunities for survivors.
When asked during the panel for advice for businesses interested in hiring survivors, Alvarez encouraged employers to work with organizations like the SAFE Center to identify candidates who are prepared for employment and to approach hiring survivors as they would any other hiring decision—focusing on each individual’s skills, potential, and motivation.
“One of the biggest misconceptions is that employing a survivor requires extensive accommodations or specialized expertise,” Alvarez said. “In reality, survivors are looking for the same things any employee wants: a fair opportunity, a supportive supervisor, clear expectations, and the chance to grow professionally.”
The SAFE Center’s clients have benefited significantly from two Marriott-developed programs: HotelHelp and the Future in Training (FiT) Curriculum. HotelHelp connects SAFE Center clients receiving crisis intervention services with short-term emergency accommodations donated by Marriott properties. With support from the AHLA Foundation’s No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund, the SAFE Center is leading the national rollout of the FiT Curriculum to expand survivors’ access to hospitality careers across the country. Working with our partners, we have trained more than 660 survivors for hospitality careers, with almost 200 participants securing employment, many within the hospitality industry. Some participants have also been awarded scholarships to earn the Guest Service Gold Certification, an industry-recognized hospitality credential.
