More than 100 organizations across the state have participated in outreach and screening with Oregon Worker Relief. By distributing aid directly, they are able to build on their trusted ties and efficiently reach community members who are excluded from other relief. Through their work, the navigating groups have expanded their capacity, deepened their relationships, and fostered community connectedness. In times of crisis and prosperity, Oregonians benefit from strong bonds between neighbors. Designed and implemented by the community and for the community, Oregon Worker Relief meets urgent needs statewide while strengthening community resilience for the future. The keys to the success of Oregon Worker Relief are fostering deep coalition partnerships, utilizing community-led design, and building and sharing powerful in-house technology expertise. Together, these factors allow us to shift power, address the effects of immigration laws that keep people in a state of perpetual legal precarity, and reimagine financial systems that prevent people from accumulating wealth.

The Facts

• One in every 10 Oregon children live with a family member who is undocumented.¹
• Immigrants contribute immensely to Oregon’s economic health
  • One in eight workers in Oregon is an immigrant, together making up an essential share of the state’s labor force across industries.² 
  • Undocumented Oregonians pay about $81 million annually in state and local taxes.³ 
  • Over 13 percent of Oregon’s workforce are immigrants. ⁴
  • In 2015, over 28,000 immigrant business owners in Oregon generated $470.6 million in business income.
  • Immigrant-led households paid more than $2.5 billion in federal and state taxes in 2014.

Highlights

Here are the highlights of what we accomplished together in 2022:

• Nearly 77,607 Oregonians received financial relief through one or more of Oregon Worker Relief’s programs.
• OWR Total Fund Distribution since May 2020: $136.2M distributed
• The Oregon Worker Relief Fund has provided financial relief in every county in Oregon.

The Quarantine Fund provided temporary aid of up to $1,290 to agricultural workers who had to quarantine because of a COVID-19 exposure. It provided 14.5 million to more than 11,000 Oregon workers. The Quarantine Fund closed in 2022.

Small businesses are the backbone of Oregon’s economy, and immigrant-owned businesses create jobs and contribute significantly to local economies. COVID-19 restrictions and the sudden economic shifts were very hard for small businesses to navigate, and the relief programs that helped other businesses survive often left behind immigrant businesses. The Small Enterprise Fund made a significant difference by distributing $11.7 million to 993 immigrant businesses across the state before wrapping up in September 2022.