DVPF funds five anti-domestic violence programs

A PROGRAM ESTABLISHED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY last year has awarded its first series of annual grants to programs that aim to prevent domestic violence before it happens. / COURTESY RHODE ISLAND COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
A PROGRAM ESTABLISHED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY last year has awarded its first series of annual grants to programs that aim to prevent domestic violence before it happens. / COURTESY RHODE ISLAND COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

PROVIDENCE – In its first round of funding since establishment last year, the state’s inaugural Domestic Violence Prevention Fund awarded a shared total of $179,755 in funding to five projects that aim to prevent dating and domestic violence.

Three of the projects highlighted this year received implementation grants.
A $55,000 implementation grant was given to Progresso Latino for its Teen & Adult Prevention Program, which uses holistic public health channels to increase the community’s capacity to address intimate partner violence. In order to provide widespread education throughout the Blackstone Valley area, Progresso Latino has partnered with the Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center, the local domestic violence agency.

Mario Bueno, executive director of Progresso Latino, said in a release that, “We are eager to work with the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center along with other organizations in order to seek out grassroots solutions to intimate partner violence.”

Sojourner House also received a $55,000 implementation grant, which it will use to launch its Interpersonal Violence Youth Peer Advocacy Network Program in both Providence and Woonsocket. In coordination with Youth Pride Inc., Youth In Action, and Youthworks411, as well as the Providence Student Union, the organization will train youth advocates and build a peer-advocacy program that will operate in schools.

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Vanessa Volz, Sojourner House executive director, thanked R.I. CADV and added in prepared remarks, “we’re thrilled … to help address the root causes of interpersonal violence and be part of the solution.”

Rhode Island’s branch of the YWCA also received a $55,000 implementation grant. These monies will help educate teachers, youth workers, service providers and community members about the institutional and structural ways in which racism denigrates girls of color as well as programming to teach them to be resilient.

YWCA Rhode Island received a $55,000 implementation grant to train educators, youth workers, service providers and community members on the historical and current ways that institutional and structural racism impacts girls of color and to provide a proven practice for building resiliency in girls.

“Our project recognizes that girls of color are often overlooked when addressing issues of gender and racial inequality, and its relationship to intimate partner violence,” said Deborah Perry, president and CEO of YWCA Rhode Island, in a prepared statement. “It is a clarion call to all of our better selves to highlight the unique struggles of girls of color and ask what we can do to improve our society by raising awareness and focusing on altering norms, policies and community conditions that impact [them].”

In addition, two organizations received micro-grants:

  • Youth In Action was awarded a $9,755 micro-grant to support the development and implementation of youth-designed community events, including a youth-led led film and discussion series and social media campaign.
  • A $5,000 micro-grant was awarded to Princes 2 Kings to develop an engaging and educational stop motion animation film addressing teen dating violence.

Established after the passing of legislation in 2016, which was supported by R.I. Sen. Maryellen Goodwin, D–Providence, and R.I. Rep. Chris Blazejewski, D–Providence, the fund is designed to provide annual financial support to evidence-informed primary prevention programs in Rhode Island.

Going forward each year, the fund, which is administered by the R.I. CADV, will award $180,000 in grants. For more information about the program, click HERE.

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