VICTORVILLE – The Family Assistance Program, an Inland Empire non-profit organization which serves multiple at-risk groups received a $40,000 grant from St. Joseph Health Community Partnership Fund to meet the needs of victims of domestic violence.
These victims who reside in San Bernardino County seek assistance from the emergency shelter and transitional facilities, which serve them during their time of transition.The generous grant will allow the organization to provide food, shelter, and case management to 250 victims over the next year. Research suggests that when victims take a position of empowerment they greatly reduce their chances of being victimized again in the future. The goal of this program is to empower victims of domestic violence with the knowledge and resources to become self-sufficient and independent.
“Participants who first enter the shelter are exhausted and full of despair” says Tracey Rick, the shelter’s manager. “Staff at the shelter help clients feel safe and secure. After a few days of healing participants are ready to move forward. As they move forward in the program they achieve goals that seemed impossible when they first started. Whether their goals involve a restraining order, employment, or housing, each step they take in the program is about empowerment.”
In 2018, the Point In Time Count identified 213 people homeless in San Bernardino County as a result of family violence. This accounts for 15.5% of the county’s homeless population. Of those 213 homeless persons, only 78 were receiving shelter. This means that 135 domestic violence victims chose to live on the streets or in their car, some with their children, rather than continue to stay in a home where they were being abused. With the help of St. Joseph Health Community Partnership Fund, Family Assistance Program will continue to empower individuals and families with the tools necessary to live a healthy, safe, and fulfilled life.
