The grants to enhance culturally specific services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20124

The Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $400,000 Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) grant to Congreso De Latinos Unidos, Inc. ("Congreso") to provide culturally-specific services to Latino victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the Eastern North Philadelphia community. Grant activities include life skills training, career development, evidence-based prevention strategies for youth, English as a Second Language instruction, rental assistance, and housing counseling. The 3-year grant period runs from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2026. Congreso is a multi-service nonprofit organization that serves the Latino community in Philadelphia, having received prior federal awards to deliver health promotion, violence prevention, housing, education, and workforce development programming.

This program supports the maintenance and replication of existing successful community-based programs providing culturally specific services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, as well as the development of innovative culturally specific strategies to enhance access to services and resources for victims who face obstacles to using more traditional programs. Culturally specific services means community-based services that include culturally relevant and linguistically specific services and resources to culturally specific communities which are statutorily defined as american indians (including alaska natives, eskimos, and aleuts); asian americans; native hawaiians and other pacific islanders; blacks; and hispanics. Projects must address at least one of the programs statutory purpose areas. Through this new culturally specific services program project, congreso DE latinos unidos, incorporated will implement a project addressing the following purpose areas: working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources regarding victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and providing culturally specific resources and services that address the safety, economic, housing, and workplace needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including emergency assistance for latino survivors of domestic violence in the eastern north philadelphia community. Specific activities will include: life skills, career skills, advocacy, evidence-based dating and intimate partner violence prevention strategies for children and youth, english as a second language instruction, industry-recognized credentialing programs, tenant-based rental assistance, and housing counseling.