MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Seventeen nonprofit agencies across Alabama whose primary focus is to assist domestic violence victims will receive additional financial assistance through the state’s Domestic Violence Trust Fund, Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday.
Among the nonprofits receiving assistance is Victim Services of Cullman, Inc.
“Victim Services is grateful to Gov. Ivey and ADECA for their commitment to survivors of domestic violence,” said Executive Director Carol Horstman. “This funding will help to ensure Cullman County women and children continue receiving shelter and support as they achieve self-sufficiency and safety.”
The trust fund was created by the Alabama Legislature in 2015 and endorsed by then Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey, who continues her support of the program.
“Domestic violence should not be an issue, yet it occurs and unfortunately infiltrates every segment of society and every part of the state,” Ivey said. “These funds go to help those who are impacted by the ugliness of domestic violence by providing them with shelter and security.”
Funded through a marriage recording fee, the trust fund is managed by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA). Funds are issued on a quarterly basis to agencies. Appropriations to each agency are determined by several factors, including service area population and the number of domestic violence occurrences within those service areas.
“Gov. Ivey is aware of the valuable services these agencies provide to families who are trapped in domestic violence situations and have nowhere to turn,” ADECA Director Kenneth Bowell said. “These services are provided for free and administered by skilled, compassionate staff members, including many who have been in those same situations themselves.”
In the first three quarters of fiscal year 2020, ADECA distributed a total of $1.3 million from the trust fund to agencies statewide.
Domestic violence agencies allocated to receive funds and the counties they serve are:
- Penelope House (Choctaw, Clarke, Mobile and Washington counties)
- Baldwin Family Violence Center (Baldwin, Conecuh, Escambia and Monroe counties)
- House of Ruth (Barbour, Bullock, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike counties)
- SABRA Sanctuary (Dallas, Greene, Marengo, Perry, Sumter and Wilcox counties)
- Montgomery Area Family Violence Program (Autauga, Butler, Chilton, Crenshaw, Elmore, Lowndes and Montgomery counties)
- Crisis Center of Russell County (Russell County)
- Domestic Violence Intervention Center (Chambers, Lee, Macon, Randolph and Tallapoosa counties)
- Safehouse of Shelby County (Chilton, Clay, Coosa and Shelby counties)
- SAN (Turning Point) (Bibb, Fayette, Hale, Lamar, Pickens, and Tuscaloosa counties)
- YWCA of Central Alabama (Blount, Jefferson and St. Clair counties)
- Second Chance (Calhoun, Cleburne, Etowah, and Talladega counties)
- Family Resource Center of Northwest Alabama (Walker County)
- Victim Services of Cullman (Cullman County)
- Safeplace Inc. (Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion and Winston counties)
- Domestic Violence Crisis Services (Cherokee, DeKalb, and Marshall counties)
- AshaKiran (Madison, Mobile and Jefferson counties)
- Crisis Services of North Alabama (Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Morgan counties)
Established in 1991, Victim Services of Cullman provides crisis prevention and recovery programs for families impacted by domestic violence and survivors of sexual assault. All services are provided at no cost.
Learn more about Victim Services of Cullman at www.victimservices.online or www.facebook.com/victimservicescullman.
