Lowey Announces Nearly $700,000 To Combat Violence Against Women In Rockland

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nita Lowey, D-Harrison, who represents Rockland and Westchester in the 17th Congressional District, announced Tuesday that Center for Safety & Change, Incorporated in New City, will receive $699,997 in new federal funding to help survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other violent crimes in Rockland County. The funding, authorized in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, comes from the Justice for Families Program within the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women.

“Every member of our community deserves protection from domestic abuse, sexual assault, and violence in any form,” Lowey said. “It is great news that Rockland County will have more resources to ensure that women and children who have suffered from violence receive the support and safety they need and deserve.”

“As the sole victim service agency in Rockland County, Center for Safety & Change is excited to have the opportunity to enhance our collaborations with VCS’s batterer’s accountability program and Big Brothers Big Sisters’ supervised visitation program to serve adult and child victims of domestic violence while holding perpetrators accountable,” said Elizabeth Santiago, executive director of Center for Safety & Change, Inc. “This grant will enable us to meet a significant gap within the Latina community by allowing the partners to hire a bilingual attorney, bilingual advocate, bilingual liaison and supervisors for visitation. In addition, this grant will allow for further court related trainings for court personnel and attorneys.”

Center for Safety & Change, Incorporated and its collaborative partners, VCS of Rockland County, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rockland County, Domestic Violence Program for Men, and Rockland County Integrated Domestic Violence and the Family Court, will use this funding to help survivors of violence by, among other things, hiring a Spanish-speaking bilingual attorney to provide civil legal assistance and providing supervised visitation and safe exchange for families with a history of domestic violence.

Lowey said she believes that every person has the basic right to live free from fear and violence. As Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, she successfully fought to increase VAWA funding to $481.5 million in the FY 2017 omnibus, $1.5 million more than the FY 2016 funding level. Additionally, she helped secure passage of the first federal Violence Against Women Act in 1994.

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