INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute awarded $500,000 in grant funding to 25 non-profits to provide emergency shelter and services to victims of domestic violence and their dependents. The funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Social Services Block Grant program.
Local recipients include the Family Crisis Shelter in Montgomery County, $25,000; Hope Springs Safe House in Fountain County, $17,2000; and YWCA Greater Lafayette in Tippecanoe County, $21,800.
“Domestic violence shelters are beacons of hope in the darkest of nights,” said Devon McDonald, executive director for ICJI. “They provide a safe haven for those who have been abused, and they offer a path to healing and recovery. We must continue to support these shelters and the work they do, so that no one has to suffer in silence.”
Established in 1981, the SSBG program is a flexible funding source that allows states to tailor social service programming to address their needs. In Indiana, the funding is distributed to the Indiana Department of Child Services, which allocates a portion to ICJI to assist residential domestic violence programs.
This year, organizations will use the grants to provide items like food, clothing, transportation and shelter to survivors in crisis. The goal of the program is to help offset the cost of certain operational expenses, so that other funding may be used to provide support services.
“Access to safe accommodation and shelter, along with survivor-centered support, is essential to breaking the cycle of violence and helping survivors begin to recover,” said Kim Lambert, ICJI Victim Services Director. “These services provide a safe space to heal, access to resources, and the support survivors need to rebuild their lives. We must continue to invest in these services so that everyone has the opportunity to live free from violence.”
The grants were approved by the ICJI Board of Trustees earlier this month and will be made available to organizations starting in July.
