Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Project

The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) proposes to expand and strengthen Oregon’s capacity to serve victims of human trafficking by engaging key stakeholders and partners, including the Oregon Department of Justice, Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services, Multnomah County Sex Trafficking Expansion Project, and Legal Aid Services of Oregon to fill in gaps in culturally responsive services. This proposed project will leverage IRCO’s solid linkages with key systems and partners to address the overwhelming need for culturally responsive and individualized services and advocacy targeting the most vulnerable and underserved groups—immigrant, refugee, and foreign-born victims of human trafficking. The proposed service area includes Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties where victims are trafficked in high numbers in high-poverty and/or underserved communities.

Beneficiaries of the proposed project include individuals and communities with demonstrated need. Numerous key stakeholders and partners throughout Oregon are struggling with inadequate resources, and this project’s proposed training, networking, systems alignment, and direct services will increase Oregon’s capacity to identify and address the needs of human trafficking victims. Primary activities will include: 1) Attending 130 taskforces/meetings over a 36-month project period and engaging 3 new partners in rural communities or economically distressed areas (QOZ); 2) Providing 60 trainings with a focus on rural communities and QOZs with 400 people trained over project period; and 3) Providing 100 victims with assistance and/or referrals over project period.