Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)

Mission

IRCO’s mission is to welcome, serve, and empower refugees, immigrants, and people across cultures and generations to reach their full potential.  

Bottom Line for Portland

Founded by refugees nearly 50 years ago, IRCO is the largest immigrant and refugee community-based organization in Portland.

In the last year, we engaged over 24,000 individuals: we house new refugee arrivals, provide essential immigration legal counsel and navigation, offer training and employment services, support survivors of violence and exploitation, assist small businesses, help children become kindergarten ready, engage youth, and more, with over 75 programs in total. 

Your donation to this Give!Guide campaign helps fund these critical programs, providing tens of thousands of immigrants and refugees with life-changing services. 

Quote

“We crossed twelve countries to come to the United States. Afghanistan, to Iran, Brazil, then Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Panama, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Mexico. In Panama, we had to walk for three or four days to cross. We didn’t have food, we didn’t have anything.

“Arriving in Portland was a turning point for us, as our lives began to change for the better. After we became acquainted with IRCO, one of the best communities in Portland, provided invaluable assistance to our family, IRCO helped us with healthcare and home supplements. IRCO helped me pay for my Portland Community College classes and bought a laptop for me. I want to study IT and get a job in technology services.

“IRCO has many programs for helping refugees. We are so happy now, we are here, we have a house, we have everything. It's good.”

Nargis & Saraya

Asylees from Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our Commitment to Equity

It is IRCO's policy to ensure that no person shall be discriminated against, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination, as a result of their race, ethnicity, color, citizenship, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, political affiliation, veterans status, physical, sensory or mental disability, familial status, or any other reasons protected under federal or state law; as long as said person is otherwise eligible for an IRCO program or service, and there are no conflicts of interest in serving said person. IRCO is committed to investigating all reports of discrimination.

Incentives

• $100 Gift Card to Hey Love
• I Stand with Immigrants and Refugees IRCO t-shirts
• IRCO tote bags

Partner(s)

Hey Love donates a percentage of the proceeds of the Mama Dut's Gimlet to IRCO. Through Give!Guide IRCO will raffle a $100 Hey Love gift card to one donor. 

Community Warehouse collaborates and shares resources with IRCO's New Beginnings Market to provide furniture and personal goods to create a welcoming home when refugees arrive in Portland