The U.S. Department of Justice is awarding more than $2.5 million in grants to three nonprofit organizations in Western Washington that work to combat human trafficking and support survivors, Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced Friday.
The largest grant, $950,000, is awarded to Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative (IHTC) to provide support and resources to 300 survivors of sex and labor trafficking in the South Sound region. Specifically, the organization will focus on Thurston, Lewis, Pierce and Mason counties and 10 tribes: Nisqually, Chehalis, Tulalip, Puyallup, Cowlitz, Quileute, Lower Elwha Klallam, Muckleshoot and Hoh Tribes. IHTC will provide training on best practices for local law enforcement, health, mental health, and social services providers while also mobilizing a network of nonprofits, government agencies, the faith community, tribal elders and businesses who can assist those seeking to escape human trafficking.
Seattle’s International Rescue Committee was awarded $800,000 to provide evidence-based and trauma-informed mental health and psychosocial support services to survivors of human trafficking in King County. Primary activities include individual counseling, group support and case management services to survivors and training and technical assistance to providers to increase their capacity to serve survivors.
Finally, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project was awarded $800,000 to provide legal services to human trafficking survivors in Southwest Washington and on the Olympic Peninsula. Two other nonprofits will have services funded through this grant award: Centro Integral Educativo Latino de Olympia, an organization dedicated to meeting the human service needs of Latino residents of three rural counties with high risk for labor trafficking, specifically in non-timber forest harvesting, fishing and shellfish, and agriculture; and Pueblo Unido PDX, an organization dedicated to more effectively serving the immigration legal needs of indigenous language speakers. Northwest Immigrant Rights Project will oversee these subgrants.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Western District of Washington is a leader in prosecuting cases of human trafficking — whether it is sex trafficking of vulnerable victims or labor trafficking of immigrants who feel helpless to escape,” Gorman said. “This grant funding will ensure the victims of modern-day slavery are rescued and supported as they put their lives back together.”
