How BECU Strives to Prevent Human Trafficking with BEST
February 26, 2025
BECU staff are with You Are Not Alone signs in a BECU restroom, November 2024. Photo credit: BECU
BECU is a member-owned credit union committed to improving the financial well-being of its members and communities. BECU also prioritizes the safety of its members and communities—and demonstrates that commitment by partnering with BEST to counter human trafficking in multiple ways.
Financial stability is a key factor in a trafficking survivor’s susceptibility to being trafficked again. Traffickers seek out vulnerable people, and that includes people experiencing poverty. Without a source of income, people who are desperate for a solution can be manipulated more easily into exploitation. BECU provides financial support that helps sustain the Safe Jobs Collaborative BEST coordinates. The Safe Jobs Collaborative connects survivors of human trafficking and those at risk of being trafficked with trauma-informed employers that provide safe and stable employment.
Many victims lose opportunities for education or work experience while they are trafficked. When they leave an exploitative situation, they are vulnerable to being trafficked again if they don’t find a stable source of income. Facing financial instability can make it extremely difficult to fully leave exploitation without support. Thanks to the generous financial support of BECU and others, the Safe Jobs Collaborative bridges the gap and supports survivors in gaining safe employment.
In addition to supporting the Safe Jobs Collaborative, BECU is trailblazing counter-trafficking efforts in the financial industry in other ways too. The credit union helps trafficking victims connect with support resources to help them leave their situation by placing BEST’s multi-language You Are Not Alone signs throughout their facilities. The Not Alone signs assist victims looking for a way to leave their traffickers by encouraging them to contact the National Human Trafficking hotline.
To prepare staff to recognize and safely report potential human trafficking situations, BECU trains their front-facing employees with the BEST Basics course. BEST Basics is one of the training courses BEST provides to equip businesses. BECU also utilized BEST’s consulting services to advise its multiprong strategy and create a customized internal protocol for front-facing staff that supports trauma-informed interactions with potential victims.
“The relationship that has been formed with BEST has been nothing short of astounding,” states Mitchell Mondala, the Senior Investigator for BECU. “Being able to see firsthand the work that they do and the impact they have is incredible.”
Through partnership with BEST, BECU has established itself as a precedent-setting leader for countering human trafficking in the financial industry. BECU’s support of the Safe Jobs Collaborative helps trafficking survivors and those at risk find safe, stable employment. BECU leaders proactively deploy a coherent strategy and protocols across its locations. Front-facing staff receive training on how to recognize and respond to potential human trafficking situations. These efforts contribute positively to employees’ morale and safety at work and members’ sense of safety when doing business with BECU.
BEST looks forward to continuing working with BECU for many years to come.
To learn more about BECU, visit becu.org.
