WHY IT RATES: Between new educational signage and the timing of this campaign to coincide with the Superbowl, Delta is helping to keep the spotlight on a very serious issue.-Mia Taylor, TravelPulse Senior Writer.
While 24.9 million people are trafficked year-round, Sunday's big game creates an opportunity for Delta to raise awareness of human trafficking with one million people visiting Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). In the airline's major hub city, customers and employees are linking arms to fight trafficking next week.
In preparation for the sporting event, Delta installed newly designed anti-trafficking signs in MSP in partnership with Polaris and Freedom United. The displays educate all customers on indicators of human trafficking and share the National Human Trafficking Hotline number Delta sponsored last October.
The Hotline allows the public to report potential trafficking scenarios and serves as a resource for victims to receive immediate critical services. As of 2017, the Hotline has helped 377 victims calling from Minneapolis.
Delta has also implemented new extensive training that is mandated for all customer-facing employees to detect and report human trafficking in the air, on the ground and in their local communities.
"Seventy-four percent of victims who are victims of human trafficking are transported across borders, and we are in a unique position to say: 'Not on our planes, and not in our skies,'" said Toby Broberg, Delta's V.P.-Airport Operations MSP.
Additionally, Delta is sponsoring the Super Bowl Committee's human trafficking relief efforts by supporting local service providers in Minneapolis during the 10 days of the event. The support will go to street outreach workers from The Link, Breaking Free and Streetworks to help identify and connect youth and adults who have been sex trafficked with safe shelter, housing and support.
According to CBS Minnesota, "It's a problem that Delta says it's ready to tackle."
Employees are also contributing to the cause. Delta's 80,000 employees are donating survival items to victims in need in Minnesota. Traffickers often strip victims of personal belongings, identification and communication tools so they become dependent for basic necessities.
While items such as a coat or bedding may seem simple, they can empower exploited people to escape their trafficking scenario. The employees have contributed winter coats, socks, bedding, personal hygiene items and more to provide relief to the victims in Minneapolis.
Customers are also invited to join Delta in fighting trafficking by donating miles to fly survivors home and provide them with critical services. As the leader for airlines in the fight against human trafficking since 2011, Delta is committed to fighting human trafficking as vigorously during the Super Bowl as it does every day of the year.
America's classic sporting event will soon conclude, but the airline's efforts only continue to grow stronger.
SOURCE: Delta Airlines press release.
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