In the Press...
Sept. 22 Trenton Times News Article'Congressman Chris Smith announces $91K grant for domestic violence group'
By Greg Wright | For NJ.com The Times, Trenton -
One day before the 22nd anniversary of the signing of the Violence Against Women Act, the Hamilton-based New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence learned it was to be the recipient of $91,641 in grant funding.
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.) visited New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence (NJCEDV) last week where he announced the awarding of the grant. The funding grant program was established in the Victims of Trafficking and Protection Act of 2000, of which Smith was the prime sponsor, which provided the first reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.  Rep. Chris Smith (left) stands with the NJCEDV's Nicole Morella (mid left), Assistant Communication Director Cristina Williams (mid right) and Community and Education Program Manager Catherine Hernesh (right) stand together after the grant announcement. (contributed photo) (Greg Wright | Times of Trenton)
"(NJCEDV is) the first line of defense for victims — helping to ensure women and their children can access resources and have a place to go to safely escape abuse." Smith said. "Their dedication and commitment... plays a key role in our fight to end these crimes and the exploitation of women and children that remains all too prevalent in our modern day society." "This is significant funding for us," Nicole Morella, the agency's Director of Public Policy and Communications, said.
Hamilton firefighters get $140K for new gear U.S. Rep. Chris Smith helped the fire district secure the grant New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence (NJCEDV) is a statewide coalition of 30 domestic violence programs with the mission of ending domestic violence in New Jersey by advocating for survivors of domestic violence, collaborating with state agencies and member programs, and providing education and training. The money represents 5 percent of NJCEDV's grant-based operations budget, says Morella. Without the grant members of the agency would have to divert time and energy from helping victims to raising the money themselves. "Over 90 percent of our budget is grant based," Morella said. "While we do receive other funding, much of it is tied up in other projects and funding streams with limited flexibility." Now, rather than spending time and resources raising the funds, Morella says, NJCEDV plans to put the money use by creating a new data gathering process that will help identify and then prioritize underserved communities across the state. Mercer County represents a unique challenge as the area is home to many different demographics — each with cultural differences that necessitates the need for varying methods of outreach and solutions, Morella says. "Certain dynamics create barriers to escape and to become self-sufficient afterwards," she said. Those barriers can be anything from language differences to lack of access to technology. "Having the opportunity to maintain this grant will be instrumental in our ability to continue to develop our capacity building and improve access to underserved communities," she said. Greg Wright may be reached at gwright@njadvancemedia.com. |
