The grants for outreach and services to underserved populations (underserved program) was statutorily created in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 (vawa 2013) to develop and…

The Peaceful Families Project, Inc. was awarded a $598,517 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women under the Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations (CFDA 16.889) program. The grant will be used to develop and implement outreach strategies and provide victim services for adult and youth Muslim survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Pennsylvania. Key activities include: 1) Identifying and training a team of 18 immigrant women and Muslim young adults as peer outreach educators on domestic violence, 2) Providing online and confidential drop-in information sessions for resource referrals for Muslim young adult victims, and 3) Delivering comprehensive and culturally specific education and resource navigation services for the target population. The three-year grant period runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027.

The grants for outreach and services to underserved populations (underserved program) was statutorily created in the violence against women reauthorization act of 2013 (vawa 2013) to develop and implement outreach strategies targeted at adult or youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations, and to provide victim services to meet the needs of such populations. Grant funds may be used to: 1) work with federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, agencies, and organizations to develop or enhance population specific victim services; 2) strengthen the capacity of underserved populations to provide population specific victim services; 3) strengthen the capacity of traditional victim service providers to provide population specific victim services; 4) strengthen the effectiveness of criminal and civil justice interventions by providing training for law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and other court personnel on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations; 5) work in cooperation with an underserved population to develop and implement outreach, education, prevention, and intervention strategies that highlight available resources and the specific issues faced by victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking from underserved populations; or, 6) strengthen the response of social and human services by providing population-specific training for service providers on domestic violence, dating violence sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations. Eligible applicants are limited to: population specific organizations or victim service providers that are (1) deaf programs (2) lesbian, GAY, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) organizations, (3) organizations serving underserved religious populations, (4) disability programs, or (5) organizations serving certain underserved racial and ethnic populations. The vision of peaceful families project (PFP) is to work in cooperation with the muslim population of pennsylvania to strengthen the capacity for underserved populations and traditional victim service providers to provide services specific to muslim survivors of DV. To do this, PFP will identify and a team of 18 immigrant women and muslim young adults and train the team as peer outreach educators on domestic violence with a focus on young adults using materials written and developed in various languages. PFP will also utilize online and confidential drop-in information sessions for resource referrals for muslim young adults who have experienced domestic violence. The program serves to provide comprehensive and culturally specific education and resource navigation for the target group.