The YWCA Evanston/North Shore is reapplying for the Verizon grant they won in October to further support “critically needed” services for domestic violence survivors in Cook County, said Susan Stump, the YWCA’s leadership and economic empowerment programs director.
The grant is awarded to Illinois nonprofits that offer programs related to domestic violence awareness and prevention. It is funded by the Verizon Foundation and HopeLine from Verizon, an organization that provides wireless phones for domestic violence survivors through nonprofits.
A total of $312,500 was given to more than a dozen grant recipients last year, including the YWCA.
Stump said the money was used to improve their preexisting community-based services program, a component of the YWCA’s domestic violence services that serves nearly 550 local women and children each year. The program was created to educate the community and protect women from domestic abuse.
“There are many women in the community who have not left their abuser,” Stump said. “Some women living in fear and at risk of physical harm may not identify what they are experiencing as abuse.”
The program assists women with counseling and support, case management, legal information, orders of protection and financial literacy, Stump added.
If they receive the grant again this year, the YWCA would address problems that have continued to affect its ability to provide services, most notably the effects of the economic recession.
Development Director Kathy Slaughter said the recession has increased the demand for their services because instances of domestic violence tend to occur in households experiencing financial trouble. The nationwide recession has not only increased the rate of unemployment, but also has limited the amount of federal funding organizations receive for social services, she added.
“The situation has been complicated by severe cutbacks in state funding for domestic violence and other social services,” Slaughter said.
If the application is approved, the YWCA intends to use the grant to strengthen its staff capacity.
“The number of women we serve is limited only by our ability to provide services,” Stump said.
The YWCA currently has no plans to add new programs to their domestic violence services. Trimmy Stamell, the YWCA’s events and special projects manager, said this is due to the comprehensive nature of the program.
“We have the oldest and largest domestic violence program serving Cook County and have been in operation for almost 30 years,” she said.
Applications for the Verizon grant are accepted from January to October each year, and grantees are notified of their decision within 90 days of submission. The YWCA plans to submit its proposal by the end of April.
