Hope for Justice North Carolina Regional Center (formerly Lily Pad Haven)

Lily Pad Haven Inc is now part of the Hope for Justice family and is known as the Hope for Justice North Carolina Regional Center.

Human trafficking is a $150 billion industry and it truly is a form of modern-day slavery, with an estimated 27.6 million people affected globally by forced labor and sex trafficking, plus another 22 million people in forced marriages. It is thought there are 403,000 people in the United States who have been trafficked for labor or sex exploitation and are living in fear.

Hope for Justice works across five continents, out of more than 30 locations. We are establishing a network of Regional Centers across the United States to expand our reach – helping more victims, deepening our impact on survivors, and creating resilient communities where survivors thrive. Hope for Justice does more than raise awareness. We act. We are investigators with years of law enforcement experience, accredited trainers, legal experts, social workers, therapists, policy specialists, and professionals.

Across North Carolina

With major highways throughout the state, increased gang activity, and a large agriculture base, North Carolina consistently ranks in the top 10 states with the most reported human trafficking cases.

In 2020, there were 260 cases of human trafficking reported state-wide. Since human trafficking is a crime that often goes unreported, the true number of cases is likely much higher.

Hope starts here

Hope for Justice Regional Centers provide a comprehensive, end-to-end strategy that will decrease and eventually eradicate human trafficking in the United States.

The North Carolina Regional Center is the first of several Regional Centers planned over the next three to five years – creating a network throughout the U.S. that will expand our reach, deepen our impact, and create resilient communities where survivors of human trafficking can thrive.

Based on our four pillars of prevent, rescue, restore, and reform, we provide a holistic, survivor-centered approach to bringing hope and justice to victims of human trafficking. Each Regional Center team includes:

• Investigators: With years of law enforcement experience, Hope for Justice investigators determine if a case meets the definition required by law to charge someone with the human trafficking statute. Investigators help identify victims, gather intelligence about suspected traffickers, and share that information with law enforcement to aid in victim rescue.
• Trainers: Our experienced trainers equip frontline professionals, targeting industries that intersect with trafficking victims. We equip them with the knowledge, skills and tools to identify modern slavery themselves and respond effectively.
• Case Managers: With a community-based approach to aftercare, we help survivors of trafficking rebuild their lives by providing tailored case management for each survivor and connecting them to services in the local community. We walk alongside them each step of the way, advocating on their behalf and guiding them through the social services and legal systems.
• Clinical Therapists: Developing a care plan that in unique for each survivor, our counselling services allow for different forms of therapy to meet individual needs which positions them for success and healing.
• Sector Experts: With years of experience working with human trafficking on a global scale, Hope for Justice Regional Center leaders bring a unique perspective, applying their broad knowledge to a local context, addressing policies, and catalyzing change.

Work with us so we can see an end to human trafficking

Contact the Hope for Justice North Carolina Regional Center to learn more about how you can request a trainer, speaker, investigative services, aftercare services, or prevention and awareness materials. Email: [email protected]

Mailing address for the Hope for Justice North Carolina Regional Center (formerly Lily Pad Haven): Hope for Justice, P.O. Box 5009, Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, NC 28216.

Lily Pad Haven is now part of Hope for Justice, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.