
This story is part of WYDaily’s ongoing look at human trafficking in the Historic Triangle. Read the first installment: “Can it Happen Here? Understanding Human Trafficking“
WILLIAMSBURG — “No sensible person believes that slavery can happen in the 21st century, much less on (the American) shores,” begins Anna Glider as she explains why founding her nonprofit organization, The Anchor Project, was so important.
Glider had her first encounter with human trafficking 26 years ago when she worked at a New York City firm that specialized in international and corporate espionage.
While in Asia for work, Glider explains, “I was thinking the U.S. was safe from these atrocious crimes, but I can tell you I couldn’t have been more wrong.”
“I have always been a human rights advocate. My personal experiences have stuck with me and then led me to start the Anchor Project, ” explains Glider, who notes as a refugee, she escaped a communist regime in 1992 with her family.

The mission of the Williamsburg-based foundation is “Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, Policy, and Partnership.”
As advocates, action-takers and community changers, The Anchor Project aims to eliminate human trafficking from Virginia by raising public awareness, collaborating with stakeholders, introducing innovative solutions, lobbying, promoting legislative action and civic engagement.
“The Anchor Project is here to connect the dots and put all the pieces together in systematical gaps,” said Glider.
There are four primary components that The Anchor Project focuses on:
- Supporting and assisting law enforcement agencies, medical communities, and school districts to expand their knowledge and expertise to prevent human trafficking.
- Providing support to victims of trafficking with proper recourses on their recovery journey.
- Lobbying for law and policy changes to better protect communities from domestic trafficking, exploitation, and help bring perpetrators to justice.
- Raising public awareness on how to spot trafficking, how the use of social media harms children and young adults and the long-term impact that can result from online exploitation.
While assisting victims remains a high priority, Glider feels making changes to policy and legislation is crucial and to make those changes, current statistics need to be updated to reflect how dire the situation is in Virginia.
Glider’s main goal is to prevent trafficking crimes from even being committed.
“Survivors of trafficking are not the same, they will never be the same, and what happened to them is absolutely atrocious,” Glider continued, “So, what Virginia really needs is to step up our game, not just by supporting survivors, but we need to bridge the gaps (that allow this to continue).”
“We need to be proactive in prevention. We need to act not react,” wrote Glider in an article for Law Enforcement Today.
To reach these goals, the nonprofit relies on donations and volunteers.
On Wednesday, Aug. 21, The Anchor Project will host a free public awareness event at the Yorktown Library beginning at 6 p.m. The one-hour educational presentation is designed to raise awareness about human trafficking in the area. Attendees are asked to RSVP to The Anchor Project.
Visit The Anchor Project to learn more about its programs and how you can help.