EDVA Announces Over $33 Million in Justice Department Grants to Assist Victims of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Acting U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh announced today the awarding of over $33 million in U.S. Department of Justice grants to 26 Virginia-based public and non-profit organizations to fund programs that help address violence against women.

“These grants will provide critical funding and essential services to vulnerable communities, especially women, individuals with disabilities, and immigrants who are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to not only bring perpetrators of these crimes to justice in our courts, but also strengthen the impactful work that is financed by grants to educate our communities and provide much needed resources to support survivors during the healing process and beyond.”

The Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) selected 26 organizations from across the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) to receive over $33.3 million provided through 42 separate grants. The grants are provided to allow the organizations to better address a wide variety of needs and issues facing victims of domestic and sexual violence, such as increasing the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance, accommodating victims with disabilities or hearing impairment, and providing organizations expertise and support.

The recipients of these OVW grants in EDVA include state government entities that provide services throughout the Commonwealth, such as the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Judiciary Courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and non-governmental organizations that provide technical training and assistance nationwide, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Center for State Courts, and the National Center for Victims of Crime. Additional grant recipients include local government entities in EDVA, such as Arlington, Fairfax, James City, Loudoun, and Spotsylvania County, and the City of Norfolk, along with the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe.

In addition, OVW awarded grants in EDVA to universities to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campus, including the College of William & Mary, Norfolk State University, the University of Mary Washington, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Multiple non-profit organizations that provide direct services to victims and survivors in EDVA also received funding, including Alteristic, Boat People S.O.S., the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, the disAbility Law Center of Virginia, Empowerhouse, the Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington, Rappahannock Goodwill Industries, the Tahirih Justice Center, the Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance, and the YWCA of South Hampton Roads.

The over $33 million in grants awarded to Virginia-based organizations is part of more than $476 million in OVW grants awarded to support projects that meaningfully address the needs of underserved and marginalized survivors, improve access to justice, enhance survivor safety, hold accountable those who have caused harm, and provide training and technical assistance to an array of professionals and systems working to address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking in every state and territory, as well as dozens of tribal communities.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.