Safe House Project

Human trafficking and child exploitation look very different today than many people expect.⁠ ⁠ In this episode of Team Protectors, Safe House Project co-founders Brittany Dunn and Kristi Wells sit down with John Pizzuro, retired New Jersey State Police investigator and former ICAC commander, to unpack how exploitation is evolving in the digital age.⁠ ⁠ From sextortion schemes to AI-enabled abuse, John explains how technology has accelerated exploitation and why law enforcement is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of online tips and fragmented data. The conversation also explores why the common “Taken” narrative misses the reality of how trafficking actually operates and why practical action from communities matters more than ever.⁠ ⁠ In this episode, you’ll learn:⁠ • Why exploitation today is increasingly driven by financial motives online⁠ • How technology and AI are changing the scale and speed of abuse⁠ • Why millions of tips overwhelm response systems across the country⁠ • What families and communities can do right now to help protect children⁠ ⁠ Protecting children and strengthening response requires informed communities, stronger systems, and people willing to speak up.⁠ ⁠ 👉🏻 Watch the full episode here, and don't forget to subscribe for more:⁠ Link in bio⁠ ⁠ #TeamProtectors #SafeHouseProject #EndHumanTrafficking #ChildSafety #OnlineSafety #ProtectKidsOnline #SextortionAwareness

Gaming isn’t just entertainment. It’s also a space where exploitation can begin.⁠ ⁠ Many parents don’t realize how quickly online gaming can shift from connection to risk, especially when communication features, anonymity, and outside platforms are involved.⁠ ⁠ Our Gaming Safety Guide outlines practical steps to help protect children, from setting parental controls and monitoring activity to limiting communication with unknown players and having honest conversations about online behavior.⁠ ⁠ Because prevention starts with awareness, and small actions at home can make a significant difference.⁠ ⁠ Explore the full guide and take the next step to create safer online environments for kids.⁠ ⁠ Link in bio⁠ ⁠ #SafeHouseProject #OnlineSafety

“I believe the best strategy comes from asking the right questions and building the right relationships… When you combine strategic thinking with genuine human connection, that’s where you create real, sustainable impact.”⁠ — Chris Hargis, Board Member⁠ ⁠ Strong systems are built through intentional strategy and trusted partnerships.⁠ ⁠ As Chris joins our board this year, his perspective reinforces something critical in this work: sustainable impact requires both thoughtful structure and meaningful connection. When those come together, systems become stronger, collaboration deepens, and more effective pathways to safety and long-term care are created.⁠ ⁠ We are grateful to have leaders who are committed to building what comes next.⁠ ⁠ #SafeHouseProject #EndHumanTrafficking

You don’t have to be certain to take action.⁠ ⁠ One of the biggest barriers to reporting trafficking is hesitation. People second-guess what they are seeing, wondering if it’s “serious enough” or if they might be wrong. But in many cases, those moments of concern later align clearly with patterns of trafficking.⁠ ⁠ Concern is enough to act.⁠ ⁠ Simply Report was created to guide you through that moment. It provides a safe, discreet way to document what you’re seeing and share it with professionals, without confrontation or guesswork.⁠ ⁠ When more people act on concern, identification happens sooner and pathways to safety open faster.⁠ ⁠ Be ready to respond when it matters.⁠ ⁠ Download Simply Report today: Link in bio⁠ ⁠ #SimplyReport #SafeHouseProject #EndHumanTrafficking #ReportTrafficking #CommunityAction

We’re grateful to @DominionEnergy for their support!⁠ ⁠ Through the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, a grant has been awarded to support Emergency Support for Human Trafficking Victims.⁠ ⁠ This funding helps strengthen emergency response, ensuring individuals experiencing trafficking can be connected more quickly to safe homes and the care needed to begin healing.⁠ ⁠ When someone is identified, the next step cannot be uncertain. Support like this helps ensure there is a network ready to respond, reducing delays and expanding access to safe housing and services.⁠ ⁠ Corporate partnerships play a critical role in making this possible, helping build the systems that turn recognition into action and action into safety.⁠ Thank you to @DominionEnergy for investing in solutions that create real pathways to care. 💛⁠ ⁠ #CollectiveImpact

Trafficking doesn’t stay in one place. It moves through highways, bus routes, and public transit systems, often in plain sight.⁠ ⁠ In this new episode of Team Protectors, Annie Sovcik of @tatnonprofit Truckers Against Trafficking joins Brittany Dunn and Kristi Wells to unpack how the transportation industry has become a critical point of identification. Traffickers rely on constant movement to avoid detection, which means the people who see the most are often those working in everyday roles.⁠ ⁠ When truck drivers, bus drivers, and community members are trained to recognize the signs, small moments can lead to life-changing outcomes. A single report can connect patterns, support investigations, and ultimately help someone be identified and connected to safety and care.⁠ ⁠ Everyone has a role to play in strengthening this response. Awareness matters, but action is what moves someone closer to safety.⁠ ⁠ Watch or listen to the full episode: Link in bio⁠ ⁠ #TeamProtectors #SafeHouseProject #EndHumanTrafficking

Healing doesn’t begin with services alone. It begins with the right kind of care.⁠ ⁠ Our latest white paper, Therapeutic Care in Trauma Recovery, outlines what it takes to support real, lasting healing for individuals who have experienced trafficking. From neuroscience-informed approaches to trauma-responsive environments, the message is clear: fragmented systems fall short.⁠ ⁠ Survivors need integrated, consistent care that builds safety, restores autonomy, and supports long-term healing, not just short-term stabilization.⁠ ⁠ This is how we strengthen outcomes. This is how we move the field forward.⁠ ⁠ Link in bio⁠ ⁠ #SafeHouseProject #EndHumanTrafficking

Building safer communities requires more than awareness. It requires coordination, clarity, and action.⁠ ⁠ The Jeffersonian Series brings people together to have focused, practical conversations about how trafficking and exploitation are identified earlier and how communities can respond more effectively.⁠ ⁠ This is where ideas turn into action.⁠ ⁠ 📍 Coalescence Coffee Company⁠ 🗓️ May 7 | 3:30–5:00 PM⁠ ⁠ Save your seat: Link in bio⁠ ⁠ With Coalescence Coffee Company, Safe House Project, Simply Report, VCAHT, Regent University Center for Global Justice, and @mhcoachlindseygray .⁠ ⁠ #hamptonroads #Norfolk #VirginiaBeach #Suffolk #Chesapeake #thejeffersonianseries #CollectiveImpact #CommunityAction

Most people think trafficking looks like a kidnapping. It doesn’t.⁠ ⁠ In this episode of Team Protectors, @sonnyvonclevelandofficial shares his own story and breaks down how trafficking actually happens, through trust, proximity, and access, and why that misunderstanding keeps people from being identified.⁠ ⁠ This conversation also highlights those often overlooked, especially boys, and challenges what we think we know about exploitation in the U.S.⁠ ⁠ Watch the full episode: Link in bio⁠ ⁠ #TeamProtectors

Most trafficking hides in plain sight.⁠ ⁠ People notice when something feels off. The hesitation comes next. What if I’m wrong? What if I make it worse? What am I supposed to do?⁠ ⁠ Simply Report was created to remove that barrier.⁠ ⁠ 📱 This guided, discreet tool helps you assess what you’re seeing and securely share concerns with trained professionals. No confrontation. No public accusation. Just a responsible, safe way to move from concern to action.⁠ ⁠ Built with input from healthcare providers, psychologists, and law enforcement, Simply Report helps close the gap between awareness and response. When concerns are documented sooner, survivors are more likely to be identified and connected to trusted safe homes and long-term care.⁠ ⁠ The difference between silence and action can change someone’s future.⁠ ⁠ Download Simply Report and be ready when it matters most:⁠ Link in bio⁠ ⁠ #SimplyReport #SafeHouseProject #ReportTrafficking #TraffickingAwareness #EndHumanTrafficking #CommunityAction

Real change in this work starts with informed communities.⁠ ⁠ Join us for a guided conversation on how to build safety and resilience for youth, both in physical spaces and online. This is a space to move beyond awareness and focus on what it takes to recognize risk earlier and respond more effectively.⁠ ⁠ 📍 Coalescence Coffee Company, Norfolk⁠ 🗓️ May 7 | 3:30–5:00 PM⁠ ⁠ RSVP here: Link in bio⁠ ⁠ Hosted in partnership with @coalescencecoffee , Safe House Project, Simply Report, @vcaht , and @regentuniversity Center for Global Justice, alongside @mhcoachlindseygray ⁠ ⁠ #hamptonroads #Norfolk #VirginiaBeach #Suffolk #Chesapeake #thejeffersonianseries #CommunityAction #EndHumanTrafficking #ProtectYouth

We’re proud to share a powerful milestone in our mission to end trafficking and support survivors 💛⁠ ⁠ Safe House Project has now served over 1,000 survivors this year and officially certified 100 safe homes across the United States.⁠ Each number represents something real, a person connected to safety, a safe home prepared, a community ready to respond.⁠ ⁠ This progress is possible because of the partners, advocates, and supporters who are helping build a stronger, more coordinated pathway to safety.⁠ ⁠ And we’re just getting started.⁠ ⁠ #EndHumanTrafficking