A $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women will help Centre Safe provide legal services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
The funds will also help the State College-based nonprofit provide increased access to legal services for survivors in more rural areas of Centre County, according to a DOJ news release on Friday.
“This substantial grant will improve the lives of many victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking,” Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Bruce D. Brandler said in a statement. “I am very pleased to join with OVW and Centre Safe in empowering survivors and stabilizing families.”
The grant for Centre Safe’s Civil Legal Representation Project will provide services to survivors in civil litigation, including divorce, custody, support, housing and Title IX matters.
Centre Safe’s CLRP works to “reduce vulnerability and mitigate the lifelong effects of domestic violence and sexual assault,” with legal services to “help survivors move toward family stability and economic independence,” according to the release.
The funding also will support additional travel throughout the county to ensure the services reach rural areas.
“We are so pleased to receive this grant from OVW,” Anne Ard, executive director of Centre Safe, said in a statement. “Legal services are critical for survivors of domestic and sexual violence as they work to build new lives for themselves and their children and this grant will allow the CLRP to enhance and expand its assistance to those survivors.”
Founded in 1975 as the Centre County Women’s Resource Center, Centre Safe works to empower survivors of sexual violence, relationship violence and stalking and to eliminate such violence. It offers a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, counseling and advocacy, support groups, legal assistance, a sexual assault response team, child custody exchanges and visitation supervision, help with transitional housing and community education.
