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 Hmong American Women's Association (HAWA) was awarded a $450,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) under the Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016). The three-year grant, effective from October 2024 to September 2027, will enable HAWA to implement a project addressing the unique needs of Hmong and Southeast Asian victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Key activities include providing financial literacy and life skills support, case management and advocacy, and emergency assistance and housing support. The project aims to increase the community's capacity to offer culturally specific resources and services, address the safety, economic, housing, and workplace needs of victims, and examine the dynamics of culture and its impact on victimization and healing for the target population.

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, hmong american womens association will implement a project addressing the following purpose areas: purpose area 2 - increasing communities capacity to provide culturally specific resources and support for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking crimes and their families; purpose area 7 - providing culturally specific resources and services that address the safety, economic, housing, and workplace needs of victims, including emergency assistance; and purpose area 8 - examining the dynamics of culture and its impact on victimization and healing for hmong and southeast asian victims and survivors in milwaukee county, wisconsin. The project will address priority area 3: expanding economic justice. Specific activities will include: 1) financial literacy and life skills support; 2) case management and advocacy; and 3) emergency assistance and housing support.