Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's office issued the following today:
September 19, 2019
Funding Will Be Used to Provide Legal Services To Survivors For Free Or Little to No Cost
Washington, DC – U.S. Senate Minority
Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today
announced $2,400,000 in federal funding for four organizations in New
York City that provide legal services to survivors of sexual assault and
domestic violence. The funding was allocated through the U.S.
Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Legal Assistance for Victims Grant (LAV)
Program. Specifically, the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation,
Sanctuary for Families, Inc., New York Legal Assistance Group, Inc., and
New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, Inc. will each
receive $600,000 to offer legal assistance for free or little to no cost
to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and
stalking.
“This federal funding will provide invaluable
legal services to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in
New York City. We must send an unequivocal message that sexual and
domestic violence will not be tolerated and we must do everything we can
to both prevent it in the first place and support survivors of these
horrific crimes,” said Senator Schumer. “I am
pleased that the Department of Justice has awarded this funding to four
organizations in New York City, and I will continue fighting to ensure
that all survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault have the
services and support they need.”
“Sexual assault and domestic violence are
devastating problems, and we must do everything we can to support
survivors as they seek assistance,” said Senator Gillibrand.
“This critical funding will allow organizations to help survivors
across New York City as they navigate the complex legal system and seek
justice. I will continue fighting in the Senate for the resources that
help protect survivors.”
“VAWA continues to provide essential support
to victims, survivors and communities to ensure they have the legal
tools and resources necessary to seek justice and receive care. This
grant funding with help organizations like the Northern Manhattan
Improvement Corporate (NMIC) in their efforts to continue to provide
vital resources and support for victims, survivors and their families,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13).
"Victims of domestic violence and their
families face numerous obstacles to escape the horrors of abuse. NMIC is
proud to build a new partnership with the Violence Intervention Project
(VIP) to provide critical legal and social services to the low-income,
Latinx survivors in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx – communities that
struggle with domestic violence rates 26% higher than in the rest of New
York City. These critical legal and social services will provide the
foundation for survivors and their families to heal and move toward
self-sufficiency," said Maria Lizardo, Executive Director, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation.
“Sanctuary for Families, New York State’s
largest nonprofit provider of comprehensive services for survivors of
gender violence, is profoundly grateful to the U.S. Office on Violence
Against Women for its sustained commitment to life-saving legal services
for abuse survivors. For more than 20 years, Sanctuary’s Courtroom
Advocates Project (CAP) – with OVW’s longtime support – has helped
thousands of survivors navigate the often-bewildering halls of Family
Court to obtain orders of protection and other legal resources that help
them achieve safety and freedom from abuse. More recently, CAP has
begun providing vital legal services to survivors of campus sexual
assault, helping them access justice in this deeply under-resourced
legal area. We are grateful to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for their
commitment to ending gender violence and for ensuring critical
resources are made available to survivors,” said Hon. Judy Harris Kluger, Executive Director, Sanctuary for Families.
“We are incredibly grateful to receive
funding through the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against
Women to provide civil legal services to immigrant survivors of domestic
violence,” said Lisa Rivera, Managing Attorney, New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). “This
funding is a critical lifeline for survivors to obtain the expert
assistance they need to rebuild their lives free from violence. Since
its passage in 1994, the Violence Against Women Act has provided support
to give victims, particularly those from traditionally underserved
populations, access to services that are accessible and culturally
competent to meet their needs. We are grateful to Senators Schumer and
Gillibrand for their leadership on this issue and for supporting this
work.”
“The New York City Anti-Violence Project
(AVP) is grateful to receive our third cycle of funding from the Office
on Violence Against Women’s Legal Assistance for Victims Grant,
supporting our work with LGBTQ survivors of intimate partner and sexual
violence. AVP was instrumental in VAWA’s reauthorization in 2013,
specifically in including LGBTQ survivors and in establishing
non-discrimination language that includes our communities. We have seen
an increase in the number of LGBTQ survivors of all types of violence in
these turbulent times, including intimate partner and sexual violence.
The renewal of this grant ensures we will be able to provide holistic
legal representation to these survivors, including undocumented
survivors who are married to an abusive U.S. Citizen, or those who are
survivors of trafficking. This funding will help AVP to continue to meet
the needs of LGBTQ survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence,” said Virginia Goggin, Director of Legal Services, New York City Anti-Violence Project.
A breakdown and description of the federal grant awards for New York City are below.
|
Organization: |
Funding Total: |
Description: |
|
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation |
$600,000 |
The Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation will use the funding to provide legal services to low-income, limited English proficient, Latinx immigrant survivors in Manhattan and the Bronx, and to coordinate a referral process and cross-training program for volunteers so they can better support survivors. |
|
Sanctuary for Families, Inc. |
$600,000 |
Sanctuary for Families, Inc. will use the funding to provide direct legal services to survivors of domestic violence throughout New York City, as well as to train pro bono attorneys, law students, and volunteers to provide legal assistance to survivors. |
|
New York Legal Assistance Group, Inc. |
$600,000 |
New York Legal Assistance Group, Inc. will use the funding to provide direct legal services to survivors of domestic violence and stalking throughout New York City, and to train community leaders. |
|
New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, Inc. |
$600,000 |
The New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, Inc. will use the funding to provide legal services to LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence throughout New York City, and to fund community outreach programs to increase awareness of the project. |
The Department of Justice Office on Violence
Against Women’s Legal Assistance for Victims Grant (LAV) Program works
to implement certain provisions of the Violence Against Women Act. It is
designed to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal
assistance programs for adult and youth victims of domestic violence,
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who are seeking relief in
legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence, at
minimal or no cost to the victims. More information can be found here.
