Source: United States Senator for Ohio Sherrod Brown
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded a $650,000 grant to Legal Aid Of Western Ohio (LAWO) through its Justice for Families Program. The funding from this award will support the expansion of the capacity of courts and communities to respond to families affected by targeted crimes.
“We have an obligation to survivors and our communities to help them recover from violent crimes, abuse, and other criminal activity. While these funds are good news for Ohio, there’s still more work to do,” said Brown. “I’m continuing to work with my colleagues to ensure that Congress is doing all we can to support victims, and to prevent violence before it affects our communities.”
“Legal Aid of Western Ohio is excited to partner with the Lucas County Juvenile Court, Bethany House, and the Children’s Rights Collaborative to serve domestic violence survivors and their children who are involved in Juvenile Court proceedings. Survivors have multiple needs that this collaboration will meet, helping to ensure the long-term safety and stability of survivors and their families. LAWO greatly appreciates the support of the Office on Violence Against Women for this critical project,” said Lucinda Weller, Managing Attorney with Legal Aid of Western Ohio.
The Grants to Support Families in the Justice System program (Justice for Families Program) was authorized in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) of 2013 to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to families with a history of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse.
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