Mercy Foundation Receives Grant from the Oregon Department of Justice
12:00 AM · Oct 6, 2023October 2, 2023 (Roseburg, OR) – The Douglas County Human Trafficking Task Force, sponsored by Mercy Foundation, has been awarded a grant of $213,329 from the Oregon Department of Justice VOCA program to support the work of the Task Force. Mercy Foundation’s Up2UsNow violence prevention work launched our 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/survivors. We have 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. “This grant is a generous boost to our Task Force and allows us to continue to focus on education for our community. Trafficking is a very real issue in Douglas County and we are very grateful for this grant,” says Marion Pearson, Violence Prevention Program Manager, who coordinates the Task Force. To learn more about the work of the Douglas County Human Trafficking Task Force, please call 541-677-4818 or visit www.endtraffickingdouglascounty.org. Mercy Foundation celebrates 50 years of proudly serving Douglas County’s youth and families. Today Mercy Foundation’s many prevention and wellness programs range from school based dental programs and Resource RNs teaching health, hygiene and nutrition education, to supporting youth and families with Type 1 diabetes, to name a few. These programs are rooted in a long tradition of addressing the unmet health needs of Douglas County’s youth and families. They include, but are not limited to, the Children’s Healthcare Fund, the Learning Child and Tree of Hope committees. Dedicated volunteers have raised funds for special projects benefiting youth such as assisting families whose children need specialized medical equipment or treatment, backpacks with school and personal hygiene supplies and placing washers/dryers in schools. All of Mercy Foundation’s programs address the vulnerabilities associated with the social determinants of health. To learn more about our projects or to volunteer, please visit Mercy Foundation. https://www.mercygiving.org/ Via CHI Mercy Health