A major support provider for victims of human trafficking in Maine says it may have to scale back emergency services next month, because new federal grant funding hasn't been released.
The nonprofit Preble Street supported more than 150 trafficking victims from seven Maine counties through a $950,000, three-year federal grant.
Current funding from the U.S. Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crimes runs out at the end of September, and no new funding has been announced, said Hailey Virusso, the anti-trafficking director for the nonprofit.
She said Preble Street hasn't heard anything about new grant funding and is preparing for the "worst-case scenario." Survivors with current cases through Preble Street will be served, Virusso said, but the group may have to take on fewer new clients.
"We're running a much longer waitlist than we typically have," she said. "We're redirecting folks to ... a drop-in center in Portland for survivors of trafficking, so [we're] working to direct folks to that space where we can provide in the moment support if we're not able to provide long-term support that we'd typically do."
Virusso said Preble Street is trying to raise private donations to keep the program afloat after this month. But ultimately, she said the loss of federal grants would be "catastrophic" for the program, which provides emergency services to adult survivors of sex trafficking, as well as those as victims of labor trafficking in the state.
"We know that every moment is the right moment, and if we don't pick up the phone what that could mean for a survivor means that they potentially couldn't exit a situation, couldn't get connected to life-saving support," Virusso said.
A DOJ spokesperson said grant funding opportunities are being out "now and over the next few weeks."
"We will continue to receive and review all applications and make funding decisions based on which applicant(s) best serve the programs and administration priorities articulated in the [notice of funding opportunities]," the spokesperson said. "The money appropriated by Congress will be spent, and it will be awarded to organizations that combat human trafficking and help trafficking victims."
Virusso said she believes Preble Street may be the only anti-trafficking service provider in Maine that is facing this particular funding cliff, because the nonprofit's grant expires Sept. 30 and other organizations rely on different grants.
The Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault said most other anti-trafficking service providers in the state receive federal funding from a different DOJ office, where there was a two-month delay in releasing grant funding opportunities earlier this year.
