Sen. Griffo secures funding for domestic violence awareness programs, training

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 25, 2017

Contact: Alex Gerould – (315) 793-9072, or cell (315) 200-2378

Email: gerould@nysenate.gov

As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, state Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, announced today that he had secured funding for domestic violence awareness programs and training for several organizations and law enforcement agencies.

Sen. Griffo announced that:

The YWCA Mohawk Valley will receive $20,000 in funding. The funding will be utilized to support the Safe Horizons transitional housing program. Safe Horizons, which consists of seven transitional housing units in the Utica area, serves homeless victims of domestic and sexual violence and their children with 24-month transitional living and wrap-around case management.

Lewis County Opportunities Inc. will receive $10,000. These funds will be used for the agency’s Victim Services Program. The program provides domestic violence services such as volunteer recruitment for a 24-hour crisis hotline, community education and outreach, primary prevention education and direct services to the victims of domestic violence and their children.

The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office will each receive $10,000. The funding will go toward training related to domestic violence awareness.

Statistics from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence show that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. There are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide on a typical day, according to the coalition.

“Since October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, it is a time for us to raise awareness about the negative impact this type of violence can have on loved ones and families,” Sen. Griffo said. “No one should be abused by their supposed loved one and we must make sure that we are doing all we can to make sure no one is affected by domestic violence. I am hopeful that this funding will help to cut down on the number of domestic violence cases and will help provide valuable resources to those looking to end this problem or to escape a bad situation.”

“These funds are a great resource to compliment other funding resources. Unfortunately, domestic violence is prevalent in both urban and rural areas,” said Scott Mathys, CEO of Lewis County Opportunities Inc. “In Lewis County, the low population and rather large geographic area can add to the isolation of domestic violence victims. The agency is proud to work with Sen. Griffo to help victims become survivors. We appreciate the efforts to keep services viable for our vulnerable population.”

“We are grateful for Senator Griffo’s steadfast support of our work and our mission,” said YWCA Mohawk Valley CEO Dianne Stancato. “Transitional living and the core services provided by Safe Horizons are necessary as victims traverse the difficult path to healing and independence. This funding is a lifeline to ensure that we can continue these services, free of charge, to those devastated by intimate partner violence.”

“We are committed to doing everything we can to help victims of domestic violence,” said Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol. “I would like to thank Sen. Griffo for providing us with funding that will help us to better train our frontline deputies who often are the first to respond to domestic violence calls.”

“Unfortunately, domestic violence is something we see too often in law enforcement, so anytime that we can get additional resources and funding to help us tackle this problem is always welcome,” said St. Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin Wells. “I thank Sen. Griffo for working to secure this funding for our department.”

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