Covenant House Launches New Anti-Human Trafficking Council with Founding Partner Signature Aviation

Human traffickers use violence, threats, deception, and other manipulative tactics to trap millions of people worldwide. Children and youth experiencing homelessness are a prime target of this criminal industry.

• An estimated 27.6 million people are victims of human trafficking worldwide.

• The most common form of human trafficking is sexual exploitation (79%), and worldwide, nearly 20% of all trafficking victims are children.

• One in five Covenant House residents across the U.S. and Canada is a survivor of human trafficking.

• The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has found that most victims of international human trafficking pass through official boarder control points, like airports.

January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and Covenant House is a leader in anti-trafficking services, research, and advocacy. This month, with support from key organizations, including founding partner and premier aviation company Signature Aviation, Covenant House is launching a new Anti-Human Trafficking Council, offering corporate partners the opportunity to elevate this critical human rights issue and spotlight the importance of shared thought leadership, cross-collaboration, and industry best practices. Council members will work closely with Covenant House to create tangible change through legislative advocacy, public awareness, and research.

“Traffickers prey on children and youth facing homelessness, seeing them as vulnerable, low-risk, and easily exploited,” said Bill Bedrossian, president and CEO of Covenant House International. Covenant House research underscores the immediacy of this danger: 68% of youth who were trafficked or forced into survival sex were homeless at the time, and an alarming 22% were approached for paid sex on their very first night without shelter.

Partners like Signature Aviation who step forward to help safeguard these young people play a critical role in interrupting exploitation, strengthening protection, and ensuring youth are met with safety instead of harm. We are grateful for Signature Aviation's continued partnership and leadership on combatting this issue.”

“As a global aviation hospitality company, we see firsthand how important awareness and accountability are in preventing human trafficking,” said Amy Alexy, chief people officer at Signature Aviation and a board member of Covenant House International. “Partnering with Covenant House through this council allows us to turn that responsibility into action by working alongside other leaders who are committed to making a real difference.”

The Anti-Human Trafficking Council will have direct impact on Covenant House’s work with young survivors. Key partners will raise awareness about the critical need for holistic support for survivors, will serve as advocates at the local and federal levels, and will help ensure that uniquely tailored, trauma-informed, expert-led survivor care is available to young survivors at Covenant House.

About Covenant House:

Covenant House builds a bridge to hope for youth facing homelessness, including survivors of human trafficking and young families through unconditional love, absolute respect, and relentless support. Covenant House is the largest primarily privately funded agency in the Americas offering shelter, food, medical and mental healthcare, crisis intervention, educational and vocational services, legal assistance, and an array of supportive services at no cost. Covenant House sites are open 24/7 in 34 cities across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.

About Signature Aviation: 

Signature Aviation is the world’s preeminent aviation hospitality company, offering exceptional experiences and essential support services to business and private aviation guests. The company’s large-scale infrastructure footprint enables travel, fosters human connection and is a critical global economic driver. Signature operates an industry-leading network of private aviation terminals, with over 200 locations covering key destinations in 27 countries across five continents and is the largest distributor of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The company also offers over 16 million square feet of carbon neutral multiuse office and hangar real estate globally, providing unique networkwide benefits and advantages to guests who base their aircraft at a Signature location. For more information, please visit www.signatureaviation.com.   

Covenant House's Corporate Partnerships team would love to connect with you about how your organization can participate in this project with us. For more information, please contact: corporatepartnerships@covenanthouse.org