October 3, 2023 3;20 a.m.

The Douglas County Human Trafficking Task Force, sponsored by Mercy Foundation, has been awarded a grant of just over $213,000 from the Oregon Department of Justice VOCA program to support the work of the task force.

A CHI Mercy release said the foundation’s Up2UsNow violence prevention work launched the community’s human trafficking initiative. It continues to focus on increasing awareness and providing tools to law enforcement, medical and social service providers and other industries, such as truck drivers and tattoo artists to help identify victims and survivors. The task force has also responded to the needs of survivors by supporting a victim advocate, providing a single point of entry for access to services and resources. Both of these activities have been supported with funds from the Oregon Department of Justice.

Violence Prevention Program Manager Marion Pearson who coordinates the task force said, “This grant is a generous boost to our Task Force and allows us to continue to focus on education for our community”. Pearson said, “Trafficking is a very real issue in Douglas County and we are very grateful for this grant”.

To learn more about the work of the Douglas County Human Trafficking Task Force, call 677-4818 or go to; www.endtraffickingdouglascounty.org