Grants Will Also Strengthen Domestic and Sexual Violence Response in Rural Communities
WASHINGTON
(WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1, 2017) — U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has
announced that Vermont organizations will receive 10 grants totaling
more than $7.4 million
from the U.S. Department of Justice to support crime victims and to
strengthen services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
As
a former prosecutor and as the Vice Chairman of the Senate
Appropriations Committee, Leahy has long led efforts to protect funding
for the Violence Against Women Act
(VAWA) and the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), the two federal programs
that provide direct support to victims. Leahy also led the Senate in
strengthening and reauthorizing VAWA in 2013 as the chief author and
sponsor of that legislation, and in 2015 he helped
raise the cap on the Crime Victims Fund so that states would be
eligible for more funding.
“It
is vitally important to continue to support those who are supporting
victims. We have a highly effective network of organizations that serve
thousands of Vermont residents
every year, and we must ensure they have the tools they need to do
their work,” Leahy said. “We know that half of all homicides in Vermont
are related to domestic violence. This disturbing reality tears at the
fabric of all our communities, from our urban
centers to our most rural towns. That is why one of my highest
priorities in renewing VAWA was to strengthen support for victims,
especially in rural communities with access to few resources.”
Karen Tronsgard-Scott, executive director of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said:
“Survivors of domestic and sexual violence need the support of our communities.
These grants create innovative
approaches to providing these vitally important supports and will help
survivors reconstruct their lives free from violence. We are grateful
for Senator Leahy’s deep understanding of domestic
and sexual violence and how it impacts survivors and communities in
Vermont, and his stalwart support for these programs.”
Chris Fenno, executive director of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, said:
“The criminal justice system can be overwhelming for a person who has experienced a robbery, an assault, rape or murder.
These grants provide crucial victim services to over 25,000
individuals each year across the state of Vermont, and help make the
experience less daunting on many levels. We appreciate Senator Leahy’s
lifelong dedication to improving the justice system’s
response for people whose lives have been impacted by crime.”
This additional funding comes
on the heels of the Senate Appropriations Committee passing a Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations
bill this summer that included $483.5
million for the Violence Against Women Act, a $2 million increase over
FY17 levels. That bill included a $1 million increase for a
Leahy-authored rural grants program that delivers funds
specifically to rural states like Vermont. The appropriations bill
also included an additional $1 million in Leahy-authored transitional
housing grants, a program that awarded Burlington $349,454 in this round
of grants.
FY 2017 U.S. Department of Justice Grants to Vermont:
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) - Eight grants totaling $3.35 million:
•
Council on Aging for Southeastern Vermont, Inc., Springfield: $395,029
This
funding will enhance the training of police, prosecutors, and the
judiciary to investigate and prosecute cases of abuse, mistreatment,
violence, and assault of elderly
victims.
•
Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services (VCCVS), Waterbury: $372,649
The
Sexual Assault Services Program grant provides states with formula
funding to support rape crisis centers and other core services to
victims of sexual assault throughout
the state.
•
Steps to End Domestic Violence, Burlington: $349,454
This
transitional housing grant assists homeless victims of sexual assault,
domestic and dating violence, and stalking by providing short-term
housing options and emergency
shelter, as well as case management, child care, and other support
services to move clients towards securing permanent housing.
•
Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, City of St. Albans and Voices Against Violence: $379,240
This
funding will enhance the community justice response to domestic
violence by strengthening partnerships between criminal justice
agencies, victim service providers and
community organizations in Franklin and Grand Isle counties.
•
Have Justice – Will Travel (HJWT), Vershire: $359,281
With
this award, HJWT and its project partners will provide direct legal
services and assistance in accessing social services for victims in
Bennington and Rutland counties.
•
WISE, Windsor County: $490,382
This
funding will increase capacity to more effectively serve residents
of Windsor County, with an emphasis on the rural towns of Windsor, West
Windsor, Weathersfield and Reading, focusing on victim services and
coordinated response.
•
Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, Waterbury: $750,000
This
funding will allow VCCVS to expand the Vermont Rural Grant project in
areas of Washington and Lamoille counties, enhancing access to
specialized services for victims.
•
Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Montpelier: $239,126
This funding supports the state coalition’s efforts to coordinate victim services statewide and advance the goals of VAWA.
Victims of Crime Act (VOCA): Two grants totaling $4.1 million:
•
Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services: $3.97 million
This
funding represents Vermont’s allocation under the state victim
assistance formula and is funded through the federal Crime Victims Fund,
supported through federal fines
and penalties rather than with taxpayer dollars. These funds enhance
direct services to crime victims in Vermont and support victim advocates
in every state’s attorney’s office throughout Vermont.
•
Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services: $119,000
Additional funding for direct compensation payments to eligible crime victims.
www.seniorsolutionsvt.org/
7.4 million dollars of our TAX DOLLARS, tired of paying others way, we have given out way to much of our TAX Dollars we all as people need to pay our own way! Go ahead Beat me up Liberals!!
ReplyDeleteI'm a liberal and I agree 100 percent.
DeleteLeahy needs to take off that Halloween costume and quit trying to perpetuate his lousy political career by hands,t out taxpayers dollars as though they were treats. This old fool is an embarrassment.
ReplyDeleteThere's an old saying; a liberal is a conservative who's been thrown in jail, a conservative is a liberal who's been robbed.
DeleteNow that is old, as Dylan said "Times they are a changing ", and as many now say..the GOP is dead.
Delete8:47, I believe you may have missed my point. What I was trying to say was that most people's beliefs have more to do with their situation than any ideology; liberals buying a gun after being burglarized, or consevatives getting on welfare after losing a job. I've seen both; ideological purity goes right out the window in the face of simple survival, every time! The previous posters complained about tax dollars to help VICTIMS of crime. Have we become so callous as a Nation that crime victims are then further subjected to the wrath of a selfish, greedy public? One thing I know, those very same people who would deny help to others will be the FIRST ones to claim they deserve it! THAT I have also seen, and far too often!
Delete8:47 Agrees
Delete9:15 AM and 2:36 PM, the buying a gun I can see that might be the only way to protect your home or yourself against someone with evil and criminal intent on their minds.
ReplyDeleteBut if a victim of crime or some of these other items, how does tax dollars and social groups helps, lets talk it out over and over? No fight back, have the person arrested, buy a gun, pull up your boots and move on with life, going to these social groups and having to talk it through is not going to get anything done accept provide more (although not direct government employee) people for us to pay their salaries from our direct tax dollars thus running up the tax bill on the rest of us. I will admit I have not check but the people running these groups are paid employees and paid groups not volunteers. I live in one of these areas and if a one of our family members fall victim, we as a family will gather together and deal with it along with our friends.
Roger, there can be community (as in the USA) or tribalism. Your recommended mode of therapy is tribalism-- the sort of thing the Hatfields and McCoys did. Think about it: if a person does not receive the needed and proper attention for dealing with the wrong inflicted upon him (or her), there will be a descent into tribalism. "Pulling up your boots and move on with life" is likely to consist of getting even with the offender via the Biblical "eye for an eye" behavior. If one of your kids runs over Wayne LaPierre's kid and kills him, would you want him to fall back on his family's resources to deal with his grief?
ReplyDeleteNo any one they choose to fall back on... but we are talking about 7.4 million dollars of taxes, something has to bring down these taxes that a small percentage of us pay, and a small percentage of people use... what you outline is a need to have a group of resources for the small percentage of tax payers to resort to for comfort. If we did not have a 50% rate of people who do not work and do not try to work to pay their fair share I would not have a problem with it. I have never been unemployed for 42 years now, I'm tired of paying for others that do not try and go to Wal-Mart everyday spending my money and not trying and using Welfare cards to buy sandwiches at gas stations in town when they could live within the means they have. I have a sense of community, and donate every month to Shriners Hospital and Wonded Warriors, and yearly donations to Vt Foodbank and Springfield Community Shelter and center... but 7.4 million for what it goes for is way out of line... creating a bureaucracy that keeps Layhey in his position of power and perpetuates it over and over again...
ReplyDeleteRoger, the gross annual income in this country is $17 trillion. Income taxes derived from that generally are in the vicinity of 17% (despite the moans about too-high taxation), which means that $7.4 million represents 0.0004% of your tax dollars-- about 22 and a half cents, if you're one of the lucky Springfielders making $52,000.
ReplyDeleteIf we had an equitable tax policy, you'd be paying about 2 and a half cents. Maybe you should focus on the fact that the wealthiest in the country have an actual tax rate that's ten percent lower than yours!
For the record, I worked for pay for 58 years, and I believe everybody in this country should have it at least as good as I've had it. And I am happy to pay up so no child goes through any of the stuff I went through. My taxes keep America strong, and Wayne LaPierre needs all the tax-funded counseling he can get (insert appropriate emoji) I'm happy to chip in!
If your financial contributions equalled the level of your sanctimony, they might actually amount to something. You are the pied piper of penniless propaganda who prefers to pontificate and pick the pockets of others rather than pitch in with more of your own.
DeletePlease! Less spittle with your pronunciamentos!
DeleteThat's why we live in America, I am for everyone paying there share, we obviously disagree with each other, welfare perpetrates it's self over and over and over something has to break that cycle it's good for them and us in the 39% tax bracket... and I work hard to be in and stay in that bracket... it just need to go down... if the zero contributors contribute 10% then that's something.
ReplyDelete"Zero contributors?" You are talking about Mitt Romney, who didn't pay any taxes for 10 years prior to his candidacy? Or our Leader, who, thanks to the tax code, did the same for a somewhat longer time? You probably support Bernie Sanders!
ReplyDelete